Coronavirus: Great Yorkshire Show set to return in July

The last Great Yorkshire Show, in 2019, attracted more than 135,000 visitors

The Great Yorkshire Show is planned to go ahead in July after missing a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the event's organisers have said.

The show, which is held in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, is set to run from 13-15 July if the government lifts curbs on large-scale events.

In 2020, the show was cancelled in full for the first time since the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001.

Organisers said the show's format and ticket details would be released later.

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In 2019, the last show to be held, the event saw its highest number of visitors in more than a decade, with over 135,000 people attending the three-day agricultural event, organisers said.

More than 8,000 animals ranging from pigeons to cattle take part in livestock competitions, alongside exhibitions showcasing British farming, food and countryside activities.

The three-day event in Harrogate is regarded as one of the highlights of the farming year

The 2021 show, the 162nd in its history, will go ahead "subject to restrictions being lifted as set out by the government", according to Yorkshire Agricultural Society (YAS).

Show director Charles Mills said: "We are considering what changes will be required in order to hold a Covid-safe Great Yorkshire Show.

"This will be guided by the government's guidance, as it evolves, around the safe resumption of events."

The planned date for the show would have to be "reviewed regularly" and it would only go ahead "if we can do so safely for all concerned", Mr Mills added.

YAS said it was exploring what the show programme could safely include and further details would be announced "in due course".