British indie-pop kings, The 1975, shone as they brought their dazzling two-part act to the First Direct Arena on Monday night.
Returning for the first time since their iconic Leeds fest headline set in 2022, the city was pulsating with excitement to see the band take to the stage at the First Direct Arena.
If you've had an eye on social media over the past few weeks, you'll know that The 1975's recent tour performances have been nothing short of extraordinary, phenomenal and down-right bizarre.
Awaiting with baited breath to see what Matty Healy could possibly pull out the bag this time, 14,000 people held tight whilst being soothed by support act Bonnie Kemplay's soothing and dulcet tones.
The calm before the storm, as they say. But this certainly didn't last for long as bang on 8:30pm the curtain dropped and their doll house-esque, living room-like set was revealed.
The 1975 at First Direct Arena. Credit: Chuff Media
The First Act
The best way to describe the first half of their performance was 'a show-within-a-show'. Band members were triumphantly introduced with opening credits as freehand camera operators followed them across the stage once they made their entrance through various doors on stage.
Last to appear was of course frontman Matty Healy, who when came on the stage a girl heroically shouted 'Daddy!' which caused ripples of laughter in the crowd. This most certainly set the precedent for the evening.
The first act showcased material mostly from the band's new album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, in a conceptual show-within-a-show concept which was designed to test the boundaries of what a 'pop' show should be.
Healy played the role of a drunk, misunderstood artist - stumbling around the stage, loose hipped and bendy, swigging from a bottle of red wine and chain smoking camel cigarettes.
The controversial yet loveable rockstar floats around the stage clad with mid-century furniture, clutching onto anything he can to steady himself as he spearheads crowd pleasers such as Oh Caroline and I'm in Love With You.
Then it all started to get a bit weird. One by one band members disappeared, Ross Macdonald the guitarist kissing Healy on the head before he departs.
Matty then sensually unbuttoned his shirt, softly caressed his body before thrusting his crotch directly into a camera lense. He then got on his knees, savagely ate a raw piece of steak, did some press-ups whilst grunting and then climbed into a TV screen.
This was supposedly meant to be a comment on masculinity, I'm not sure the audience immediately understood it but we definitely enjoyed it.
The 1975 at First Direct Arena. Credit: Chuff Media
The Second Act
Then, following the meat eating and the TV entering, the band return to the stage for what felt like a tsunami to the senses. "Cut all the joker nonsense now, how's everyone feeling, you alright?" Matty says, for the first time directly addressing us.
Here the crowd erupt into a 'Yorkshire, Yorkshire' chant, Healy rolling his eyes before exclaiming "Come on, get it out of your system now before I have to autotune it".
What followed was a dazzling performance of their best hits, the shimmying If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) and the toe-tapping, life-affirming The Sound had the crowd jumping up and down, in-awe of the controversial yet loveable heartthrob in front of them.
A small interval saw Healy talk about democracy and ask the people of Leeds to choose their next song, asking us to cheer for which we wanted to hear. This resulted in Paris, and as Healy got changed into an undone, almost pyjama-like blue shirt he grasped a bunch of roses flung onto the stage.
Clutching these in the same hand as his microphone, his floppy hair covering his eyes, the frontman was perfectly executing the indie-boy persona we all know (and love) him for.
Towards the end the band played Love it if We Made It, Healy turned his back to us and faced his bandmates, arms stretched out wide, eyes closed and head up. This felt like a moment of reflection, looking to his best friends who 20 years ago started a band in their garage to now perfectly executing a sell-out, UK stadium tour.
Letting us in on a little secret, Healy explained that their first ever gig which seated just 70 people was held at iconic Leeds venue, The Cockpit. And after a monumental and historic two hours of musical and theatrical prowess that night at the arena, we were more than happy to have welcomed them back to our city.
A list of the UK's best independent coffee shops for 2026 has been released, and one in Leeds has come up trumps.
