There's just something unequivocally euphoric about grabbing your big coat (or not and baring the consequences) for a late night gig in Leeds. The buzz of watching up-and-coming artists perform in intimate venues and holding on to every lyric; the bounce of the crowd as you sing along to songs you've only ever heard in your earphones- there really is nothing quite like it.
Back for the first proper year since the pandemic, it seems that the music scene is alive this autumn with artists taking to various venues almost every night across the city.
It's been difficult to narrow down to our top ten nights out, but as ever, we've got all our favourite gigs, concerts, festivals and live events for you this month- and there's still tickets available to ALL the events.
Keep reading to find out our top ten for October 2022.
Machine Gun Kelly
Thursday 6 October 2022 | First Direct Arena, Arena Way
Image: First Direct Arena
The Mainstream Sellout tour is coming to Leeds this month and MGK promises a standout performance with non-stop hits from not just his own music, but some very special guests too. Avril Lavigne, Blackbear, iann dior, PVRIS, Travis Barker, Trippie Redd, WILLOW and 44phantom will all be making an appearance across the tour, though it hasn't been announced just yet which of these to expect in Leeds.
Tickets cost from £42.50 each and are still available on the First Direct Arena website.
Get tickets for Machine Gun Kelly at the First Direct Arena here.
Non Stop Styles Club Night
Saturday 8 October 2022 | HiFi Club, Central Road
Image: Skiddle
The ultimate student club night has arrived in Leeds for Styles fans. The Non Stop Styles night is, as the name suggests, all about championing the international star from Derbyshire that we all know and love. Taking us on a journey from the One Direction days to his most recent hits, the entire club night is dedicated entirely to Harry Styles tunes.
Tickets cost £5-£7 each and are available on the Skiddle website.
Get tickets for Non Stop Styles at HiFi Club here.
ABBA Disco Wonderland
Thursday 13 October 2022 | The Warehouse, Somers Street
Image: Skiddle
One of the biggest ABBA Tribute Club nights is coming back to Leeds, and it's the perfect opportunity for ABBA lovers to reunite under one roof. The ABBA Disco Wonderland has completed a full four years of sell out tours, and over this time have continued to bring the best of 70s and 80s to venues across the UK and beyond, so expect wild fancy dress, confetti canons, CO2 jets and more, all down to a tee.
Tickets cost £8.00 each plus a booking fee from Skiddle
Get tickets for ABBA Disco Wonderland at The Warehouse here.
Opera North presents Orpheus
Friday 14 October - Saturday 22 October 2022 | Grand Theatre, New Briggate
Opera North Orchestra Huddersfield
Orpheus will be a groundbreaking reimagining of one of the earliest surviving operas, Monteverdi’s 1607 work L’Orfeo. The production will open at the Leeds Grand Theatre this October before touring other northern theatres alongside Verdi’s La traviata, and concerts of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.
Tickets cost from £10 for Under 30 members, then £25 - £80.50 for regular tickets.
Get tickets for Orpheus Live at the Grand Theatre here.
Live At Leeds: In The City Festival
Saturday 15 October 2022 | Various locations, Leeds
Image: Live at Leeds
150+ Artists. 14 Venues. 16 Stages. 1 Day. 1 Wristband. The festival has previously seen the likes of Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, The 1975, Lizzo, Sam Fender, Royal Blood, Sam Smith, Tom Grennan and many more take to the stage before going to become global successes, so those looking to find up-and-coming talent will be sure to find some independent names destined for cities far bigger than Leeds in the future. This year, expect to hear from Pale Waves, Sundara Karma, White Lies and some 150 more.
Tickets cost £39 each plus a booking fee, plus limited VIP tickets are available for an additional amount.
Find out more about Live At Leeds: In The City Festival here and get tickets here.
Bon Iver
Wednesday 19 October 2022 | First Direct Arena, Arena Way
Image: First Direct Arena
The American indie folk band will be bringing the soft melodic tunes back from 2007 to the present day to the First Direct Arena this month. Skinny Love singer Justin Vernon has been winning over the hearts of the UK for quite some time, and given there's five full albums and countless singles to choose from, this will be a standout performance from one of folk's most-loved bands.
Seated tickets are still available, costing from £30.55 each on the First Direct Arena website.
Get tickets for Bon Iver at the First Direct Arena here.
Alfie Templeman
Thursday 20 October 2022 | Leeds Beckett Student Union, Portland Building
Image: Facebook
Alfie Templeman, at just 19, produces music that's guaranteed to get everyone on their feet. Having made his debut back in 2016, the singer-songwriter has spent the past six years perfecting melodies that have seen the Mellow Moon singer shoot to stardom, landing an evening slot at The Leadmill Stage at Tramlines Festival earlier this year and joint headline tour with Thomas Headon across North America later this year.
