Mint Festival is back for 2021 - and the line up has just dropped.
The Leeds house, techno and electronica festival has confirmed it will be returning for 2021 with a brand new venue as it celebrates a whopping ten decades in the game.
With big headline sets from the likes of Patrick Topping, Ricardo Villalobos, Darius Syrossian, Eats Everything and more, plus a still to be announced special guest slot, you won't want to miss out.
Hosted this year at Newsam Green Farm, under ten minutes from Leeds city centre, it looks set to be a mega all-dayer - with four separate arenas hosting over 25 DJs and artists in total.
Spread over 136 acres of land, there'll be rolling hills, magical woodlands and bricked orchard gardens to explore at the brand new, purpose-built site. Originally an open coal mine and then a livestock farm, alongside the four main stages there'll also be a special food village, VIP areas and more.
Mint festival favourite Patrick Topping will be returning with a headline slot at his very own Bunker arena. His Trick label will be coming to Mint this year, giving its name to an entire stage stacked with talent curate by the UK DJ and promoter: including Maya Jane Coles, Ammara, Elliot Adamson, Gerd Janson and Will Clarke.
Patrick Topping
Meanwhile, house music darling Darius Syrossian will be heating things up at The Terrace Party in The Valley, accompanied by the likes of East End Dubs, Eats Everything, Seb Zito and Tobias.
Elsewhere, London promoters FUSE will be teaming up with Leeds' night System to curate the line-up on their Fuse / System stage in The Orchard. Here ravers can expect a back to back set of deep, minimal house from Ricardo Villalobos and Enzo Siragusa, plus appearances from minimal techno DJ Raresh, Berlin Dj duo the Ghost, Fuse's Rich Nxt and Mint club residents Annie Errez and Bobby ODonnell.
Last but definitely not least, over on the MINT presents open air stage it's a heavy techno affair. Partygoers can expect some big sets from Belgian techno producer Amelie Lens, Berlin-based raw techno DJ Dax J and Farrago from Amelie Lens' Lenske label; plus Manchester-based DJ duo OC & Verde, Pan-Pot, Signal's promoter DJ Sofi and established techno duo Spektre.
“We have worked incredibly hard during lockdown to pull this one off safely within government guidelines," said co-owner Baz Arjomand.
"We're delighted to have been able to put together such a strong line up of local as well as international talents in these challenging times, and cannot wait to open the gates.
"As soon as the Roadmap out of lockdown was revealed, demand for tickets went through the roof and we sold six months of tickets in under 48 hours!"
Taking place at a brand new venue this year, 90% of tickets for the festival are already sold out with pre-sale tickets being made available to subscribers from 9am on Friday 14th May.
It's anticipated that Mint will sell out during the presale period - so if you want to get your hands on some, you'll need to sign up before the midnight deadline on Thursday 13th May.
If not, general sale will launch on Monday 17th May at 9am.
News
Huge new £15m sports hub in Holbeck to be given green light by Leeds City Council
The final go-ahead is expected to be given for work to start on a major new £15million sports hub in Holbeck.
Senior councillors are expected to give the approval next Wednesday 11 March at an executive board meeting.
An agreement will be made on a contractor to complete the work which will bring state-of-the-art sports pitches and a community space to the city.
Holbeck Sports Hub will provide three full-size artificial grass football pitches, two multi-use games areas and a building with changing rooms and a café.
Image: Supplied
Work is expected to begin in August 2026 and is set to be built at the site of the former Matthew Murray High School.
The plan is to also provide a home to a new GP surgery as well as a children’s play area and walking and running routes through the green space which sits off Brown Lane East and Ingram Road.
Image: Supplied
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “We look forward to the work starting on the Holbeck Sports Hub, which will be a significant asset to the local community and residents in south Leeds.
“It will provide affordable and accessible quality sports pitches, providing more opportunities for physical activity and play and spaces to meet up and connect.
“We are also working towards an agreement with a GP practice so that the area can benefit from new high-quality healthcare provision to meet the needs of the community.”
The programme is joint funded by the Football Foundation and Leeds City Council capital funding.
New grassroots music space aiming to make DJing and music more accessible opening in Headingley this month
Clementine Hall
A new grassroots music space is opening in Headingley with a mission to make DJing, vinyl and music culture more accessible.
Meanhood Studios, founded by long-time LS6 residents Jim and Katie Young, will combine a professional DJ rehearsal studio, record shop, performance space and tuition hub all under one roof.
Their aim is simple, "to level the playing field in a scene that has often felt exclusive and gatekept.”
Meanhood started as a guerrilla pop-up record shop in lockdown when Jim started selling records from his personal collection.
Built solely on quality and word-of-mouth reputation, the venture quickly grew into a respected local record spot known for its carefully curated vinyl selection.
Images: Supplied
Jim’s roots trace back to Manchester’s late-90s free party scene, he began DJing at 17 and from Hyde Park house parties to residencies at legendary clubs, he went on to host nights featuring artists who would later become major names in UK dance music.
Katie grew up in rural Cumbria, discovering music through pirate radio, library tapes and out-of-town raves. After moving to Leeds for university, she built a 20-year corporate career while supporting events, fly-posting for club nights and working behind the scenes.
“DJing is so much more than pushing buttons,” says Jim. “You’ve got to love it when no one’s watching. We want to share that knowledge and remove some of the barriers we experienced.”
Meanhood Studios will open on Friday 13 March and will offer access to equipment, rehearsal space, vinyl records and tuition for aspiring DJs and music lovers.
It's more important now than ever to support grassroots music venues, and we can't wait to check out this new space.
Georgina Pellant -
11th May 2021 
