Niall Horan is the latest headliner ready to take the First Direct Arena by storm.
The ex-One Direction star is coming to Leeds this Wednesday 28 August, and we're certain it's going to be an incredible night.
Niall Horan’s solo career has seen him top the charts in recent years, stepping into his singular superstar era with aplomb.
His 2024 global tour is a celebration of his third album, The Show, which was released in 2023.
The Show – Live On Tour 2024, is the biggest tour of his solo career and it's fair to say he’s been smashing it.
Image: First Direct Arena
The music sensation, who’s been playing songs from all three of his solo albums, took to X to thank everyone who came out to the first leg of The Show Live On Tour, just a few months ago.
“Thank you so much everyone who came out to the first leg of The Show Live On Tour! It’s been incredible to be back on the road after all this time and I cannot thank you all enough for always being such an unbelievable crowd.”
If you’ve been lucky enough to grab tickets for the show, here’s everything you need to know.
Stage Times
What we know at the moment is that doors open at 6.00 pm, and the show starts at 7.30pm.
So he’ll probably hit the stage at about 8.30pm.
Tickets for Niall Horan in Leeds
The 30-year-old’s show at First Direct Arena has unsurprisingly seen a huge demand for tickets, blowing seated tickets off the shelves at an impressive rate.
There’s still good availability for standing tickets, which are priced pretty reasonably at £45.00 each (or £52.50 including fees).
You can see the latest ticket availability for Niall Horan at First Direct Arena in Leeds here.
Who’s the support act for Niall Horan at Co-op Live?
It’s a big stage for rising indie pop star Del Water Gap, the solo project of Samuel Holden Jaffe.
The Brooklyn-based American musician and record producer has already supported other stars including Maggie Rogers (he also featured on one of her songs), Arlo Parks, and Holly Humberstone.
He fairly recently released his second studio album, I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet.
Expected setlist for Nial Horan’s First Direct Arena gig
As previously mentioned, Niall has been playinga mix of songs from all three of his solo albums, keeping his setlist fairly steady.
Here’s his most recent setlist from Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin.
Since Niall is playing in the UK’s biggest arena, here in Manchester, we might be lucky to get a surprise or two! At least fans can hope.
Nice to Meet Ya Small Talk / Edge of Seventeen On a Night Like Tonight On the Loose The Show Cross Your Mind Save My Life Night Changes (One Direction song) Black and White Flicker This Town You Could Start a Cult Heaven If You Leave Me Paper Houses Meltdown Mirrors Still Encore: Heartbreak Weather Slow Hands
Venue information
The First Direct Arena has a few strict policies to keep gig-goers safe, so make sure to check entry requirements carefully before you travel.
For example, only one small bag per person is allowed, and bags like backpacks, travel cases and laptop bags are not permitted inside the arena.
All bags are scanned on entry to check for prohibited items like laser pens, flares, projectiles, weapons, drugs and alcohol, and even selfie sticks.
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
The route for next year’s historic women’s Tour de France has been announced – and it all starts in Leeds
Danny Jones
The route for next year's women's historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to begin the race from right here in Leeds.
Announced back in January, the 2027 Tour de France Femme avec Zwift will be making its British debut next year.
And this week, the full route has been revealed, which will all begin here in the race's host city of Leeds.
From here, riders will zip across through Yorkshire to Manchester, before turning back and heading down through the Peak District to Sheffield.
Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route. It's hoped that similar scenes will happen again this year.
It's yet another big coup for the region and Yorkshire's sporting scene.
Speaking with Manchester City Council earlier this week, Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and on to our friends in Greater Manchester.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event's breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of 'The Big Loop' in more detail below.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We might be more than a year away from welcoming the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to Leeds, but there is already a good deal of excitement building around the event.
"Today’s route announcement will hopefully whet people’s appetites still further and get them thinking about where in the city they will be watching the race.
"We recognise that some residents and businesses will now have questions about how an occasion of this size could impact local communities on the day.
"They can be assured that we will be working hard alongside the race organisers to minimise any disruption and will also make every effort to keep people fully informed as plans for the event continue to take shape."
The Hoot -
27th August 2024 
