We hope the following information will help everyone plan for the show.
Venue:
The show is held at:
Skipton Auction Mart
Gargrave Road
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 1UD
Yarndale 2026 Show Opening Times:
- Saturday 26th September 10am – 5.30pm
- Sunday 27th September 10am – 4.30pm
- No-one under the age of 16 can be allowed on site during the build or break down of the event. There are no crèche facilities available at the venue so please ensure that if you have children with you that you have made appropriate off site arrangements for these periods.
- We support those who wish to wear face masks/coverings and we encourage the provision of hand sanitiser on stands.
Set up times:
Access to the mart for setting up is between 2pm and 8pm on Friday 25th September. The mart will close promptly at 8pm. Please do not arrive early and expect to set up before 2pm.
Please set off early and allow plenty of time to ensure your set up is complete by 8pm.
Access on show days is from 8am and stands must be ready by 9.30am.
Stands can be restocked from:
- 5.30pm – 6.30pm on Saturday
- 8.00am – 9.30am on Sunday
Parking
Parking at the venue is extremely limited. Please travel in one vehicle where possible. Please park your vehicle in the allotted exhibitor parking area as directed by the stewards.
Accessible Parking:
There is designated accessible parking near the Wharfedale Entrance to the venue. Please park as directed by the Stewards.
Exhibitor Accreditation
Exhibitor’s must wear the official Yarndale accreditation at all times to ensure access to the building and exhibitor only toilets. Exhibitors will receive the following free passes on registration:
- Single stand – 2 passes
- Double stand – 3 passes
- Triple stand – 4 passes
- Quadruple stand – 5 passes
Additional passes may be purchased at £12.50 each (exc VAT) when submitting the application form.
Exhibitor Stand sizes:
- Single 2.7m wide
- Double 5.4m wide
- Triple 8.1m wide
- Quad (linear) 10.8m wide
Stands are approximately 3m deep formed by metal barred gates on three sides at 1.5 metres high. A handful of stands will have a solid back wall with no bars to hang items or display from.
Stands, stand dressing/displays or exhibits must not exceed 2.5m in height.
New Business Stands
We are keen to give businesses who are new to Yarndale the opportunity to enjoy the platform afforded by exhibiting at a large show. To support small businesses to take the steps to exhibit at a wide reaching event and have made available single spaces at a lower rate.
These stands are the same approximate size as a single pen: 3m deep x 2.7m wide.
Stand set up
Stands should allow as much space as possible for everyone to feel comfortable browsing. Consider access for all and allow space for wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters. Please ensure hand sanitiser is available for visitors to use throughout the weekend.
Break down and get out on Sunday
We need to vacate the mart by 6.30pm on Sunday evening in order for the mart to be re-jigged for a large sheep sale the following day.
Please wait for announcements giving clearance once all visitors have departed following the close of show before starting to remove any items and dismantling your stand.
Please ensure you remove all rubbish from your stand and take all your recycling home with you.
Tables and Chairs
Trestle tables and chairs can be ordered when booking your stand. They will be at your stand ready for your arrival. At the end of the event on Sunday evening, please ensure tables and chairs are as you found them on arrival – collapsed and stacked neatly within your stand.
Tables are 6’ x 2’6” /1.8m x 0.6m. They can be rough and are likely to need covering.
Payment
Stand fees & furniture hire payment must be paid as stated on the invoice which will be emailed to the email address supplied on application.
Stands are not confirmed until payment is received in full. If payment is not received promptly, Yarndale reserves the right to reallocate the stand.
Public Liability Insurance
Proof of Public Liability Insurance of at least £5 million, such as a copy of the certificate including the dates of the policy must be sent as requested. The policy must cover the set-up day and both show days and all activities at the show.
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment specifically for exhibiting at Yarndale 2025 must be completed, signed, dated and submitted as requested.
If the requested paperwork is not received promptly, Yarndale reserves the right to reallocate the stand.
Best Stand in Show
The Yarndale team will choose the stand they deem to be ‘best in show’. Please make your stand is as visually enticing as you can and you could be the winner of a free single stand next year (you can of course add to this) and an article which will be published in the following year’s show brochure.
Yarndale Brochure
All Yarndale exhibitors will be listed in the show brochure given to visitors to the show and available on the Yarndale website.
Exhibitors also have the opportunity to advertise in the brochure. Full details are on the Exhibitor Application Form.
General notes
Yarndale is held in a working auction mart. The pen/stand area has slatted walls and can be cold – particularly in the morning and evening when there are few people around. Ensure you have appropriate clothing.
Please wear appropriate sturdy footwear, particularly for the build and break down/get out. The concrete floor is uneven with ridges in places. Please take care at all times and particularly if the weather is wet.
