This is everything you need to know about this weekend's much-loved Knaresborough Bed Race 2026

The 60th anniversary of a much-loved event brilliantly organised by Knaresborough Lions is a big moment six decades after its founders hatched the original plan to create thrills, spills and fundraising from a crazy race on makeshift beds through the historic town’s famous cobbled streets.

To commemorate this milestone, the theme of this Saturday’s Knaresborough Bed Race harks back to the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and the event’s establishment in 1966, the year of England’s World Cup victory.

Chairman of the Bed Race organising committee, Jatinder Khalsi, said: “Themes are changed every year, which keeps the Best Dressed Bed competition fresh and really alive.

"This year, with its great significance of six decades of Bed Race, what else could we have had as a theme but ‘The Swinging Sixties’.

“The idea is to give the teams the broadest canvas to spark their creative juices to come up with ingenious designs.

"It all adds up to a wonderful parade through town."

A lot has happened since the early years of the gruelling but spectacular Knaresborough Bed Race.

It’s been featured on national and international TV, been championed in Parliament by the town’s MP, coped with flooding, storms and a pandemic and emerged more popular than ever with crowds which on average reach almost 30,000 each time.

Over the years, putting Knaresborough Bed Race together has evolved into a huge logistical feat for Knaresborough Lions.

On Bed Race Day, more than 250 other people come along to help, marshalling the race route, judge the Best Dressed beds, man the entry gates, help prepare the course and clean up afterwards.

Dance groups and marching bands add spice to the Parade, and many helpers and children join their teams too in marching to Conyngham Hall.

Altogether with those who build and decorate the beds, and stich and sew the costumes, it is believed that more than 2,000 people are directly involved.

The fastest teams complete the arduous course in under 13 minutes as a rule, with the slowest coming in at about twice that time.

The winners of the first Knaresborough Bed Race in 1966 – when there were only four entrants - was the Army Apprentice College team.

Today, there are 90 teams, including 630 runners and passengers.

Competition is fierce in a fun-packed event which is still taken very seriously.

Amazingly, the event still follows a similar course to that in 1966, with the exception of what was once the hurtle down the cobbles of Water Bag Bank.

This was replaced by the almost equally steep, but easier to control descent of the High Street and Bond End.

Much remains identical to that which faced teams in the 1960s; the start and finish in Conyngham Hall. the run through Waterside and up Castle Ings to the Castle, with the final act of swimming across the River Nidd from the far bank.

Knaresborough Bed Race 2026: Timetable

The day starts at 9am at Knaresborough Castle where the teams gather.

Judging of the Best Dressed Beds begins at 11am and the winners are announced at 12.30pm.

From 1pm, the teams with their decorated beds parade through the town via the High Street to Conyngham Hall field.

There, the decorations come off and the teams strip down to racing trim for the Race itself, which begins at 3.00 pm.

Teams set off from the start line at 10-second intervals and embark on the arduous course.

This takes them up the grassy bank, through Conyngham parkland, across Bond End and onto Waterside, progressing through the Nidd Gorge before ascending the very steep Castle Ings.

They do a circuit of the market place before descending High Street and the quickest stretch of the course down Bond End.

This time they cross High Bridge to the Mother Shipton side and enjoy the rural charms of McIntosh Park. After a few hundred yards they arrive at the river, but on the far side to where they started the race.

The final act is to swim the 50 yards to the Conyngham Hall side – runners, passengers, beds and all.

The race generally finishes between 3.15pm and 4pm.

Amenities

In Conyngham Hall there are bars, food stalls and attractions for children.

The Big Screen shows live footage from the day, especially the iconic river crossing, plus results and footage from previous years.

Your Harrogate DB radio station is Bed Race’s media partner and will count down to the start of the race.

Their DJs will commentate on the day and will relay important community and safety news.

Music will be played for the entertainment of fans from the stage, and the trophies will be presented on the stage near Conyngham Hall.

Road closures and getting there

Roads in and around Knaresborough are closed to traffic from 12.30pm until around 6pm.

The Market, Castlegate and Silver Street, are closed from 10.30 am, and the main roads of the High Street, Bond End, part of Boroughbridge Road and Harrogate Road from 12.30pm.

There will be road closures, too, affecting Cheapside, Castlegate, part of Brewerton Street, Fisher Street, High Bond End, Castle Ings and Waterside from Castle Mills to High Bridge.

Free park-and-ride services will run on the day of Bed Race between GSPK/Knaresborough Technology Park on Manse Lane and the town centre.

Organisation

It costs about £30,000 for the event to be staged, which involves road closures, traffic management, crowd barriers, licenses, printing, signage, hire of equipment and materials.

Knaresborough Lions look to cover the costs through sponsorship, advertising in and sale of a printed event Programme, team entry fees, and income from spectators entering Conyngham Hall field, plus other charitable contributions.

Full information on past winners and other arrangements: www.bedrace.co.uk