With Spring well and truly here, Otley is getting into its stride with a packed month of events, performances, markets and community celebrations.
May brings everything from maypole dancing and green fairs to live comedy, classical music, charity discos, big-name book talks and one of the town’s biggest annual traditions, Otley Show.
There’s also the small matter of the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon passing through town, which means plenty of chance to line the streets, make some noise and give the runners the kind of Otley welcome that might just carry them up that big hill as they head out of town.
So whether you’re after live music, local food, big ideas, handmade finds or just a good excuse to get out of the house without pretending you’re “going for a walk”, here are some of the highlights coming up in Otley this May.
May Day the Otley way
Otley Maypole, Cross Green
Friday May 1
Otley marks May Day with a proper bit of tradition as the Buttercross Belles invite families to gather at the historic maypole on Cross Green. Expect Morris dancing, ribbons, and a chance for children to join in the dancing around the maypole, with parents or carers helping them through the steps. The celebrations will also bring together Otley dance teams including Kitchen Taps, Flash Company and Wayzgoose, with the Town Mayor and Bellman joining in too. Very Otley. Very spring. Very much better than pretending May Day is just another Friday.
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Centre court gossip without the strawberries-and-cream price tag
Otley Courthouse
Saturday May 2
After 20 years as a Wimbledon line judge, comedian Pauline Eyre has a few stories to tell — and, frankly, it would be rude not to listen. Anyone For Tennis? serves up insider gossip from the royal box to the locker room, with ace anecdotes, sharp comic timing and no one shouting “quiet please” when things get interesting. Fresh from a sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe 2025, this is one for tennis fans, comedy fans, and anyone who enjoys seeing the polite world of Wimbledon given a gentle whack with a racket.
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A film about the man who saw the future getting weird
UpCo
Wednesday May 6
We Are Making A Film About Mark Fisher explores the life, ideas and influence of the late writer and cultural thinker Mark Fisher. Fisher wrote about politics, pop culture, technology, mental health and why modern life can feel so strangely stuck. This 65-minute film brings those ideas to life through documentary, performance and experimental storytelling, with contributions from more than 70 artists. It’s thoughtful, unusual and made for anyone who likes films that leave them with something to chew on afterwards.
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Songs, stories and a fundraiser with its feet in the earth
Black Horse
Friday May 8
Voices for the Earth brings live music and spoken word together for an Otley 2030 fundraiser inspired by nature and the environment. Taking place upstairs at the Black Horse, the evening features music from Mariner’s Star and The Lost Embers, alongside poetry from Tim Boardman and Fiona Hilton. Expect soulful harmonies, earthy sounds, nature-inspired words and the kind of gently stirring evening that reminds you the planet is probably worth more than another doomscroll.
Green ideas, local action and not a lecture in sight
Otley Courthouse
Saturday May 9
Otley Green Fair brings together local groups, makers, campaigners and practical ideas for anyone interested in the wellbeing of Otley and the wider world. Expect stalls from groups including Otley 2030, Wildlife Friendly Otley, Otley in Bloom and Friends of Chevin Forest, alongside recycled craft stalls, family activities, live music, workshops and a raffle packed with local prizes. The Courthouse café will also be serving vegetarian and vegan food, plus Fair Trade drinks and snacks. Sustainable, sociable and mercifully free of finger-wagging.
Big hills, big cheers and a proper Yorkshire roar
Around town
Sunday May 10
The Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon returns to Otley, bringing runners through town on what is surely one of the hilliest and hardest road marathons in the UK. They’ll arrive via Pool Road before turning left on Kirkgate, then heading out along Bondgate, Gay Lane and Leeds Road. Whether you know someone running or just fancy lending your lungs to the cause, this is a day to line the streets, make some noise and remind tired legs that Otley knows how to show up.
Variety night, but make it properly good
Otley Common
Friday May 15
Otley Common Varieties launches a new fundraising event series with an evening of comedy, music and proper old-school variety, all helping support the continued refurbishment of Otley Common. Brought together by Steve Huison and the team behind the much-loved Cabaret Saltaire, the first line-up includes comedian and actor Miles Jupp, Yorkshire folk/blues musician Serious Sam Barrett, Saltaire duo Waiting For Wednesday and award-winning one-liner merchant Stephen Cookson. Doors open at 7pm, with the show running from 8pm to 10pm. Comedy, music, warm vibes and a building worth backing.
