News
‘Elf! The Musical’ is coming to York this Christmas
Tickets have just gone on sale now - you don't want to. miss this one
A magical retelling of Christmas movie favourite Elf is coming to York's Grand Theatre Central this Christmas and it sounds absolutely incredible.
Called Elf! The Musical, this festive feel-good show comes from the same producer who has brought SHREK, The Sound of Music, Ghost: The Musical, and more West End and Broadway titles to the theatre over the years.
Set to be quite the spectacular festive show, the performances will follow the same plot as the cult favourite 2003 film starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel.
Just like the movie, audiences will follow Buddy the Elf beavering away at Santa's workshop before discovering he is actually himself a human and ventures off to New York to find his 'real' father - after Santa reveals to him that he had mistakenly crawled into his sack during a visit to his orphanage many years before.
As the story unravels, Buddy has fun exploring New York and meeting new friends on his quest to find his dad. Along the way, he discovers his true self and helps others in the city discover the true meaning of the Christmas spirit - saving the day for Santa along the way.
The musical Christmas production features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), as well as a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).
A spokesperson from York Stage Ltd said: "We return to the Grand Opera House York for the festive season with the York premiere of ELF! The Musical.
"We can't wait to bring this family favourite Christmas film to the stage with this sensational Broadway musical! Come join Buddy the Elf as he helps to bring festive joy back to New York"
With tickets priced from just £13, get ready to start your season off with a Buddy-shaped bang. The first show premiers at York Theatre on 25 November and runs up until 3 December according to the ATG Tickets listing.
To book your seats and find out more about the upcoming performance, click here.
News
Wakefield set to be the first city outside of London to display the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt
Clementine Hall
The UK Aids Memorial Quilt is set to go on display across Wakefield this summer.
The quilt - consisting of 42 quilts and 23 individual panels, representing over 384 individuals affected by HIV and AIDS - will go on display at WX Wakefield from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 June 2026.
All 42 quilts will be on display, with WX working in partnership with the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Conservation Partnership.
Across the same weekend, selected individual panels will be displayed at different venues across the city including The Hepworth Wakefield, The Art House Wakefield, Theatre Royal Wakefield, Pontefract Castle and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Part of the world’s largest community art project, this is a huge opportunity for the city of Wakefield. The project started in the USA back in 1985 by activist Cleve Jones, commemorating friends, family and loved ones lost to AIDS.
Individual panels were then stitched together to create larger quilts, which were shown outdoors as a form of protest to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.
Today, the quilt stands as a crucial reminder of those who were lost and of the continuing affect that HIV and AIDS has on the people of today.
At WX Wakefield, viewing the quilt is completely free and on Friday 5 June there will be a special late night opening up until 10:30pm to view the exhibition.
And on Saturday 6 June at 2:30pm, there will be a very special and poignant reading of the names of those commemorated on the quilt.
You can find out more about this very special exhibition here at WX Wakefield's website.
Read more: Team behind Mint Warehouse to open new 2,000 capacity venue in Leeds with strict no-phone policy
Featured image - UK AIDS Memorial Quilt, installation view at Tate Modern, June 2025. Photo: AM Hanson
News
Leeds’ first frozen yoghurt bar is opening in Headingley this weekend
Clementine Hall
The frozen yoghurt craze is on its way to Leeds as Kefiyo is set to open in Headingley in just a few days.
It's a phenomenon that has caught the attention of the TikTok and Instagram girlies as of late, with frozen yoghurt bars popping up in Manchester and going viral online.
The ice cold sweet treat is supposedly 'healthy' and with a slogan of 'eat Clean. feel Light. live Better.' - this new spot in Leeds seems to be going down that route too.
Kefiyo will be opening in the old Sixes site on Ash Road in Headingley, and they've just announced that they'll be soft launching this Sunday 19 April 2026.
The space is already sporting a super cute pastel green and pink exterior, and it's exactly matching the aesthetic that you'd expect with froyo.
Kefiyo will offer a range of frozen yoghurt flavours with a whole bunch of toppings for you to customise to your tastebuds, as well as fresh acai bowls.
Situated slap bang in the centre of Headingley, we've got a feeling it'll be very busy with students on their way to their morning lecture or at night for those looking for a sweet treat that doesn't feel too naughty.
We'll keep you updated on more Kefiyo updates as and when we find out.
But in the meantime, you can keep an eye on their socials here. We'll see you soon for a scoop Leeds.
Read more:
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
Georgina Pellant -
20th September 2021 
