I had a feeling that Aussie duo Royel Otis would bring the sunshine to Halifax. But I thought it would be a little more metaphorical than this…
As West Yorkshire melts in a record-breaking heatwave, and the sun sets over the magnificent Piece Hall, this feels like the perfect artist to be on this stage.
Their new wave, upbeat indie makes you feel like you've been plucked out of the UK and dunked straight into Byron Bay.
Royel Maddell cannonballs onto the stage with the energy of a man much more acclimatised to hot weather than us Brits, moving so fast we actually glimpse his face before it's lost again behind that signature mop of hair.
Then follows Otis Pavlovic, a languid, relaxed, but tightly note-perfect front man.
They're here to perform tracks from their two studio albums, including last year's Hickey, alongside the covers that rocketed them to fame.
Forget the commercial charts - the fan-voted Triple J Hottest 100 is the holy grail of music in Australia, and these guys have absolutely dominated it in recent years, for good reason.
Their cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder On The Dancefloor topped the alternative charts and reached number two on the Hottest 100, while their beautiful version of Linger by the Cranberries made it onto the soundtrack of the hit show The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Royel Otis at The Piece Hall in Halifax
For their show at The Piece Hall, Royel Otis whizz through an upbeat setlist of smooth indie hits. I Wanna Dance With You comes with a set of instructions displayed on the screen behind them.
"Dance with the person next to you. "Stop dancing. "Put your hands in the air."
And we do, because we're obedient, eager-to-please, slightly drunk idiots, and the instructions are fun.
Their live version of Murder On The Dancefloor is one of the most joyful sights I've ever seen at a gig. Everyone is dancing, and not your usual bobbing about in place - spinning, shimmying, holding hands, laughing in each others' faces.
Of course, their own music still hits hardest here. Sofa King, Who's Your Boyfriend, and Kool Aid are all crowd favourites, while Oysters In Your Pocket cements itself again as a timeless indie banger as it closes the show.
This was one of those shows where everything went just right - a happy crowd, stunning weather, and one of the most talented duos on the circuit right now.
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.
James Blunt announces huge European tour, kicking off in Leeds
Daisy Jackson
Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, kicking off a run of arena dates here in Leeds.
The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad 'You're Beautiful', is hitting the road again in 2027.
The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.
James Blunt will kick off his tour here in Leeds next spring, with a massive show at the First Direct Arena.
Then he'll head to more cities including Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be 'exhilarating'.
James has already released the first single, 'Tastes Like Summer', and 'Weight Of It All', with 10 more songs to come on the record.
Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who'll be back on tour with him next year.
Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: "Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury."
James Blunt will be at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 26 March, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.
Daisy Jackson -
26th June 2026 
