The clocks go forwards this month, we're celebrating St Patrick's Day, Holi Festival, Mother's Day, International Women's Day and the Six Nations- so even if you don't have many plans for the month yet, there's going to be plenty to choose from.
Keep reading to find out more about our top picks for this month, including how to get yourself tickets to the opera, festivals and even TWO pop-up dog cafes.
Ariadne auf Naxos Live
Wednesday 1 March 2023 from 7pm | Opera North, Leeds Grand Theatre
Image: Opera North
Directed by multi-award nominated Rodula Gaitanou, this humorous, romantic, and drama-filled production will tell the tale of a bustling 1950s Italian studio where two films are about to be made.
One’s a heartbreaking myth, the other a light-hearted comedy – imagine the mischief that unfolds when disaster strikes and the films suddenly become one…
Offering a carefully-selected menu of delicious Detroit-style pizzas, the popular pizza joint has everything you’d possibly want from a lunchtime snack or dinner time treat.
The popularity for the sellout pizzas speaks volumes for itself, but there’s never been a better time to head down to Meanwood Tavern and give these slices a taste-test with the return of the Slice Safari – which gives you access to any of the pizzas as a XXXL slice for a fiver.
Sunday 5 March 2023, 10am-4pm | Left Bank Leeds, Cardigan Road, Burley
Image: Left Bank
Celebrating International Women's Day with the Left Bank's signature Sunday markets, the popular event space is bringing together stalls from women and non-binary creatives - and there's ample opportunity to check out the Left Banks' latest exhibition hosted by Assembly House too.
Sunday 5 March 2023 from 10am | Revolucion de Cuba, Call Lane
Image: Cockapoo Cafe
Pop+Bark is the mastermind company behind popular Dachshund Cafes which have been held in Leeds since 2019. But now the company are kicking it up a notch and hosting a Cockapoo Cafe for the very first time.
Those looking to party with the pooches can head down to Revolucion de Cuba for an afternoon of fun for both you and your furry friends. This year’s theme is the 90’s, with a fitting soundtrack and of course a 90’s dress code very much encouraged.
Sunday 5,12,19,25 March 2023 at 12pm and 2pm | Cheesy Living Co, Corn Exchange
Image: The Hoot Leeds
£20 per person gets you a fondue for two (or more) filled in the classic Swiss style with melted cheese, then your table is filled with roast dinner staples like rosemary potatoes dusted in paprika, half roasted garlic and of course, Yorkshire puddings.
Then you can build on your roast selection as you see fit to make up the ultimate roast dinner, adding a board of Lishman’s cold cut roast ham and beef; honey roasted carrots and parsnips; stuffing balls or even a DIY cauliflower cheese offering to dip into the Alpine-style fondue pot and cover in as much cheese as possible.
Friday 10 March 2023, 11am-4pm | The Wardrobe, Quarry Hill
Image: The Wardrobe
We all love a bit of ABBA don’t we? As soon as Dancing Queen comes on you can’t help but get up on your feet to bust out some pretty questionable moves. The Wardrobe is hosting a non-stop ABBA night and it's going to be the perfect opportunity to let your hair down and dance all night long. Five hours of non-stop classics? Count us in!
Saturday 11 March 2023 | Beaverworks, Whitehouse St, Hunslet
Image: Leeds Holi Festival
Here in Leeds, the celebrations of Holi will involve the traditional dry powder paints, as well as the serving of street food, live DJs, performances and guest artists at the Beaverworks.
The festival last took place in 2022, and returns this year bigger than ever- doubling their previous capacity. Tier one and two tickets have already sold out for the seven hour event, but remaining tier three tickets are still available for purchase.
Saturday 11 March - Saturday 18 March 2023 | Around Leeds
Image: Beck & Call
There's two weeks of rugby left, and the competition is really heating up now. Whether you’re secretly rooting for France to keep hold of the title or ready to cheer on England this year, we’ve found all the best places to go and pull up a seat in Leeds.
Sunday 12 March 2023, 11am-4pm | Around Leeds city centre
Image: Tom Blackwell, Flickr
St Patrick’s Day isn’t until the 18th, but the annual parade is due to take place on Sunday 12 March this year from 11am.