The coffee shop in question may come as no surprise to some of you, as some would say that after 15 years in the city it's become somewhat of an institution.
Of course it's none other than Laynes.
Founded in 2011 by Dave Olejnik, Laynes began life on New Station Street and quickly became one of the first venues in Leeds to focus on carefully sourced and roasted coffee beans, helping lead the way for the city's now-thriving independent coffee scene.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's a proper Leeds staple at this point, sat proudly with its glowing yellow exterior and queues out the door full of punters looking for their morning caffeine fix.
But it's not just us who think it's flipping fantastic, as a new study has revealed the top 10 most popular independent coffee shops in the country and Laynes comes in at a very respectable number 8.
The list, made by Capital on Tap, analysed coffee across the UK looking at Google reviews, monthly searches and social media success.
Laynes was in some pretty good company including Idle Hands in Manchester and Kaf Coffee in Glasgow. But most importantly, none of the top 10 were in London - make of that what you will.
The top 10 most popular independent coffee shops for 2026:
Neighbourhood Café, Belfast
Colonna & Small’s, Bath
Established Coffee, Belfast
Hard Lines Coffee, Cardiff
Rough Handmade, Liverpool
Idle Hands Coffee, Manchester
Full Court Press, Bristol
Laynes Espresso, Leeds
Kaf Coffee, Glasgow
Dom’s Coffee, Cambridge
Bravo Laynes, a well earned accolade for one of our favourite spots in the city.
Everything you need to know about watching the solar eclipse in Leeds
Emily Sergeant
People all across the UK will be able to see an almost total solar eclipse in the sky this evening.
For the first time this century, with the last one being all the way back in 1999, people in the UK and Ireland – including here in Leeds – will get to see 90-96% of the sun covered by the moon today (12 August 2026), and if that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, this will be the last chance to do so until 2081.
NASA and Royal Museums Greenwich has confirmed that tomorrow’s solar eclipse will be the most coverage seen from the UK and Ireland since the 1999 event.
But what can astronomy fans in Leeds expect from today’s eclipse? When will it be happening? How much coverage is our region going to see? And where are some of the best places to watch?
First up, let’s get the basics out the way – what is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s light either partly or fully.
Although the UK will only see a partial solar eclipse this time, some other countries – such as parts of Iceland, Spain, Portugal, and Greenland – will be lucky enough to witness the spectacle of a total eclipse for a duration of up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
When will it be happening?
The eclipse is set to start at 6:13pm in Greater Manchester, and will run right through to 8:03pm – with the peak happening at 7:10pm.
How much coverage can Greater Leeds expect?
Of course, we always have to preface anything we say about astronomical events like this by saying ‘it depends on the weather’, as we do like in the north after all, and even though it is the height of summer, that won’t stop the skies from being overcast.
Luckily though, the Met Office is predicting some of the best weather conditions for an event like this in a long time, so it really is worth watching.
Spectators in Leeds will see 90 - 92% coverage, according to expert sources.
How can I watch the eclipse safely?
If there’s one thing experts are stressing, it’s the need to take correct precautions if you are planning to watch tomorrow.
The most important thing is to wear eclipse glasses and avoid looking directly at the sun.
It’s true that during an eclipse, the sun does appears dimmer therefore making it easier to look at directly, however solar radiation can still reach and damage the retina, often without causing any pain, so you may not realise harm is occurring until it’s too late.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises that there are two safe approaches – specialist eclipse viewers, or indirect viewing methods.
Eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers must be genuine, sold by a reputable retailer, and have specially designed filters that meet the international safety standard ISO 12312-2:2015(E). They must also have no scratches, tearing, or damage to the lens.
Old pairs may not be reusable, and sunglasses should never be used.
Indirect view methods include viewing the sun’s image projected through a colander or the gaps between tree leaves on to white paper, or using a pinhole pierced in one sheet of card and projected on to another.
Clementine Hall -
24th January 2023 
