One of the biggest events in Leeds' cultural calendar is almost upon us, as the city gears up for Leeds Pride Festival 2025.
From the glittering parade that attracts thousands to the city centre, to the live music and performances on the stages to the nightlife scene that gets busier than ever for one glorious weekend, there’s something for everyone.
This year's event will take place on Sunday 20 July, and it's set to be a fabulous weekend full of music, food, and cabaret - all promising a weekend of celebration and inclusion.
If you're heading there this weekend, here's everything you need to know to make your day as good as it can be.
Parade
Image: Leeds Pride
At 12:15pm, the iconic Pride Parade will begin outside the Town Hall, marching through the the city, down to Lower Briggate onto The Calls.
Expect plenty of colour, impressive floats and amazing energy.
The line-up
This year you'll find three stages dotted across the city, all with great lineups to keep you dancing throughout the day.
On the Main Stage on Lower Briggate, music will go on from 12 - 10pm with performances from Angie Brown, Booty Luv, the Cartoons and a Chappell Roan tribute act.
Just down the road on the Cabaret stage you'll be blessed with performances from Koko Popperz, Dedelicious and Tonya Kneez amongst so many more.
Make your way to Millennium Square and you'll find the Community Stage, music will start earlier here at 10:30am so if you want to get warmed up before the parade this is where to be.
By grabbing yourself a 2025 Leeds Pride Wristband, you'll get exclusive perks such as discounted drinks, dedicated entry lanes and so much more. You can get your wristband from Viaduct Showbar or the Briggante Hotel. Find out more here.
Afterparties
If you want to keep the party going, then there's plenty of after parties on offer.
Leeds Pride will be hosting an official after party at Under The Arches, and you can buy your ticket for entry here.
Elsewhere, Leeds' famous speakeasy Behind Closed Doors will be hosting music until 5am with a special Pride cocktail menu, live DJS and best of all? Free entry.
And if that doesn't take your fancy and you're looking to celebrate Pride in style, White Cloth Hall will be hosting an all-day street party with live music, an outdoor bar and a delicious BBQ to keep you fuelled up for the day.
If there’s one thing Leeds knows how to do, it’s produce a seriously talented bunch of emerging creatives. And this time, we’re swapping the usual indie gigs and late-night dance floors for a choir proving there’s nothing old-fashioned about singing together.
Meet LC Pop Choir, the Leeds-based group taking some of the biggest pop, rock and gospel hits and giving them a whole new lease of life.
Based at Leeds Conservatoire, the choir was founded in 2015 by Principal Lecturer Craig Lees and has since grown into a talented community of students and alumni who share a love of music and a good old singalong.
But don’t go thinking this is your typical Sunday afternoon choir. We’re talking huge vocals, impressive harmonies and the kind of performances that make you want to get up and join in. Think songs you already know by heart, reimagined with a whole room full of voices behind them.
In 2025, LC Pop Choir took to the stage on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, performing Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. The anthem is practically impossible not to sing along to, and the choir gave it a powerful new spin, showing just how much a familiar pop hit can be transformed through the power of group vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxUjfRqvyks
It’s the sort of performance that reminds you why live music is so special. There’s something about hearing a song you’ve known for years delivered in a completely different way that makes you fall in love with it all over again.
LC Pop Choir is such an exciting part of Leeds’ creative community. They’re not just performing songs; they’re finding new ways to bring people together through music. And that’s something Leeds has always done particularly well.
What makes the group even more special is the talent behind the harmonies. Made up of emerging artists releasing their own music, touring around the country and even performing at major festivals, these are creatives making waves in their own right.
Yet, every Monday, they come together as a family of creatives, supporting one another, nurturing their talents and celebrating their shared love of music.
The music industry can be a competitive place, particularly for artists just starting out, so having a space to develop their skills, meet like-minded people and be part of something bigger is invaluable.
This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage. Credit: Ian Hodgson
And that sense of community is exactly what makes groups like LC Pop Choir such an important part of Leeds’ cultural scene.
Whether you’re a musical theatre obsessive, a pop music fanatic or someone who simply loves a brilliant live performance, LC Pop Choir is one Leeds-based group worth keeping on your radar.
We have a feeling some of these young artists will be paving the way for the next generation of music in the North, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
Leeds City Council granted £1.6m to tackle rough sleeping by Christmas
Clementine Hall
A £1.6m grant has been given by the government to Leeds City Council to help tackle rough sleeping.
The funding has been allocated to Leeds City Council as part of the Government’s national Rough Sleeping Programme.
The overall target is to help rough sleepovers off the streets by Christmas through providing safe accommodation.
The council have said that voluntary organisations and charities will be able to help them reach this target.
The council report said: "This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer term sustainment of accommodation.
“The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.
“Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness.”
The government announcement spoke of the scheme: "The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.
"People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds."
The funding is intended to help provide immediate support for people currently sleeping on the streets, while also helping them access longer-term accommodation and the support needed to maintain independent living.
By working with local charities and voluntary organisations, the council hopes to ensure people are not only offered a place to stay but are also given the help they need to avoid returning to the streets.
Clementine Hall -
16th July 2025 
