Greater Manchester spoken word artist Antony Szmeirek has finally revealed the name, cover art and release date for his second album, along with his biggest run of UK tour dates yet.
The Tameside teacher turned full-time artist dropped his maiden record, Service Station at the End of the Universe, back in February 2025, and now, just over a year on from its launch, he’s getting ready to deliver his highly anticipated follow-up.
Entitled Decoding Birdsong, the sophomore studio project is scheduled for this summer, with a series of live shows booked for the following autumn.
Having already dropped lead single ‘The Heron’ earlier this year, Szmeirek has just released the opener from his upcoming LP, which is simply called ‘Chalk’; he’s also unveiled the rest of the tracklist and a rather striking bit of album artwork.
The Hyde-born artist is making big moves not only within the spoken word space but across multiple genres, with his music blending everything from indie, hip-hop, electronica and more.
His latest song, for instance, is more of an acid-house-esque meets contemporary EDM outing, and has quickly gone down as a popular addition among fans.
On the album name itself, he’s never one to shy away from a weird title or two – case in point, ‘The Great Pyramid of Stockport’ from his debut and ‘Dave’s Angling Superstore’ on this new record.
As for his latest raft of live shows, these will be some of the biggest domestic gigs that the local lad has played in his career so far.
In addition to an opening show here in Leeds, he is set to play a dozen different cities across Great Britain and Ireland.
Antony Szmierek UK/IE tour dates – October 2026
We’ve highlighted the Northern stops for you, too:
8 – O2 Academy Leeds, Leeds, UK
9 – The Level, Nottingham, UK
11 – Cambridge Junction, Cambridge, UK
12 – O2 Academy Oxford, Oxford, UK
14 – CHALK, Brighton, UK
15 – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London, UK
16 – O2 Academy Bournemouth, Bournemouth, UK
17 – O2 Academy Bristol, Bristol, UK
20 – Queen Margaret Union (QMU), Glasgow, UK
21 – Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
23 – Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK
For those of you looking to grab tickets to his headline gig, they go on sale at 10am on Friday, 8 May via the likes of SeeTickets.
You can get ready to grab your tickets right HERE.
Featured Images — Press shots via Zak Watson (supplied via SJM Concerts)
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Leeds Pride reveals complete star-studded line up for huge 20th anniversary celebration
It's time folks, the full lineup for Leeds Pride 2026 has officially been revealed.
This year there are more acts than ever before set to take to the stage across a fabulous two-day festival.
Headlining the weekend will be the incredible La Voix and Sweet Female Attitude. They’ll be joined by, Tomara Thomas, Livin’ Joy ft. Luzahnn, and Baga Chipz, alongside a whole host of other exciting names.
And it doesn't stop there, as presenting the festivities this year will be Bradley Riches, Soraya Vivian, drag icons Mamma Bear and St Sordid Secret.
Taking place on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026, the milestone event will see the city come alive with its best Pride to date.
Organisers are already expecting record-breaking crowds for the packed programme of entertainment which will take place from 12pm – 10pm on both days.
Image: Supplied
A new addition for 2026 - Leeds Pride will host The Freedom Party, a ticketed Saturday event, helping to secure the future of the festival for years to come.
Guests can expect a high energy day featuring incredible stage shows and some of the UK’s best tribute acts, paying homage to the hit songs and pop icons of the last 20 years.
Tickets for The Freedom Party are available now from just £7.50, offering incredible value for a full day of live entertainment. Once inside, attendees can enter and exit the site freely
Image: Supplied
This year also introduces a new and improved VIP area on Lower Briggate, alongside an expanded festival footprint and enhanced production.
A spokesperson for Leeds Pride said: ““Celebrating 20 years of Leeds Pride is a huge moment for the city and the community. This year’s line-up is our biggest ever, with more acts, more local talent and more to experience across the entire weekend.
“What we have in Leeds is genuinely rare, and that’s a Pride celebration that takes place right in the heart of the city. While many other Pride events are moving out to parks and greenfield sites, we’re proud to keep Leeds Pride woven into the fabric of the city. It creates an incredible atmosphere and means the celebration is shared across Leeds, supporting hotels, bars, restaurants and local businesses throughout the weekend.
Image: Supplied
“Pride remains as important as ever, and introducing a ticketed Saturday allows us to protect and grow the event for the future. We’re asking people to support us where they can, even a small contribution helps us continue delivering Pride for everyone.
“We can’t wait to welcome Leeds and visitors from across the UK to what will be an unforgettable weekend.”
Popular beer festival showcasing over 35 indie breweries is returning to Leeds this month
Clementine Hall
Hop City, the long-running beer festival from award-winning Leeds-based brewery Northern Monk, returns this month for its ninth year.
Beer lovers, this one's for you.
Bringing over 35 of the best independent breweries from the UK, Europe and North America together to The Old Flax Store, Hop City will have approximately 250 different world-class beers for guests to try across one weekend of festivities.
The best part? Every pour across the weekend is included in the price of the ticket alongside a Hop City branded glass to enjoy them in, so don't worry about having to continuously reach for your wallet.
Images: Supplied
Joining Northern Monk this year are UK breweries including Brighton’s Beak, Deya from Cheltenham, Manchester-based Track and Edinburgh’s Newbarns who will be pouring next to the likes of US breweries Trillium, Root + Branch, Finback and everywhere; Canadian’s Messorem and Third Moon, and a selection of Europe’s finest indie brewers.
Seriously, this is a beer lover's paradise.
And it's not just about the booze, as joining Hop City 2026 will be joined by Leeds’ own Bundobust who will be bringing their Indian street food alongside Bonehead Fried Chicken and Hermanos Caliente, courtesy of Niko’s Comfort Kitchen.
Images: Supplied
Not a beer fan? Don't fret as natural wine bar Rinse will be pouring all weekend whilst Below Stairs will be providing the cocktails.
Russell Bisset, Founder of Northern Monk, said: “What started out as an idea to host some of our favourite breweries in Leeds has grown into something bigger than we could have imagined. From the beginning, the ambition was clear - to champion the best hop-forward breweries in the world and to create the first beer festival in Europe dedicated to celebrating hoppy beers and IPAs.
"Today, it’s about bringing some of the greatest breweries from across the globe together under one roof, creating something genuinely special for people who love beer as much as we do. Heading into our ninth year with a line-up of this calibre is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s not just about the beer, but the community, collaboration, and spirit behind it.”
Hop City 2026 will take place from Friday 15 to Saturday 16 of May, and you can buy your tickets here.
Clementine Hall -
6th May 2026 
