By Fiona Gell
Discover the people, stories and creative spirit behind historic Sunny Bank Mills’ at its Heritage Festival this month.
The doors will open on the past this September as Sunny Bank Mills’ Heritage Festival invites visitors to discover the everyday lives, stories and creativity that have shaped one of West Leeds’ most remarkable industrial sites.
Taking place from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2026, the festival will explore Sunny Bank Mills through the theme ‘Everyday Histories’, part of this year’s national Heritage Open Days programme.
From the hundreds of people who used to work at the Mills to the artists and makers who create there today, the weekend will reveal the human stories behind the historic buildings showing how a place once at the heart of Yorkshire’s textile industry continues to be a vibrant centre for creativity and culture.
Founded in 1829, Sunny Bank Mills was once home to more than 900 workers, producing some of the finest woollen and worsted cloth in the world. Today, the Mills remain in the ownership of the Gaunt family, alongside a thriving community of artists, makers, businesses and cultural organisations.
Visitors will be able to explore this history through a special Everyday Histories exhibition in the Museum & Archive, where the Mills’ collection of objects, photographs, cloth samples and stories offers a glimpse into the working lives of the people who made the site what it is today.
There will also be opportunities to step inside previously unseen areas of the Mills on guided Heritage Tours, while a family-friendly Clocking-In Trail will encourage visitors to explore the site and discover six ‘Everyday History’ spots featuring archival photographs and stories.
But the festival isn’t only about looking back.
The weekend coincides with Leeds Open Studios, giving visitors the chance to meet almost 50 contemporary artists and makers working across Sunny Bank Mills’ Spinning Mill, Twisting and Red Lane Mill studios. For the first time, the festival will also feature pop-up studios in the Main Yard, bringing together local artists and makers who normally work from home studios.
A new collaborative exhibition by Kim Coley and Mel Davies will also be on display in the atmospheric Spinning Mill Loft, while visitors can enjoy creative activities, refreshments, independent shops and further opportunities to explore the Mills’ unique mix of heritage, art and making.
Rachel Moaby, Sunny Bank Mills’ Heritage Director said: “There’s so much to discover across the weekend, from funny and fascinating stories of working life in Farsley to unseen parts of the Mills and the collection. Visitors can get a glimpse behind the scenes of our National Lottery-funded Dyevolution project, discovering the secrets of natural and synthetic dyes, hearing about our latest research and seeing how our new dye garden is bringing this history to life.”
Sunny Bank Mills Heritage Festival takes place Friday 11 – Sunday 13 September 2026, 10am–4pm. Open Studios, 12th&13th September only. Entry is free and no booking is required for the main festival activities apart from the paid-for guided tours.
More information about the Heritage Festival can be found here.