Tickets cost £16 each from the Leeds Beckett Student Union website.
Get tickets for Alfie Templeman at Leeds Beckett SU here.
The Snuts
Saturday 22 October 2022 | O2 Academy, Millenium Square
Image: Live Nation
One of the indie bands circulating on all the Spotify playlists recently, The Snuts are a Scottish indie-rock four-piece with a lot to say about the world. Bringing Glasgow to Leeds this month, fans of Inhaler, Blossoms, Sundara Karma, Arctic Monkeys and The Amazons (you get the idea) are likely to find comfort in their soft rock tunes and wistful lyrics.
Tickets cost £27.25 each for unreserved seating and standing from Ticketmaster.
Get tickets for The Snuts at the O2 Academy Leeds here.
Sugababes
Sunday 23 October 2022 | O2 Academy Leeds, Millenium Square
Image: Festickets
The three piece British girl group is back. Having changed their lineup three times before returning to the original trio in 2011, the One Touch singers were a 00s staple, bringing us Push The Button, Round Round, Too Lost In You and far too many other floorfiller club classics. Having now been performing for over 20 years, the band are back and bringing a nostalgic performance to Leeds later this month.
Tickets cost £46.235 each for standing or £181.25 for the Meet and Greet AMEX Package.
Get tickets to see the Sugababes at the O2 Academy Leeds here.
Billy Idol
Tuesday 25 October 2022 | First Direct Arena, Arena Way
Image: Wikicommons
A performance that needs no introduction. Billy Idol will be bringing Television and Toyah Willcox to the First Direct Arena for a night of punk rock and heavy metal. The White Wedding singer will be taking Leeds down memory lane with best hits from the 80s that we all know and love, still forty years on.
Tickets cost from £55.15 each with only seated remaining on Ticketmaster.
Get tickets for Billy Idol at the First Direct Arena here.
Feature Image- Live At Leeds Festival
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Bad Bunny: What you need to know for Super Bowl halftime show
Global superstar Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show and we're giving you the rundown about this reigning reggaeton artist.
Born in Puerto Rico, Benito Antonio, now more widely recognised by artist moniker Bad Bunny, is a Spanish-speaking act who has transported modern-day reggaeton from Latin America to all new heights.
The Puerto Rican powerhouse has only ever visited the UK once, performing at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London, seven years ago back in 2018, as part of his first ever world tour titled La Nueva Religión.
Since then, El Benito has dropped seven full-length studio albums and nine musical projects overall, which have all helped establish him as a major force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Alongside his musical career, Bad Bunny has seen himself at the forefront of various pop culture moments thanks to his innovative fashion sense and notable charm.
Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show on 8 February / Credit: Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied) / Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan (Supplied)
What iconic moments is Bad Bunny known for?
With his first album X 100Pre (Forever) dropping back in 2018, Bad Bunny has spent almost a hefty eight years in the limelight, so it will come as no surprise that there's plenty of iconic moments you might remember.
Bad Bunny as a Drag Queen - To coincide with the release of his single 'Yo Perreo Sola' (I Twerk Alone), Benito stepped into unchartered territory, debuting three different Drag personas to combat toxic masculinity in the reggaeton music scene.
WWE - Benito is a huge fan of wrestling. He first appeared for a performance at the Royal Rumble in 2021, before returning later that year and teaming up with Damian Priest to take down The Miz and John Morrison.
VMA Performance - The Latin multi-hyphenate made headlines in 2022 after kissing a male dancer on-stage. Both fans and media outlets stated the performance harked back to Madonna's similar showcase two decades prior - Watch Bad Bunny's kiss HERE (skip to 2:50).
Met Gala - Well-recognised for its glamourous and glitzy outfits, the Met Gala brings together A-Listers for a showcase of all things fashion. Bad Bunny was styled by fashion house Jacquemus and wore a backless suit with a 26 foot train.
The Super Bowl is a huge accomplishment for all artists, now Bad Bunny joins the headlining roster / Credit: Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
SNL - The LATAM star has appeared on American comedy sketch-show SNL numerous times, both as an artist and as a part-time comedian. In 2023, Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal became an overprotective aunty and mum duo and had crowds laughing uncontrollably.
Carpool Karaoke - James Corden's nighttime show segment was welcomed into the reggaeton world courtesy of Bad Bunny. However, it's his cover of 'Break Free' by Ariana Grande where he discusses it's the first English-spoken song he ever learnt that had people falling in love with him.
