UK AIDS Memorial Quilt comes to Wakefield
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Wakefield is set to be the first city outside of London to welcome the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt in its entirety, in partnership with the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Partnership, from 4-7 June at Wakefield Exchange (WX).
Until now, the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt has only ever been displayed in its entirety once, at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in London, and is now set to come to Wakefield.
“We’re pleased to bring the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt to Wakefield. Commemorating the lives of nearly 400 people, each panel has been lovingly created by the family, friends or partners of someone who has lost their life. It really is a deeply moving piece, with such important stories to tell, and we’re proud to host this in Wakefield Exchange. And to have parts of the Quilt displayed across the district as well, for more people to see and remember.”
Mark Lynam
Corporate Director for Regeneration, Environment and Economic Growth
The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt currently consists of 43 quilts and 24 individual panels. They represent over 500 people lost to HIV and AIDS. The 43 blocks will be on display at Wakefield Exchange (WX) while other partner venues will be hosting individual panels.
It is part of the world’s largest community art project, started in the USA in 1985 by activist Cleve Jones, commemorating friends, family and loved ones lost to AIDS.
Individual panels were stitched together to create larger quilts, which were then shown outdoors as a form of protest to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Today it stands as an important reminder of those who were lost and of the fact that HIV and AIDS continue to affect people and communities today.
Over the same dates, selected individual panels will be displayed at partner venues around the district, allowing a wider audience to uncover their rich history and significance. In Wakefield city centre, venues include The Hepworth Wakefield, Theatre Royal Wakefield, The Art House, and LonGBoat CIC’s Kirkgate Station Community Gallery. Further afield, visitors can explore the panels at Anglers Country Park, Pontefract Castle, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Castleford Queens Mill, and the Maurice Dobson Museum in Darfield, Barnsley. Opening hours at these venues vary so check before traveling.
At WX, a special moment of collective reflection will take place on Saturday 6 June from 2:30pm, with a public reading of the names of those commemorated on the Quilt, followed by a poem by Andrew McMillan. Throughout the exhibition, visitors can also watch the recently rediscovered documentary film There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, which documents the 1994 display of the Quilt in Hyde Park, screened daily at Wakefield Exchange. A late-night opening of the display will also take place on Friday 5 June.
The programme also includes a wide range of free, hands-on activities over the weekend. WOVEN will be delivering creative workshops on both Saturday and Sunday, including craft activities in WX’s The Factory. Meanwhile on Sunday, partner organisation The Art House will also host free drop-in printmaking sessions in their print studio, where visitors can screen print their own posters featuring messages of solidarity, hope and love.
The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt’s presence in Wakefield offers a rare opportunity to remember those lost, honour the activism behind the Quilt, and bring communities together through art, creativity and shared reflection.
More information can be found at: UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Display | Wakefield Exchange