A huge all-day African and Caribbean food festival is taking over Leeds' Kirkgate market later this month - and it's going to be completely free to attend.
Promising to be Leeds biggest Caribbean and African food festival, those heading down will find a host of emerging and well-established food vendors cooking up and serving their mouth-watering recipes, many passed down throughout generations
Hosted by The Cultural Arts Heritage Circle (Nubian Noire), the free-to-attend festival will celebrate an array of national dishes in a celebration of African and Caribbean heritage and culture.
Maureen's on Roundhay Road is one of the most recommended spots for Afro Caribbean food in Leeds / Image: thelastsuppernorth
Taking over Kirkgate Market's food hall from 10 am - 5 pm on Saturday, 28 August, there'll be an array of food on offer here covering everything from Barbadian to Gambian cuisine.
There'll also be arts and crafts stalls as well as calypso music playing at the event, so if you're sad to be missing out on Leeds West Indian Carnival this year you can still head down for a dance.
It's all being put together by Nubian Noire, also known as The Cultural Arts Heritage Circle - first set up in 2019. The woman behind the project, Dionne Edwards, is on a mission to support BAME businesses and young entrepreneurs as small business battles its way out of the pandemic.
Black businesses have been particularly affected by the pandemic, according to Dionne, especially those within hospitality - so she was especially keen for Nubian Noire to do something to help support the community.
Safe to say, if you're a fan of Afro Caribbean food you won't want to miss this.
The food festival is free to attend but you will need to register in advance to secure a place. To register for your ticket, click here.
Alternatively, if you're a trader who would like to take part in the festival then you can email artsheritagecircle@gmail.com.
The Reliance, a much missed North Street site, is being brought back to life as The Smithfield.
The Smithfield is set to be a new social eatery and pub focused on seasonal, produce-led dining.
Set to open its doors to the people of Leeds in early April, The Smithfield will pay homage to the local area through both its produce and people.
The venue will focus on proper plates of seasonal ingredients, pairing a relaxed dining style with a strong sense of community. Sounds pretty brilliant if you ask us.
Building on the legacy of North Street, The Smithfield is a collaborative project between Yorkshire brewery Crooked Brewing and chef James Donovan.
Images: Supplied
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, has long admired The Reliance and want to build on its established legacy.
“What The Reliance was doing was cutting edge for its time,” says Donovan. “We want to bring that same vision and energy into Leeds in 2026. Our aim is to pick up the culinary torch that The Reliance left behind and continue its legacy of great food in Leeds,” adds Dawson.
The Smithfield takes its name from Church Street’s historic connection to the Smithfield cattle market of the early 1800s, once located on what is now Lovell Park.
“We really want the people around us to feel that The Smithfield is their space,” says Dawson. “We want to give them a place at our table.”
We'll keep you updated with an opening date as and when we know, but we're very excited indeed.
Jungle are back and have announced a huge Leeds gig for later this year
Daisy Jackson
Modern funk and soul band Jungle are officially heading back to Leeds.
The Mercury Prize-nominated group will be performing at the First Direct Bank Arena this November, following their blistering summer on the festival circuit last year.
They'll be heading to Leeds on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Jungle was formed back in 2013 by producers and friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland.
While they technically worked as a duo for years (until 2023, when touring member Lydia Kitto became an official member of the band), Jungle are known for their huge live performances.
They always fill stages with musicians and vocalists, for incredible funk n soul live shows.
The bands huge hits include Back on 74, Casio, and Busy Earnin’, from four top-10 albums including 2023’s groundbreaking Volcano.
The upcoming Leeds date forms part of the band’s upcoming world tour, which arrives in the UK in November 2026 following a string of international performances across Europe, North America, and beyond.
Fans can expect a setlist jam packed with standout tracks, including fan favourites such as ‘Volcano’ and ‘Back On 74’ and newer material from their upcoming album ‘Sunshine’, released on 14 August that continues to push the band’s signature sound forward.
With over 3.4 billion streams to their name, Jungle’s Leeds show is set to be one of the hottest tickets of 2026 so we wouldn't mess about if we were you.
Tickets for Jungle in Manchester will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 27 March, with pre-sale from 10am on Thursday 26 March.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd August 2021 
