A tribute to a legendary Leeds music venue is opening in Leeds as part of a celebration of 60 years of the city's music scene.
The Duchess of York on Vicar Lane, more commonly known as The Duchess, was the setting for performances by some of the biggest names in rock and pop before closing its doors in 2000.
And now, an impressive recreation of the pub has opened in the Leeds City Museum as part of a new exhibition named Music Leeds Us.
The exhibition looks back at six decades of the city's unique music heritage.
Created in partnership with Leeds Conservatoire to mark its 60th anniversary, the exhibition has gathered memories and stories from more than 70 partners and volunteers.
The incredible Duchess model was originally created by Small Acts and commissioned by Compass Live Art for Compass Festival 2021 in tribute to the venue itself, which was founded by John Keenan.
The Duchess was awarded a blue plaque back in 2024 for its contribution to the city's music scene, and it's safe to say if those walls could talk they'd say a lot.
Famously, Oasis performed there in 1993 to a tiny audience before returning to a much larger crowd in 1994 and Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain also reputedly slept upstairs on a sofa at the venue after their gig in October 1989, two years before the release of their worldwide smash hit album Nevermind.
Esther Amis-Hughes, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ community engagement manager, said: "The past 60 years have been truly transformational for music in Leeds and have seen some iconic moments that will forever be part of the city’s history.
“I’ve been blown away by the passion, diversity, and power of the city to continue to be a source of inspiration through music, and this exhibition has shown me how brilliant people, doing what they love, can make a positive difference.
“I hope this exhibition gives people an insight into the power of music in bringing people together, no matter what genre or scene you enjoy."
Music Leeds Us is a free exhibition that is open until 28 June 2026.
Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival is back and it's just as beautiful as we remember.
Spring has officially sprung and with it, so does Farmer Copley's iconic Tulip Festival that officially opened last Sunday.
Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family really know how to get you feeling ready for the season ahead.
Just moments after entering the festival, we can assure you that winter will feel like a distant memory.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Spanning over 8 acres, Jack and the team have planted over 600,00 tulip bulbs consisting of 100+ different varieties of all shapes and colours that arrived directly from the Netherlands.
In addition to the 500,000 planted last year, that means there's over one million tulips to enjoy - now that is pretty impressive if you ask us.
Varieties include Carnaval de Rio, Tom Pouce, Gavota, Lily Flowering Mix, Blushing Appledorn, Wedding Dress and Rodolfo.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The festival includes five sections that have been split by 5 metre walkways enabling the best customer interaction in the field.
There's two dedicated pick your own areas where a mix of bulbs have been planted to ensure that visitors have a wide range of tulips to explore, pick from and create the perfect bunch of tulips. How lovely is that?
Of course there's plenty of photo opportunities, fairground rides and a bar to enjoy the view with a tipple or two.
This really is the perfect family-friendly day out and with the weather looking gorgeous (for now), we'd take the opportunity to see the tulips looking their best whilst you can.
The festival is on until Sunday 3 May 2026, with tickets starting from just £9.
To find out more and to book your ticket, take a look at Farmer Copleys website. We'll see you in the tulip fields.
Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for student nightlife
Clementine Hall
Our city is bursting at the seems with brilliant late night venues for students, but now it’s officially been confirmed.
And it's all down to accommodation provider Canvas who analysed key nightlife factors such as drink prices, the number and ratings of venues, and local safety scores to reveal the best cities in the UK for a night out.
If you've got Leeds as your student city of choice then you're in for a brilliant three years, as we ranked number four in the top ten list. Get in.
Leeds has a whopping 325 venues and a strong 4.40 average rating, drink prices are relatively affordable drinks with a pint costing an average of a fiver and soft drinks at £1.71.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Leeds also came out with a solid safety score of 47.28, so it's fair to say Leeds it’s a well-rounded option for students.Bath took the top spot with 10 venues per 10,000 people and an impressive average rating of 4.45 stars.
Coming in second, Manchester boasts the highest number of bars and clubs overall, with 606 venues, 15 for every 10,000 people and a strong average rating of 4.37 stars and a pint costing slightly less than Bath at £5.50.
In third place was Newcastle and in fifth place was York. It's safe to say that the North dominated the top spots, and rightly so.
The top ten best cities for student nightlife in the UK are:
Clementine Hall -
13th October 2025 
