Local music venues all around the West Yorkshire city are coming together to celebrate and showcase everything live music.
Avid gig-goers will recognise some classic Leeds live music staples like the lively Brudenell Social Club, The Key Club and The Wardrobe which have all housed some of music’s most famous faces.
Live at Leeds started back in 2007 and features two unmissable events each year including ‘Live at Leeds in the Park’ and ‘Live at Leeds in the City’ with the latter taking place this weekend!
Throughout the history the festival has established a reputation for showcasing the best names in new music including past acts like Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Stormzy, Tom Grennan and even US singer, rapper and body-positivity advocate Lizzo, even discovering some talents before they were famous.
‘Live at Leeds in the City 2024’ is taking place at 15 phenomenal venues which it has been doing since founding in 2007. Originally running on every bank holiday before the arrival of the summer festival, the city music takeover has found a recurring November slot showcasing the same adored independent music venues across the city.
Good for the heart and the soul, Belgrave Music Hall has been serving up foodie favourites and musical selects from up and down the country – Young Blood, Jorja Smith, The Slow Readers Club. These are some of the standout acts on this establishment’s large performing roster.
This next spot hosted a secret show 20 years ago for a not-so-secret Scottish rock band, Franz Ferdinand. Brudenell Social Club have been home to many talented musicians with Wakefield’s own The Cribs loving the crowds so much, they’ve returned 17 times throughout their career.
From secret gigs to a venue which holds every homes best kept secrets, The Wardrobe. This indie joint may be small but the acts they secure really are mighty from worldwide music icon Amy Winehouse to Scottish songwriter Lewis Capaldi and in more recent years they’ve called upon Mabel to pack out this neat little spot for an intimate album launch show.
Now with chillier weather on the horizon, ‘Live at Leeds in the City 2024’ hopes to warm up concertgoers with some incredible entertainment by Mercury Prize Winners and famous Leeds talent, English Teacher, rising star Alfie Templeman with bands such as Everything Everything The K’s, and many more ready to raise the roof.
Award-winning bands Everything Everything and English Teacher are playing out to crowds of just over 1,000 in the always buzzing Leeds Beckett Student Union, which since 1970 has been blessed by Rock Gods Nirvana, Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Coldplay.
Stylus at Leeds University Student Union, with Merseyside prodigies The K’s kicking things off with the opening slot and Alfie Templeman playing an over-hour-long set, guests are in for a real treat all day long.
All these locations have a special place in music lover’s hearts through bringing incredible acts to the north but also by preserving and continuing northern music history. As much as it’s great to stick to your home comforts, it’s also good to venture out and expand your musical palate. This year there are 17 different sites and stages, so why limit yourself?
Four piece alt-rock band Terra Twin have found themselves featured in various music magazines and playing headline shows in London, Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham at the start of this year.
Guest Singer, Hang Linton, Eades, Eve Buckley, Free Party and Eszter Vida are the six lucky singers who were selected from Live at Leeds’ Artist Submission competition. Eager fans can catch Vida twice as she’s supporting House of Women at Hyde Park, Leeds the night before.
This competition allowed artists to handpick and send in their tracks with hopes of securing a slot on the coveted lineup. These six chosen creatives join the immense jam-packed bill and now get to perform to all the events excited attendees.
There’s transatlantic-talk too with New York based Rock and R&B four-sibling band, Infinity Song stopping off in this stunning Yorkshire city. Signed by A-List label Roc Nation who manage acts like Rihanna and Big Sean, this formidable foursome have even featured on Kanye West’s Jesus Is King record through writing credits in 2019.
Live at Leeds in the City 2024 is set to be one to remember and if you’re already thinking about what to do at the end of the night, two venues have got just the plan for you.
Both The Key Club and The Wardrobe are running official after parties for the event with the first site boasting ‘Rock Anthems and Guilty Pleasures’, how can you possibly go wrong?
After all that partying, what better way than doing it all over again as Live at Leeds in the Park 2025 has recently announced their first batch of acts for the summer festival including Natasha Bedingfield whose smash-hit ‘Unwritten’ had an unexpected revival while also celebrating a landmark 20 years since its release.
If that’s not enough to prick your ears up, there’s a headline slot by Bloc Party who are celebrating 20 years of their debut studio alarm ‘Silent Alarm’, with Jamie Webster, Yard Act and Sigrid also sitting pretty on the bill.
The city-wide festival, Live at Leeds in the City 2024 is spread out across 17 lovely locations that all share a small piece of northern music culture and there’s a huge assortment of acts performing for everyone to enjoy.
Full list of venues getting involved:
Belgrave Music Hall
Brudenell Social Club
Brudenell Social Club, Community Room
Doghouse
Headrow House
Hyde Park Book Club
Leeds Beckett Student Union
Leeds Beckett Student Union, Stage 2
Leeds Beckett Student Union Theatre
Lending Room
Leeds University Student Union, Stylus
Northern Guitars
Oporto
Santiagos
Sela Bar
The Key Club
The Wardrobe
Live at Leeds in the City 2024 is coming to various music venues across our tight-knit music hub on 16 November with more information and tickets found here.
And if you’re already eager to fill up your summer festival calendar for 2025, tickets for Live at Leeds in the Park 2025 are on sale here.
Featured image – The Hoot Leeds
