York residents and visitors set for a ‘Summer of Sport’ with summer-long programme of city centre activities

• New interactive sporty sculpture trail launches 9th July with sports themed installations across city centre
• Free weekly Yoga classes, urban running routes and outdoor ping-pong tables
• New outdoor hospitality including pop-up THOR’s tipi bars, YO1 Beach Club and street food village
• ‘First Summer Day’ adult ticket introduced by First Bus York
• Downloadable map and summer hub available at www.visityork.org/summer

A series of fun summer activities will be taking place across the city centre over the next few months, all under a ‘Summer of Sport’ theme. In a collaboration between Make It York, THOR’s Tipi and First Bus York, plans include an interactive sporty sculpture trail, pop-up tipi bars, urban running routes, free yoga classes, outdoor ping pong tables and more.

A ‘Summer of Sport’ map bringing together all the city centre activity is available for download here and a new hub has been created on the Visit York website bringing together activities from local businesses: www.visityork.org/summer

Six interactive sports-themed sculptures will be installed across the city centre from 9th July until 5th September – offering fun photo opportunities for residents and visitors to get involved in. From celebrating on a winner’s podium and driving a racing car, to posing with weights, the trail aims to get people moving around the city to enjoy the installations and share pictures on social media using #SummerInYork. Trail sponsors include York BID, Middletons Hotel, First Bus York, York City Knights and St Peter’s York.

From 21st June until 5th September a pop-up THOR’s Tipi bar will be on Parliament Street offering a range of tropical-inspired drinks, cosy evenings around fire pits, and weekend DJ sets. THOR’s will be joined on Parliament Street by a variety of York-based food vendors – including Yuzu Street Food, KREP, Shambles Kitchen, Sloppy’s Burgers, Stam & Maria and The York Roast Co.

The colourful new outdoor seating will also remain across the city to provide spaces for people to buy food and drink from local businesses and soak up the atmosphere of the city with friends and family.

Until 5th September, residents and visitors can also enjoy the new YO1 Beach Club - a brand-new family-friendly space located in Tower Gardens designed to be a fun and safe urban oasis. Produced by Coopers Marquees, the space includes a wood-panelled covered café and veranda with a boardwalk entrance across a beach area styled with striped deckchairs, bunting, and lobster pots. Four brightly coloured beach huts on the sand serve teas and coffees, ice creams, as well as beach apparel and toys. There is also an open barbeque serving a choice of delicious grilled food as well as a menu for kids.

Continuing with the sporty theme, outdoor ping-ping tables sponsored by JORVIK Viking Centre will be located on Parliament Street which residents and visitors can use for free and free yoga classes will also take place in THOR’s tipi each week in partnership with Emperor’s Gym. Kicking off from 14th July, the classes will run each Wednesday (07.30AM -08.30AM) and Friday (08.30AM - 09.30AM) with pre-booking required by email to leisure@middletonsyork.co.uk. For runners, two urban running routes have been devised in partnership with York Knavesmire Harriers – taking in all the best city centre sights over a 5K and 10K route.

Ashley Young, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Make It York said:

“We are very excited to launch our ‘Summer of Sport’ activity which brings together everything from walking tours, running routes and yoga, to sporty sculptures and ping pong. With the Euros, Olympics, Wimbledon all taking place this summer, and the Rugby League World Cup coming to York later in the year, the ‘Summer of Sport’ theme takes inspiration from these events and celebrates us all as ‘winners’, as we come out of what has been a difficult year.

“It’s been great to work with a range of local businesses and partner organisations to curate this summer-long programme of activity which will ensure a vibrant and animated city centre, with lots going on for residents and visitors to enjoy. Supporting local businesses remains key and we look forward to welcoming people back into the city centre to enjoy the York’s wonderful attractions, retail and hospitality offer.”

Amanda Monaghan, Director THOR’s Tipi said:

“We’ve loved being involved in the planning for ‘York Summer of Sport’. We’ve worked with many different local artists and businesses on the activities and the sense of community has been brilliant. We’re also excited to be back on Parliament St with THOR’S tipi bar and can’t wait for the city centre to come to life!”

The ‘Summer of Sport’ activity is being delivered in partnership with First Bus York as part of its ongoing support for local business and community initiatives to bring people back to the city. And by inspiring a ‘cleaner & greener’ York, the aim is to promote sustainable travel - encouraging residents and visitors to travel by bus, cycle or walk wherever possible to enjoy the city centre offer throughout summer.

John Godfrey, Head of Marketing at First Bus York said:

“We want to connect people to destinations and experiences. And we’re making it easy to discover the Summer of Sport again and again with a new adult day ticket giving unlimited travel at weekends and on-bus information about how to get to these fabulous events and attractions.

“This is another reason for residents and tourists to get into the city centre, shop local and support York’s retail, hospitality and leisure businesses throughout summer.”

Adam Wardale, General Manager at Middletons Hotel, York said:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Make It York and local businesses to support the reopening of York and promote the unique offering of this beautiful city. As life slowly returns to normal, taking time out to focus on personal wellbeing is more important than ever, and so Emperors Gym at Middletons is proud to offer complimentary yoga classes for the Summer of Sport.”

Live sport will be aired throughout the city centre at various venues – including Spark:York’s big screen for England’s Euro 2020 matches (ticketed), Wimbledon screenings at Coppergate, and many more pubs and bars across the city. For more information about the Summer events in the city and live sport screenings go to www.visityork.org/summer

Download the Summer of Sport map sponsored by First Bus York at www.visityork.org/summer or pick up printed copies in the Visitor Information Centre at 1 Museum Street.