Knaresborough Bed Race 2023: That’s Entertainment theme

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race will return again in June 2023 and organisers, Knaresborough Lions have announced that the theme for next year’s event will be ‘That’s Entertainment’.

The 2023 Bed Race will be staged on Saturday, June 10, making it the 56th Great Knaresborough Bed Race, an event that goes back to 1966. There were two years of cancellation in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

READ MORE: Here's why this well-known York firm is sending rollercoasters to Kuwait

Martin Brock, chairman of next year’s Bed Race, said: “We want to give as wide a canvas as possible to encourage the inventiveness of Bed Race teams in the creation of their bed designs and fancy dress.

READ MORE: CCTV appeal after bike thief strikes in York

“For many, the parade of the decorated beds and the competition to win the Best Dressed Bed are the highlights of the event. But even the faster teams treat this part of the Bed Race contest as highly important.

“Each year, we see great ingenuity in the originality and creativity of the designs. It adds so much to the overall spectacle and makes the whole town a perfect stage for the Bed Race experience.

“Roll on next June!”

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race will return again in June 2023 (Image: Knaresborough Lions)

Winner of the 2022 Best Dressed Bed trophy was The Rocket Men. Second were 1st Scriven Scouts and third were Techbuyer. Special commendations were given to HENCHshaws, Aspin Avengers, SFC, Harrogate Symphony Orchestra and It’s a COP-out.

The Bed Race is run by the volunteer Knaresborough Lions Club to raise funds for local charities and good causes. It plays out around the cobbled streets, steep hills and leafy parkland of Knaresborough, and attracts attention from all around the world. It has spawned similar events in Germany, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and in other parts of the UK.

A pipe band leading the parade (Image: Knaresborough Lions)

Mr Brock said: “Nowhere offers the wonderful combination of spectacular scenery, an extremely taxing course and the final act of swimming through the ever-icy waters of the River Nidd.

"The event survived the pandemic and we feel that nothing can stop it, come hell or high water in the Nidd.”

It is an all-community event. Apart from the 90 teams of six runners and a passenger which take part, 300 local people help with organisation on the day. The event attracts 30,000 spectators each year and garners TV coverage around the world.

Entry forms for the teams will appear from 1 January 2023 on the event website www.bedrace.co.uk. These have to be filled in and returned to the Lions club before the end of February.