Coming soon: Groucho Club brings Soho energy to Bretton

The wait is almost over! The Groucho Club’s Yorkshire outpost will open in 2026. That’s not expansion. That’s a statement – and we’re here for it. Set within the grounds of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Groucho Bretton promises cultural programming, restaurants, bars and around 40 boutique bedrooms (non-members can book, so no need to dust off your media credentials). Expect art-world edge, serious design credentials and a membership list that reads like a casting call. Groucho Bretton will standalone from its London big sister, but will share the Groucho’s eclectic DNA. Yorkshire just got interesting. No opening date yet, so watch this space.

York gets the UK’s largest independent bookshop

The wait is nearly over. Rumour has it, Topping & Company Booksellers will open its biggest-ever store on Museum Street this Easter – 6,000 sqft of literary loveliness no less, within a grand Grade I listed building, opposite York minster. Translation: soaring shelves, rolling ladders, armchairs you’ll disappear into and an events calendar that will pull in authors worth queueing for. York has always had cultural cachet. This just tips it into destination territory.

A wellness-led hotel arrival in Sheffield

Village Hotel Sheffield opens winter 2026 in a fully reimagined format. Yes, there’s a gym, pool and steam room. But the detail that caught our eye? A dedicated Reformer Pilates studio and Club Rooms with in-room fitness kit. The new luxury isn’t chandeliers – it’s feeling smug before breakfast.

STACK lands in Sheffield (and it’s not subtle)

STACK Sheffield arrives in 2026 with its high-energy shipping-container concept. Street food, live music, big screens and serious atmosphere. It’s not hushed and candlelit – but it will be buzzy, design-led and very Instagram-friendly.

International Women’s Day, but make it fearless

view from cow and calf rocks Ilkley — Views over Ilkley from Cow and Calf rocks. Credit: Jonny Gios

To mark IWD, a group of Yorkshire’s most visible women are abseiling down Cow and Calf Rocks in support of Smart Works Leeds. Leading the charge: Christine Talbot, Rachel Peru, Annie Stirk, Bernadette Gledhill and Rachel Woolford, with interest from Emmerdale cast members. Cliff edges, courage and proper community spirit. Yorkshire women do not mess about.

Hollywood does The Whippet

Newsflash! The Yorkshire openings quietly redefining 2026

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