Otley’s unique wildlife arts festival returns
Otley will once again celebrate its love of wildlife and the natural world when the Otley Wildlife Arts Festival 2026 returns from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October.
Now in its fifth year, the festival brings together art, music, photography, film, books, talks, exhibitions and ideas, with something for everyone fascinated by the wildlife and landscapes around us.
The festival gets underway on Friday 23 October at 7.30pm with a special appearance by popular television personality and Wildlife Friendly Otley patron George McGavin.
His new talk, It’s a Wild Life – Tales from Television, will take place at Wesley Hall at The Common, Walkergate, with doors opening at 6.30pm.
Drawing on successive careers in academia and the media, George will share his personal journey discovering the world of wildlife – big, and especially small – and explain why, even in the face of the current climate and nature crisis, his passion for the natural world remains as strong as ever.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.
With a background in zoology and entomology, George spent 30 years in academia before becoming an award-winning broadcaster. He is also an Honorary Research Associate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and author of recent books including The Hidden World and The Good Bug.
Tickets for George McGavin are £22, with concessions at £16.50, and can be booked at:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/otleycommon/2333241
Talks, art and workshops
Saturday brings a packed programme at The Common, including an art exhibition and stalls alongside a series of free short talks and workshops.
The short-talk programme in the Common Chapel is due to include the following, with timings currently provisional:
- 10.30am – Badgers
- 11.15am – Nature Recovery in Otley
- 12 noon – Toads
- 1.30pm – What Makes a Healthy River?
- 2pm – Adders
- 2.45pm – Broughton Rewilding Project
- 3.30pm – A Few of My Favourite Things – Mostly Fantastic Insects
There will also be a range of adult creative workshops, giving festival-goers the chance to explore their own artistic talents while taking inspiration from nature.
On Saturday 24 October, Miriam Laville will lead Natural Forms with Mixed Media from 10am–12 noon, followed by Tony Driver with Autumnal Woodland with Collage & Acrylics from 2–4pm.
On Sunday 25 October, Kim Coley will lead Drawing Birds with Posca Pens from 2–4pm.
Adult workshops cost £15 and places can be booked by contacting [email protected].
An evening of music and words
On Saturday evening, the festival moves into music and spoken word, with Sarah Smout, Amy-Jane Beer, Chris Brain and Matthew Hedley Stoppard presenting a special celebration of nature at The Chapel at Otley Common from 7.30pm.
Further details will be announced shortly.
Creating a new piece of wildlife art for Otley
This year’s festival also features an exciting new project to create a mosaic pond and bench celebrating local wildlife, while also highlighting some of the pressures it faces.
Otley mosaic-maker Frances Taylor will lead a series of workshops where local people can help create an installation designed to enhance Otley town centre for years to come.
The morning workshop on 4 October is already fully booked and the afternoon session has only a few spaces remaining. There is still availability at the two workshops on 11 October, and at least one further session will also be organised.
Workshops cost £10, or £15 for two, and can be booked by contacting [email protected]. No previous experience is necessary.
The project is part of the Seasons of Culture Programme, funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council through the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme.
The Otley Wildlife Arts Festival celebrates the many different ways people connect with nature – whether through creativity, science, music, photography, storytelling or simply getting outside and discovering the wildlife on our doorstep.
With a packed programme for a wide range of ages and interests, it promises to be another highlight of Otley’s autumn calendar.