Coachella - This desert-based music festival is known for its large-scale productions and in the early summer of 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-singing artist to headline this mega music celebration.
No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí - Translating to 'I don't want to leave here', this was the title of his Puerto Rico residency. As well as creating lifelong memories for fans, this 31 date experience also boosted the economy of his home country.
What songs will Bad Bunny perform at his Super Bowl halftime show?
With 28 songs over one billion streams, Bad Bunny is going to have a tricky time deciphering which of his hits to include in his upcoming halftime show performance.
His most recognisable album is the beach-inspired Un Verano Sin Ti (A Summer Without You) which features six tracks with over one billion streams, so it's safe to say this LP is guaranteed some love.
The latest addition to El Benito's discography DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should've Taken More Photos) might also steal the spotlight due to its focus on exploring traditional Puerto Rican sounds.
And, after reconciling late last year, Bad Bunny might take his friendship with J Balvin to Super Bowl status, performing songs from their collaborative album OASIS as well as their Cardi B link-up 'I Like It'.
The Hoot's Bad Bunny Super Bowl setlist predicition:
NUEVAYoL
Tití Me Preguntó/ Me Porto Bonito/ Moscow Mule (Medley)
Dákiti
I Like It (With Cardi B and J Balvin)
La Canción (With J Balvin)
Callaíta (With Tainy)
Un x100to (With Grupo Frontera)
Baile Inolvidable
Super Bowl halftime show performances normally contain around 10 songs and the setlist is very tight-lipped, however, it's always fun to throw out a predicition or two before the event on Sunday 8 February.
Which special guests will join Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show line-up?
Bad Bunny has worked with a multitude of artists from reggaeton sidekicks to pop supremes like Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa and Drake.
Although it's highly unlikely these big names will all be free at the same time, when it comes to the Super Bowl anything is possible.
The 'Tití Me Preguntó' songwriter is heading to the UK for the second time ever in his career, for his Debí Tirar Más FotosWorld Tour and he's chosen Tottenham Hotspur as the location for this huge cultural moment.
If you're wondering where to get tickets, you have two chances to watch this superstar in his element as he's performing on June 27 - Tickets HERE and June 28 - Tickets HERE.
Hopefully now you've discovered more about who this Latin American artist is so you're not left clueless when the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots take a quick 15 minutebreak mid-game.
Featured Images - Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied) / Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan (Supplied)/ Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
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10 of the biggest live gigs coming to Leeds next year | 2026
Thomas Melia
Leeds has some fantastic live music lined up next year, so we've rounded up 10 of the biggest concerts coming in 2026.
If there's two things that go hand-in-hand, it's Leeds and live music, so it'll come as no surprise that 2026 is shaping up to be another cracking year of gigs and concerts for the city.
No matter whether your ideal concert experience is a little boogie or some hardcore head-banging, this list has got you covered with a wide range of acts and artists.
It's been a brilliant year of live music this past year, but there's plenty more big names making their way to Leeds next year, so without further ado, here's 10 of the biggest gigs coming in 2026.
10 of the biggest live gigs coming to Leeds next year | 2026
Cast - The Wardrobe (Thursday 29 January)
Cast are gearing up to play a headline show at Leeds music venue The Wardrobe in January / Credit: Press Shot (via supplied)
After opening for Oasis earlier this summer one their Oasis Live '25 reunion tour dates, the Liverpool indie rockers are putting on a headline gig right here in Leeds.
Cast have chosen The Wardrobe as their latest live music spot, and they're ready for you to 'Live The Dream' with them when they play out in January.
If their support slot for Oasis is anything to go by, there's a lot of love for these rock legends. This gig will be one to remember, and you can find tickets HERE.
Whether you know him from his stint in The Rascals, alongside Alex Turner as co-frontman of The Last Shadow Puppets, or simply from his solo work, Kane's career is nothing short of remarkable.
His latest discography addition Sunlight In The Shadows dropped in October and features huge numbers like 'Love Is Cruel' and 'Without You'.
Fans will also be hoping he plays tracks from his 2011 album Colour of the Trap, with its hits including 'Rearrange' and 'Come Closer' when he visits in February. Get tickets HERE.
Bob Vylan - O2 Academy Leeds (Saturday 7 February)
The Bobs, better known as Bob Vylan, are expected to raise the roof at O2 Academy Leeds next year / Credit: Ki Price (via supplied)
London punk rap duo Bob Vylan released their first project Dread in 2019 with a full-length album We Live Here releasing one year later.