Country show season starts here
Otley Showground
Saturday May 16
Otley Show returns to the showground at Bridge End for one of the town’s biggest days of the year. Thought to be the oldest one-day agricultural show in the country, it brings more than 12,000 visitors to the Wharfe Valley for livestock, horses, dogs, handicrafts, floral displays, produce, food, gifts and more than 100 trade stands. It’s proper countryside meets proper Otley — with enough going on to keep everyone happy, even the family member who claims they’re “just coming for a quick look.”
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Pick a tune, hit the dancefloor, do some good
Black Horse
Saturday May 16
CHIBOOGIE is a feel-good charity disco for anyone who fancies a move, a groove, or a dignified shuffle in the corner until their song comes on. Taking place upstairs at The Black Horse from 5.30pm to 9pm, the event is raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians. Tickets are £5, and the best bit is that everyone buying one gets to choose a track for the playlist, meaning the tunes are crowd-created. Democracy, but with dancing.
Spring strings without the stuffiness
Otley Bridge Church
Sunday May 17
Otley Chamber Orchestra returns with its spring concert, bringing live classical music to Otley Bridge Church. Expect an afternoon of rich strings, big melodies and proper musicianship from a local orchestra that knows how to fill a room without needing stadium speakers or dry ice. Civilised, uplifting and a strong reminder that sometimes the best Sunday reset doesn’t involve a sofa and six episodes of something you’re only half-watching.
Britpop stories from behind the drum kit
Otley Courthouse
Friday May 22
Dave Rowntree, drummer with Blur, comes to Otley Courthouse to share stories from the band’s early years and his new book, No One You Know. Expect tales from the first friendships in Colchester, the chaos of world tours, and that not-exactly-low-key Britpop rivalry with Oasis. With candid photos and unheard stories from one of the defining bands of the 1990s, this is one for music fans, memoir lovers and anyone who still has opinions about Blur versus Oasis.
Gut health without the wellness waffle
Functional Drinks Club
Saturday May 23
Your gut does a lot more than deal with lunch, as this practical workshop at Functional Drinks Club sets out to explain. Hosted by nutritionist James Ellis and FDC owner Kevin Gillespie, the session looks at how gut health connects with energy, weight, hormones and overall wellbeing, while cutting through the fluff and overwhelm. Expect clear, no-nonsense guidance on what might be going on inside your gut and simple steps you can start using straight away. No extremes, no faff, no pretending celery juice is a personality.
Bookish ballads in the room above the shelves
The Bookshop on the Square
Friday May 29
Ballads Above The Bookshop brings music and storytelling to the intimate space above The Bookshop on the Square. Singer-songwriter Sara Jasmin Page is joined by Leeds-based singer-songwriter and pianist Angelina X for an evening of piano, vocal harmony and literary inspiration, bringing favourite stories and characters from the world’s best books to life. It’s part gig, part storytelling session, and exactly the sort of thing that makes buying books online feel like a terrible life choice.
Stock up and snack well
Market Place
Sunday May 31
Otley Farmers’ Market returns to Market Place from 9am to 1pm with its usual mix of local and speciality produce. Expect fresh lasagne, breads, meat, fish, oils, fruit, veg, herbs, coffee, cakes, brownies, gifts and plenty more besides. It’s friendly, central and dangerously good for anyone who only popped out for “a few bits” and somehow comes home with lunch, dinner, three treats and a bag full of excellent decisions.
Handmade finds without the panic-scroll
Otley Courthouse
Sunday May 31
Otley Craft Fair returns to the Courthouse with more than 20 local and regional makers selling everything from handmade gifts and homeware to art, jewellery, textiles and cards. It’s a chance to browse properly, meet the people behind the work and find something a bit more interesting than whatever the algorithm is shouting at you this week. Ideal for gifts, treats, or the classic “I wasn’t shopping for myself, but here we are” purchase.