It is advisable to cover your goods overnight due to birds flying around the venue.
We are reducing our use of single use plastic and hope you will join us in our efforts. Please bring re-usable water bottles and cups to use across the show weekend.
Please note there is no electricity supply to any of the stands. The auction mart has excellent natural and overhead lighting
WiFi
WiFi is available at Yarndale for a small charge. It does not reach all stands so please check coverage and ensure that you set this up on Friday. 4G mobile coverage is generally good throughout and may be more reliable. Vodafone and O2 are best.
Sustainability
Yarndale was conceived to sing out about wool, the brilliantly versatile natural and renewable resource that grows in abundance around us, here on the hills of the Yorkshire Dales. We want to shine a light on small scale producers, on locally sourced wool, ideally from native breeds.
We are committed to working sustainably. We re-use and recycle. We work with local suppliers wherever possible to make the show happen, from our hires to working with local printers and locally sourced and produced wool in our shop.
We don’t know everything, and we are far from perfect, but we strive to do what we reasonably can to ensure we do as little damage to our planet as we can. And we encourage you all to consider what you can do to ensure we all tread as lightly as we can on our planet.
We encourage everyone to consider their own actions, to think about the wool for the projects they choose to make and consider the impact on the planet of their actions. We ask that our exhibitors consider their impact in the design of stands and reuse where possible. It is less so, we are still shocked by what gets thrown away after the show each year.
Please bring re-usable water bottles and cups to use across the show weekend.
There are many ways we can each do something, and by working together can make a greater difference.
Yarndale 2026
Applications for Yarndale 2026 open on the 5th January 2026 and will close at the end of February 2026.
Single Pen
View of the venue outside the Wharfedale Entrance
View of the venue outside the Littondale Entrance
Terms & Conditions for Exhibitors
1. Definitions
In these terms and conditions “Organisers” means Yarndale Ltd; “Exhibitor” means any person, company or organisation and the staff or agents of that company taking a stand/pen; “Event” means Yarndale; “Venue” means Skipton Auction Mart (The Mart).
2. Exhibitor Pack
An Exhibitor Pack is sent to each confirmed Exhibitor to help plan for Yarndale. It contains detailed information including dates, arrival and departure times, parking instructions and other operational information related to the show.
3. Contract
3.1 Once applications have been considered and where acceptance is confirmed by email it is deemed that the signed application form is a binding confirmation of the Exhibitor’s commitment to take the stand applied for and of the Exhibitor’s acceptance of these terms and conditions in full.
3.2 The Exhibitor accepts all regulations laid down by the local authority applicable to the Event and Venue and all stipulations laid down by the Organisers including but not limited to security, fire procedures and all current Health & Safety regulations.
3.4 All stands must be staffed and open throughout public opening times.
3.5 No dogs except Registered Assistance Dogs will be permitted into the Venue.
3.6 By acceptance of these Terms & Conditions, Exhibitors agree that any footage or images taken by Yarndale photographers may be used by Yarndale Ltd and our partners in perpetuity and without charge. The images and film may be used for archive and documentation purposes and for future publicity.
4. Show Floor Plan
4.1 The Organisers reserve the right to alter the show plan at the Mart at any time up to and including the arrival of the Exhibitors.
4.2 The exact size of the stands / pens allocated may vary slightly in size from the dimensions given on the application form depending upon the location within the Mart. Pens are generally 3.3m deep. A single pen 2.7m wide, double 5.4m wide, triple 8.1m wide and linear quad 10.8m wide. There are a limited number of square quads approx. 5.4m x 5.4m. The pens / stands are surrounded by metal bars on each side which are approximately 1.5m high.
4.3 Under no circumstances must a stand be sublet, shared or transferred without the prior consent of the Organiser. All requests must be made in writing via email. The original Exhibitor remains responsible for all liaison with the Organisers and liable for the full price of the stand to be paid to Yarndale Ltd.
4.4 In the event that an Exhibitor wishes to alter their products / offer from the application they must discuss their proposals with the Organiser in writing. Permission may be given at the sole discretion of the Organiser.
4.5 If an Exhibitor does not wish to be placed next to or opposite another Exhibitor this must be expressed in an email to [email protected] by 31st May. Such requests will be considered where possible but cannot be guaranteed.
5. Health and Safety
5.1 Exhibitor’s must take responsibility for their own health and safety, and those around them on their stand, including staff during the build, the event and breakdown and must abide by all current Health and Safety regulations.
5.2 Specific Risk Assessments for Yarndale must be completed and emailed to [email protected] as requested.
5.3 Children under 16 cannot be permitted on site during the build or break down. There are no crèche facilities available at the venue so please make appropriate off-site arrangements for these periods.