Since then, Bobbie and Bobby have released an array of singles including 'Makes Me Violent', 'Dream Bigger', and 'Sick Sad World'.
The alternative rappers garnered widespread attention after their Glastonbury performance this year with their songs addressing a number of social and political issues, such as racism and economic hardship. You can get tickets HERE.
The Beaches - Stylus, Leeds University Union (Saturday 14 February)
Canadian four-piece The Beaches are coming to Leeds and ready to rock out at Stylus / Credit: Press Shot (via supplied)
The 'Last Girls At The Party' are heading to Stylus to play tracks from their latest project No Hard Feelings, as well as a couple other hits.
Comprised of sisters Kylie and Jordan Miller alongside fellow bandmates Eliza and Leandra, The Beaches have been dropping bangers for quite a few years now.
The Canadian four-piece always put on a good show, and if you haven't joined The Beaches hype train yet, then we recommend the songs 'Blame Brett' and 'Edge of the Earth' to get you started. Find tickets HERE.
Chesney Hawkes - Brudenell Social Club (Thursday 12 March)
English singer Chesney Hawkes has chosen 'The One and Only' Brudenell Social Club to host his upcoming Leeds gig.
Hawkes became a recent frequent face on our screens after his appearance as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother, and now he's about to become a frequent UK music venue player too with his new Smash It To Pieces Tour.
His most recent release, Living Arrows, dropped back in April and you can expect this 90s icon to command the Leeds crowd with all his usual charm. Get tickets HERE.
After supporting pop icon Lionel Richie on his Say Hello to the Hits tour, Combe is headlining her own show and she's bringing it to one of Leeds' staple music institutions, The Wardrobe.
She's touring up and down the country, including in Wigan, Preston, and Blackpool to name a few, and has kindly decided to bless Leeds with her bouncy and upbeat tracks too.
Get ready to be 'Dancing At The Edge Of The World' when the soul singer-songwriter plays out her cathartic tunes to this packed out Leeds city centre gig hotspot. You can grab tickets HERE.
Jessie J - O2 Academy Leeds (Saturday 11 April)
Expect incredible vocals and stage presence when Jessie J visits O2 Academy Leeds / Credit: Press Shot (via supplied)
Stomp, stomp she's arrived. UK pop heavyweight Jessie J is making her way to Leeds on the back of her self-released LP Don't Tease Me With a Good Time.
The 'Price Tag' songwriter has soundtracked the 2010s with radio hits spanning from 'Do It Like A Dude' and 'Domino', to 'Who's Laughing Now' and 'Bang Bang' - a triple-billed hit alongside Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
Earlier this year, Jessie J announced her recent breast cancer diagnosis saying it has inspired her to live life to the fullest. Now, the Brit vocalist is heading out on the road again and ready to thrill UK crowds.
Rick Astley - First Direct Arena (Saturday 18 April)
80s pop sensation Rick Astley is returning to Leeds for a stellar First Direct Arena show / Credit: Peter Neill (via supplied)
First Direct Arena is about to 'Keep Singing' because 80s chart-topper Rick Astley is heading to this major venue in April.
This arena has welcomed the 'Never Gonna Give You Up' singer countless times, most recently in February when he surprised fans with some covers of modern-day tracks like 'As It Was' by Harry Styles.
The Newton-le-Willows star and First Direct Arena are destined to be 'Together Forever', and you can witness him live on The Reflections Tour by getting tickets HERE.
Lily Allen - First Direct Arena (Sunday 21 June)
Lily Allen is coming to Leeds next Summer playing at First Direct Arena / Credit: Charlie Denis (via supplied)
Get ready for an electric night when Lily Allen performs West End Girl as part of her biggest headline tour of her career.
Allen is getting ready to turn First Direct Arena into her pop-up 'P*ssy Palace' for one night only next summer.
The London star announced her arena tour after selling out a string of theatre dates one week prior. We expect this Leeds show to be just as exceptional, the only thing we don't know is "Who's Madeline?". Tickets are HERE.
Jane McDonald - First Direct Arena (Saturday 26 September)
Jane McDonald is gracing the Leeds crowd at First Direct Arena in September 2026 / Credit: Matt Crockett (via supplied)
Wakefield's finest Jane McDonald is also embarking on one of the biggest tours of her career too with the release of her new album Living The Dream.
The national treasure has amassed four UK top 10 albums, with her self-titled debut album spending three weeks at the top spot.
Expect to be out of your seat and singing along to quite a few hits when McDonald returns to First Direct Arena next autumn, and you can grab your seat HERE.
Sophie Smith -
3rd October 2022 
