Eagerly anticipated Great Yorkshire Show launches today
The 162nd Great Yorkshire Show will run for the next four days
Thousands of people will descend on Harrogate today (Tuesday 13 July 2021) until Friday as the 2021 Great Yorkshire Show has opened its gates for the first day of the much-anticipated event.
The show, organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS), has had its normal capacity reduced to meet Government Covid guidelines, with no tickets available on the gates as it is sold out.
Capacity has been limited to a maximum of 26,000 people a day to minimise any potential crowding and to ensure social distancing can be maintained at all times throughout the site.
This will mean that the Show, which is the 162nd in its history, will welcome a total of 104,000 people in total over the already extended four days, instead of the usual 135,000 visitors over three days.
Last year’s Show was cancelled due to Coronavirus restrictions. Instead, it went virtual over three days last July, attracting viewers from more than 40 different countries.
Sections that will not feature in this year’s show include the Fashion Show, the WI Stand, the pole climbing competition and the Cookery Theatre in the Food Hall although the Game Cookery Theatre will go ahead as usual.
Charles Mills, Show Director, is hoping the show's first organisers "would be proud" of what they have organised.
He said: "We've had to deliver a show in four months which usually takes us a year. The team have been doing a lot of overtime and catching up and delivering a safe show. Meeting all the covid restrictions has been a mammoth task for us.
"We're all very excited but very tired as well. I would hope that the early people who started the Great Yorkshire Show would be proud of what we're trying to do and I am certainly incredibly proud of everyone behind it.
"I walked into the cattle lines when people were arriving and the vast majority wanted to give me a hug. Obviously I couldn't do that but that's the feeling among livestock exhibitors; they want to be here and want to enjoy a show.
"Our main aim is that people enjoy it as it's a real celebration of the countryside. If we can do that then we've done our job."
TV presenter Anita Rani got a sneak preview of the most technologically advanced combine harvester in the world which is making its debut at the show, thanks to Ripon Farm Services.
Alongside Jules Hudson, Anita will be presenting two-part TV series Today at The Great Yorkshire Show which will go out on Channel 5 at 8pm on Wednesday and Thursday night.
Chief Executive Nigel Pulling, of Yorkshire Agricultural Society which organises the show said they had been working closely with North Yorkshire County Council Public Health and Harrogate Borough Council to meet strict criteria to go ahead safely.
He said: “Organising an event of the size and complexity of the Great Yorkshire Show to make it as Covid safe as possible has been a massive challenge for all involved and we have been delighted to have the cooperation of both North Yorkshire and Harrogate councils. The normal timescale for organising the event was shortened because of the changing guidance but we are confident we have put the right measures in place.”
The Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Carl Les, said: “We have been working very hard with the show organisers to make sure this will be a Covid-secure but also a celebratory occasion to showcase the work and the produce of our farming and rural communities.
“The Great Yorkshire Show is a major event in the regional and national calendar so we are delighted that we have been able to support the organisers to make it happen this year, especially after last year’s cancellation and all the challenges our communities have been through during the pandemic.”
Initiatives to improve safety have including extending the show to four days for the first time. Opening hours have also changed so the Show will now run from 8.00am to 6.00pm Tuesday 13 July to Friday 16 July. This will allow visitors to arrive and leave in a more staggered way to help avoid queues.
Visitors are strongly encouraged to have a Lateral Flow Device test before they come to the Show as part of the “Test before you Travel” campaign.
They are also requested to download the NHS app before arriving in order to be able to scan QR codes where necessary, such as hospitality areas.
Those working at the Show, including catering and trade stands, will be required to have a negative lateral flow test within 24 hours before arriving at the Showground.