5.4 While onsite the designated Health & Safety officer has final say on any issues of Health and Safety, all Exhibitors must adhere to their guidance.
5.5 Exhibitors must not cause any aisle or emergency exit to be blocked in any way by their goods, displays or staff. In case of any dispute the decision of the H&S officer is final.
5.6 Stand gates / walls are c.1.5m high. Stands, stand dressing or exhibits must not exceed 2.5m in height.
5.7 Stands and displays etc must be constructed safely and displays or stand dressing secured appropriately. Cable ties are used to secure unused gates and these ties must remain intact for safety.
6. Insurance / Security
6.1 Each Exhibitor must provide evidence of their Public Liability Insurance by email to [email protected] as requested. The policy must be for a minimum of £5 million and cover all activities in connection with exhibiting at the show, including demonstrating or teaching workshops as appropriate. The Organiser accepts no responsibility for the failure of any Exhibitor to arrange the required insurance cover.
6.2 Each Exhibitor is responsible for the security and insurance of their own stand and its contents. Yarndale will provide overnight security on Friday and Saturday nights. While reasonable precaution is taken, Exhibitors are advised to take common-sense precautions regarding the safety of their effects at all times.
6.3 The Organiser cannot accept any liability for any loss or damage sustained from any cause whatsoever.
7. Setting up and breaking down
7.1 Access to the Mart for setting up is strictly from 2pm to 8pm on Friday.
7.2 All Exhibitors must register at the Yarndale Hub in The Gather and collect their accreditation before setting up.
7.3 Dismantling of stands or removal of any items from them must not commence until the show closes at 4.30pm on Sunday and the public have left the building. Everything must be clear by 6.30pm.
7.4 All tables and chairs supplied must be collapsed and stacked neatly at the front of the stand where they were left originally.
7.5 All rubbish must be removed from the stand and either taken away or placed in the skips provided. Exhibitors are responsible for any waste material left behind at the end of the exhibition. Any costs incurred by the Organisers in the specific disposal of such materials will be passed on to the Exhibitor.
8. Parking
8.1 Parking at the Mart is extremely limited. Please consider travelling in one vehicle where possible.
8.2 Vehicles must be removed from the loading area promptly and parked as directed by the traffic management team.
8.3 Under no circumstances should any entrances be blocked by unauthorised vehicles.
9. Accreditation
9.1 All Exhibitors and their staff must wear the official Yarndale accreditation issued at registration.
9.2 Passes are not transferrable. The Organiser reserves the right to refuse admission to any individual in possession of an Exhibitor pass, who is not directly involved with an exhibition stand.
9.3 Exhibitors must display their business name prominently on their stand.
10. Payment terms
10.1 Payment is due as specified on the invoice to secure the pen. Payment must be paid to the correct bank account as per the instructions on the invoice.
10.2 The Organisers reserve the right to re-allocate stands if payment in full is not received as specified. No payment reminders will be issued.
11. Cancellation by the Exhibitor
11.1 In the event that an Exhibitor wishes to cancel a booking, reimbursement of fees paid will be as follows:
Cancellation up to 3 months prior to the set up day, a full refund will be given.
Cancellation up to 2 months prior to the set up day, 50% refund will be given.
Cancellation within 2 months of the set up day, no refund will be given.
11.2 The refund relates to fees paid for stands. Payment received for hire of tables
or chairs will be refunded in full if cancellation is made prior to the Organiser confirming hires.
12. Force Majeure
If the Event is abandoned, cancelled, or suspended in whole or in part by reason of war, fire, national emergency, labour dispute, strike, lock out, civil disturbance, inevitable accident, the non-availability of the venue, royal mourning or any other cause not within the control of the Organisers, the Organisers may at their discretion repay the space fees and charges for hire of furniture paid by the Exhibitor, or part thereof, but shall be under no obligation to do so. The Organisers shall be under no liability to the Exhibitor in respect of any actions, claims, losses (including consequential losses), costs or expenses whatsoever which may be brought against or suffered or incurred by the Exhibitor, as a result of the happening of such an event.
13. Exhibitor’s Responsibility
The Organisers shall not be responsible for any article or object of any kind exhibited at the Venue. The Exhibitor shall assume all responsibility, including for all claims arising out of the exhibition, handling or housing of such exhibits and the conduct of the stand in general. The Exhibitor shall indemnify the Organisers against all claims, damages or expenses whatsoever in any way arising from the presence of the Exhibitor or their exhibits at the Venue.
14. General
14.1 Each Exhibitor shall be deemed to have full knowledge of the Terms and Conditions and is bound by them in all respects.
14.2 Please treat each other with consideration, kindness and respect and work with us to deliver the best event possible.