Whether you're looking for somewhere to take the kids over half term, to book a gig to dance away the cold winter night or a new opening to unwind on a Friday night with a bottle of wine, we've got you covered this month.
Keep reading to find all of our top picks, including food and drink specials, new openings, a dedicated gig guide and loads of events and installations...
Knife Angel
From Thursday 1 February 2024 | Royal Armouries, Leeds City Centre
Image: Leeds City Council
The touring Knife Angel sculpture is coming to Leeds this February, to send a powerful message and spark conversations about knife crime in the city.
The Knife Angel, standing tall at 27ft and made from over 100,000 seized blades, was created by the British Ironwork Centre to highlight the negative effects of violent behaviour and the need for change.
The poignant sculpture will be placed outside the Royal Armouries Museum as part of an intensification month on knife crime which launches on Thursday 1 February 2024.
Mug Shot Pop-up
Saturday 3 February 2024 | Briggate, between H Samuels and the former Debenhams
Image: Supplied
Get ready for a real ‘mmm moment’ as Mug Shot is bringing its ‘instant hot snack brigade’ to Briggate this Saturday.
From 10am – 6pm, you can warm up with a free hot sample and whilst you’re there, give the Mug Shot Wheel of Fortune a spin for your chance to win a whole range of tasty goodies.
Koben Drive In
Saturday 3 February 2024 | Thiccc Sauce HQ, Holbeck
From the creator of Thiccc Sauce, Koben Smokehouse specialises in meaty takeout goodness at its finest. Combining the best of both businesses, there will be a Koben Drive In at Thiccc Sauce HQ with triple smashburgers, barbacoa sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteak subs.
Tuesday 6 February 2024 | Old Woolen, Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley
Image: Old Woolen
The untold story of the 90s hit TV show FRIENDS is coming to the Old Woolen this month. Told 'through the eyes of Gunther, Central Perk’s very own ‘seventh Friend’, the audience is invited to 'settle down in Gunther’s café' and hear a different perspective from the man that kept the cast caffeinated throughout all ten seasons.
Sunday 11 February - Monday 12 February 2024 | Infirmary Street, Leeds City Centre
The best seats in the house for the Superbowl are going to be at BOX this year. The bar reckons whether you're cheering offense, defense, or just the epic halftime show, BOX Leeds is THE place to be, and with tables available from 8pm, we can't wait to watch some of the biggest touchdowns of the year through the night.
To celebrate the New Year, there will be a lion dance event from Sing Kee Leeds Supermarket - Oriental City Restaurant from 11.30am - 12.45pm. Not much information has been revealed about the exciting event to date but if anyone has been to previous dance events to celebrate the new year, you'll know exactly what's in store.
The Cheesy Living Co. Cheese and Cocktails night
Wednesday 29 February 2024 | Roundhay Road, Oakwood
Two of Leeds indies are joining forces over at The Cheesy Living Co. Oakwood for a night of cheese and cocktails. You'll be welcomed with olives, focaccia and an Aperitif cocktail before sampling six different taster cocktails from Philippos and the Tabula Rasa team.
Opening Friday 2 February 2024 | New Briggate, Leeds City Centre
Image: Supplied
Celebrating its 10th year trading, The Brotherhood sports bar has reinvented its New Briggate venue with a massive makeover and new menu.
With the help of AXI Interior Design, the two-floor venue has been transformed into a warm and inviting space that channels a vintage gentleman’s club, with plenty of retro sporting nods throughout.
The Brotherhood is set to reopen on Friday 2 February which perfectly coincides with the Euros, the Six Nations, Fury Vs Usyk and the Super Bowl all heading to Brotherhood’s screens over the coming months.
Bavette
Opening mid February 2024 | Town Street, Horsforth
A new neighbourhood bistro is coming to Horsforth next month, and there’s just as much focus on the food as there is the wine here. Named Bavette, the opening is the first venture from ex-Culpeper Group MD and Head Chef Sandy Jarvis and his husband Restaurant Manager and sommelier Clément Cousin.
The seasonal menu is expected to feature ‘classically-inspired dishes such as Pork Belly Rillons, Frisé Salad and Ravigote Sauce, Halibut, Vin Jaune Sauce & Buttered Leeks or Paris-Brest’, all of which can be perfectly paired with wine from the family vineyard or other exciting low intervention bottles from across Europe.
Reservations are now available for March, April and May for Michelin-recognised chef Michael O'Hare's reinvented restaurant – and ahead of the relaunch, Psycho Sandbar will be hosting a special preview night on Valentine’s Day.
The ‘candle light in a building site’ menu will feature a five course set menu, with hints of the new ‘surf shaky’ feel. Priced at £95 per person, there will be tables available from midday until 10pm on Wednesday 14 February 2024 only.
Find out more here.
Gig Guide
1 February 2024 - Strictly Come Dancing at First Direct Arena (get tickets here)
2 February 2024 - Strictly Come Dancing at First Direct Arena (get tickets here)
2 February 2024 - As December Falls at The Key Club (get tickets here)
3 February 2024 - Del Water Gap at Headrow House (get tickets here)
9 February 2024 - Enter Shikari at First Direct Arena (get tickets here)
10 February 2024 - Venus Grrrls (get tickets here)
11 February 2024 - The Last Dinner Party at Brudenell Social Club (get tickets here)
11 February 2024 - Noah Kahan at First Direct Arena (get tickets here)
13 February 2024 - Frank Carter at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
14 February 2024 - Declan McKenna at The Wardrobe (get tickets here)
14 February 2024 - Bombay Bicycle Club at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
15 February 2024 - Simple Plan at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
15 February 2024 - The Libertines at The Wardrobe (get tickets here)
17 February 2024 - Example at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
18 February 2024 - Bill Bailey at First Direct Arena (get tickets here)
21 February 2024 - The Vaccines at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
24 February 2024 - Rick Astley at First Direct Arena (get tickets here)
24 February 2024 - NEWDAD at Headrow House (get tickets here)
27 February 2024 - Editors at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
27 February 2024 - Ferocious Dog at The Old Woolen (get tickets here)
28 February 2024 - Mother Mother at O2 Academy (get tickets here)
Feature Image - The Brotherhood / Strictly Come Dancing Live / Leeds City Council
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Jane McDonald at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times and more for UK tour
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 -
31st January 2024 
