The neighbouring Yorkshire city will host the world famous Finals on 20th & 21st of September 2024
Bradford's St George's Hall is stepping in to host the Finals of next year's Leeds International Piano Competition in place of Leeds Town Hall, which will be undergoing refurbishments.
Leeds Piano say the decision was made with "great consideration of the close historical and cultural links between the two cities and presents a unique opportunity to connect the Leeds 2023 year of culture with Bradford's 2025 UK City of Culture."
The rounds leading up to the Finals will still take place at the University of Leeds as normal.
Fiona Sinclair, CEO of the competition, comments: "St George's Hall is a stunning and historic venue in the heart of Bradford, a city with amazing personality and warmth. In the 100 days before Bradford becomes UK City of Culture, we are proud to celebrate the culmination of our 2024 Competition with our friends in Bradford in front of a global audience."
Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director at Bradford 2025, said: “As we prepare to welcome the world to Bradford for our celebratory year as UK City of Culture in 2025, we are excited to able to work alongside our neighbours in Leeds to be part of this significant event.
"The Leeds International Piano Competition is a well known and loved date in the cultural calendar and we look forward to working alongside the Leeds team to create some additional artistic collaborations and make the most of this shared musical moment for our cities.”
Kazakhstani pianist Alim Beisembayev won the last edition of the competition. You can re-watch all of his performances from the competition here.
Further details about the 2024 competition, including the dates and ticket sales, will be announced soon. The competition will return to a refurbished Leeds Town Hall in 2027.
Main image: © Bradford Theatres