The parade will bring together floats, bands, walking displays, and representatives from Irish organisations, schools, clubs and societies from across Leeds- making it a great family day out. You can join in with the parade and head through Leeds city centre before reaching the party on Millennium Square from 11am until 4pm where there will be a full afternoon of music and dance from Leeds musicians, dancers and invited guests. Guinness isn’t mandatory but widely encouraged.
Sunday 26 March 2023 from 10.30am | Revolution Electric Press, Leeds city centre
Image: Pup-Up Cafe
Walk through the doors into the fairground-themed bar of Revolution Electric Press and wander between dog-friendly stalls stocking everything from a puppacino to luxury dog collars, and that's before you've seen the many, many Dashchund's making friends inside the venue.
Find out more here.
Snoop Dogg Live
Monday 27 March 2023 | First Direct Arena, Arena Way
Snoop Dogg has finally rebooked the gigs that got pushed back during lockdown (then again for other reasons) and will be performing in Leeds with Xzibit as a special guest plus support from Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, Obie Trice and D12, and Irish rap duo Versatile.
Tickets are still available, costing between £45.50 and £68.50 via See Tickets.
West Yorkshire's very own Jane McDonald is coming to First Direct Arena in Leeds for a hometown show that's set to be spellbinding.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to First Direct Arena.
This latest tour titled after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane's Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE's 'Where Is My Husband!'
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing - Oh look, it's me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman's latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we're sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I'll Not Be Beaten
You Don't Know What You Got
Don't Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain't Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You're My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we'll never forget her renditions of 'Cake By The Ocean', 'Jai Ho' or 'APT.'.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Leeds?
The doors for Jane McDonald's Living The Dream Tour in Leeds are set for 6pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
First Direct Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat 'Cake by the (Sofa)' before ringing in the new day.
How to get to First Direct Arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American rock band Kings of Leon are making their way to Leeds for a visit to First Direct Arena as part of their current EU/UK tour.
Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared, plus their cousin Matthew Followill, the rock band has gone on to achieve nine top 40 singles and six UK number one albums.
The rockers have two singles in Spotify’s Billions Club, including their standout hit ‘Sex on Fire’, which has amassed over 2 billion streams and ‘Use Somebody’ with 1.2 billion – two tracks that helped skyrocket them from cult favourites here in Britain to global superstars.
This four-piece’s latest LP, Can We Please Have Fun, dropped mid-2024 and knowing how energetic Northern crowds can be, it’s safe to say we’ve got this covered.
Last time they travelled over the pond, they let the Manchester crowd know the England score in real-time (read our full review).
Gig guide – Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena, Leeds
Kings of Leon UK tour dates
Fri 3 July – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Sat 4 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 6 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Are there any tickets left for Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena?
If you’re wondering where you’ll ‘Find Me’ on Monday 6 July, it is probably watching these four relatives play their two decades’ worth of hits at First Direct Arena.
Don’t ‘Waste a Moment’ as there’s only a limited number of tickets left if you’re after catching a glimpse of Kings of Leon live – get yours HERE.
Kings of Leon are gearing up for their Leeds gig at First Direct this July (Credit: Press shot)
Kings of Leon setlist for 2026 UK tour
These American rockers have been performing all across Europe, switching up a couple of songs at each show; however, the hits below have featured at most of their appearances.
Slow Night, So Long
Waste a Moment
Find Me
On Call
Radioactive
The Bucket
Revelry
Manhattan
Use Somebody
Wait For M
Split Screen
Closer
Molly’s Chambers
Razz
MyParty
Supersoaker
Fans
Back Down South
Seen
Pyro
Black Thumbnail
To Space
Knocked Up
Sex on Fire
What are the stage times for Kings of Leon in Leeds?
Doors for Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena in Leeds are set to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 7.30pm from a huge indie rock band.
Supporting the US rockers is a band who have received comparisons to Kings of Leon, the loud-and-proud Scottish stars The Snuts, known for their tracks like ‘Glasgow’, ‘Elephants’ and ‘Maybe California'.
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
Sophie Smith -
1st March 2023 
