It's the final month of festival season- here's how to make the most of it.
As the school holidays are upon us and Leeds weaves its way between glorious sunshine and true northern downpours, there's plenty of live music and performances inside and out to take advantage of.
Keep reading to find out where the best gigs, festivals, comedy and music performances are taking place and you can still grab tickets for ALL of these events.
Popworld Festival
Saturday 6 August 2022 | Millenium Square
Image: Millenium Square
The best of 90s and 00s music will be hitting Millenium Square on Saturday 6 August 2022, when seven acts performing ten number one hit singles.Expect to see the remaining members of S Club 7 performing their best hits alongside the likes of Peter Andre, 5ive, Fatman Scoop, Whigfield and the Cheeky Girls.
Between the seven acts, there will be plenty of trending hits to transport you back to the early 00s across a whopping seven and a half hour set (5.30pm-11pm).
Priced at £35.21, remaining tickets can be purchased for Popworld Festival on Saturday 6 August 2022 here.
The Libertines at Bingley Weekender
Friday 5 August - Sunday 7 August 2022 | Bingley
Image: Wikicommons
Over in Bingley, some of the UK's biggest names in indie music are taking to the stage across a staggering three-day festival. We're talking The Libertines, Rag 'n' Bone Man, Pixies, Alfie Templeman, Peter Hook, Shed Seven, Embrace and so many more.
The Brummy indie-rock band is back in Yorkshire to perform everything from She Changes The Weather to To Feel Good (at least we're hoping so). As part of the National Lottery's Revive Live initiative, Tickets are £14 in advance and you can take a friend for free by ordering a plus one ticket and bringing a National Lottery ticket with you.
Brighter Days Festival is a new Leeds-based day festival that aims to bring the best of Ibiza to Temple Newsam this summer. The event is a duel-location festival, with one day fest at Temple Newsam in Leeds on Friday 12 August 2022, whilst another will take place in Herrington in the North East on Friday 8 July 2022. The escapist location of Temple Newsam, is well acquainted with festivals and its rolling green park surrounded by woodland that hosts some of the North’s most essential festivals makes it the perfect location for Brighter Days to debut.
Headliners: Faithless (DJ), Kings of Tomorrow feat Julie McKnight, Roger Sanchez, Fat Tony, Lovely Laura & Ben Santiago, Angel Lee, Dave Robinson, Kirsten and plenty more.
Tickets: Brighter Days is charging £27.50 per ticket. For more information, including how to get tickets, on the Brighter Days website.
This tribute festival allows those serious about music to see their dream headliners' songs live all in one place. The one-day festival will see music from Robbie Williams, Bon Jovi, Queen, Take That, Abba, Pink, Stereophonics, Blondie and Michael Jackson.
Wednesday 17 August 2022 | Chow Down, Temple Arches
Image: Chow Down
Down at Temple Arches, a night of hysterics awaits those that need a mid-week break from reality and a good old fashioned belly laugh. The August line-up features Matt Richardson from Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Celebrity Juice, IT's Dave Ward as well as up-and-coming talent from Simon Lomas, who recently supported Jason Manford on tour and Karen Bayley, as seen warming up crowds for Joe Lycett.
Friday 19 August 2022 | The Picturedrome, Holmfirth
Image: Wikicommons
As part of The National Lottery's Revive Live Tour, Everything Everything will be performing some of their best hits, including the likes of Distant Past and No Reptiles, as well as 2022 hits from their latest album, Raw Data Feel. Tickets cost just £12.38 each, making it the perfect night out for the whole family. to experience live music without breaking the bank.
The Pop-reggae Grammy-award-winner is performing in Leeds this month as part of his Scorcha Tour. Originally, the artist qas due to perform in April but postponed the tour ahead of the release of his eight studio album, Scorcha. Expect a blend of classic hits, chart-topping anthems and new tunes for a night of all-singing, all-dancing party like no other.
Tickets start at £44.25 and can be purchased on the Skiddle website.
Leeds Festival
Friday 26 – Sunday 28 August 2022 | Bramham Park
Image: Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival has returned for yet another year, and the team behind Leeds’ biggest festival is bringing global musical talent to the city like you’ve never seen before. Arctic Monkeys, Dave and Bring Me The Horizon are set to headline each day, with a further 70+ performers from around the world taking to the stage across the three-day festival.
Some of the most notable names include Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Willow (Smith), Beabadoobee, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, All Time Low, The Lathums and The DMA’s.
West Yorkshire's very own Jane McDonald is coming to First Direct Arena in Leeds for a hometown show that's set to be spellbinding.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to First Direct Arena.
This latest tour titled after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane's Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE's 'Where Is My Husband!'
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing - Oh look, it's me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman's latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we're sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I'll Not Be Beaten
You Don't Know What You Got
Don't Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain't Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You're My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we'll never forget her renditions of 'Cake By The Ocean', 'Jai Ho' or 'APT.'.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Leeds?
The doors for Jane McDonald's Living The Dream Tour in Leeds are set for 6pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
First Direct Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat 'Cake by the (Sofa)' before ringing in the new day.
How to get to First Direct Arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American rock band Kings of Leon are making their way to Leeds for a visit to First Direct Arena as part of their current EU/UK tour.
Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared, plus their cousin Matthew Followill, the rock band has gone on to achieve nine top 40 singles and six UK number one albums.
The rockers have two singles in Spotify’s Billions Club, including their standout hit ‘Sex on Fire’, which has amassed over 2 billion streams and ‘Use Somebody’ with 1.2 billion – two tracks that helped skyrocket them from cult favourites here in Britain to global superstars.
This four-piece’s latest LP, Can We Please Have Fun, dropped mid-2024 and knowing how energetic Northern crowds can be, it’s safe to say we’ve got this covered.
Last time they travelled over the pond, they let the Manchester crowd know the England score in real-time (read our full review).
Gig guide – Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena, Leeds
Kings of Leon UK tour dates
Fri 3 July – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Sat 4 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 6 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Are there any tickets left for Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena?
If you’re wondering where you’ll ‘Find Me’ on Monday 6 July, it is probably watching these four relatives play their two decades’ worth of hits at First Direct Arena.
Don’t ‘Waste a Moment’ as there’s only a limited number of tickets left if you’re after catching a glimpse of Kings of Leon live – get yours HERE.
Kings of Leon are gearing up for their Leeds gig at First Direct this July (Credit: Press shot)
Kings of Leon setlist for 2026 UK tour
These American rockers have been performing all across Europe, switching up a couple of songs at each show; however, the hits below have featured at most of their appearances.
Slow Night, So Long
Waste a Moment
Find Me
On Call
Radioactive
The Bucket
Revelry
Manhattan
Use Somebody
Wait For M
Split Screen
Closer
Molly’s Chambers
Razz
MyParty
Supersoaker
Fans
Back Down South
Seen
Pyro
Black Thumbnail
To Space
Knocked Up
Sex on Fire
What are the stage times for Kings of Leon in Leeds?
Doors for Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena in Leeds are set to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 7.30pm from a huge indie rock band.
Supporting the US rockers is a band who have received comparisons to Kings of Leon, the loud-and-proud Scottish stars The Snuts, known for their tracks like ‘Glasgow’, ‘Elephants’ and ‘Maybe California'.
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
Sophie Smith -
5th August 2022 
