THE YORK BRIEF ⏰ Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Good morning, York. Yesterday was the hottest May Bank Holiday on record - York hit 33°C and the crowds filled every shady spot by the river. A York man with 54 previous convictions has been jailed for five years for a brutal attack on a woman with a suspected spanner. Savers on Front Street Acomb had its window smashed overnight. A motorcyclist has died in the Yorkshire Dales. Asbestos has been fly-tipped near the York to Selby cycle path. Zak Johnson may not be coming back to York. And York Opera is celebrating 60 years.

☀️ Bank Holiday Recap

☀️ York in the heat - crowds, riverside shade and record tourist footfall - York was the destination for thousands over the Bank Holiday weekend with ITV News reporting record May tourist numbers in the city as the thermometer rose. Families packed Museum Gardens for the Eboracum Roman Festival encampment, every riverside café filled to capacity and the shade under the walls was at a premium. The Gazette Herald reported crowds flocking to riverside gardens as temperatures soared, with ice cream queues stretching along the riverbanks and impromptu picnics in every green space. Hoteliers and hospitality businesses reported their busiest May Bank Holiday in years. Gazette Herald | ITV News