It's finally time - indie heroes The Maccabees will be performing a huge headline gig at Kirkstall Abbey this week, with a lineup of fellow indie heavyweights.
The renowned quintet reunited for a comeback tour last year, and have spent this summer performing at some of the UK's finest open-air venues.
Now, it's Leeds' turn, as The Maccabees take to the Kirkstall Abbey stage on Friday 31 July, along with Maxïmo Park, Everything Everything, Mystery Jets, and Fiona Lee.
The Maccabees guitarist Felix White said at the time they announced their summer gigs: "The year we’ve just had was so special to all of us, and so unexpected, that it has put some momentum in everyone collectively …. and who wouldn’t want to do all that again?"
If you're going along to The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey, we've rounded up everything you need to know.
Are there still tickets for The Maccabees in Leeds?
At the time of writing, there are still tickets available to see The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey.
General admission tickets are priced at £64.45, with premium admission standing priced at £97.45.
You can see the latest availability and grab your tickets HERE.
Who else is on the lineup?
The Maccabees perform at Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds this week. Credit: Supplied
The main support act for The Maccabees in Leeds will be the brilliant Maxïmo Park, a Newcastle group who absolutely dominated the indie-alternative scene in the 2000s with their breakthrough debut album, A Certain Trigger.
But there's a lot more to this stacked lineup than that - The Maccabees have pulled together an almighty night of legendary indie bands to support them at Kirkstall Abbey.
Also performing will be Salford's finest art rock export, Everything Everything, who'll be performing their earworm hits like No Reptiles, Distant Past, and Cough Cough.
Before that, it will be Mystery Jets on the Kirkstall Abbey stage, who return with new album A Hole To See The Sky Through next month.
And opening the stage for the night is East Yorkshire lass Fiona Lee, who release EP Every Woman earlier this year.
Stage times for The Maccabees
Gates - 4pm
Fiona Lee - 4.45pm - 5.15pm
Mystery Jets - 5.45pm - 6.15pm
Everything Everything - 6.45pm - 7.30pm
Maxïmo Park - 8pm - 8.45pm
The Maccabees - 9.15pm - 10.30pm
Last entry will be 8.30pm.
The Maccabees expected setlist
The Maccabees have had a busy summer on the festival circuit, but based on their headline gig at The Eden Project earlier this month, this is likely to be their setlist:
Love You Better
Latchmere
Lego
Feel to Follow
Kamakura
Wall of Arms
First Love
Precious Time
Can You Give It
Spit It Out
Toothpaste Kisses
X-Ray
Marks to Prove It
Ballad Of So Long
Something Like Happiness
Encore:
Something Like Happiness
No Kind Words
Pelican
What does a Premium ticket get you?
If you're thinking of making your night a little fancier, there's a Premium area in Kirkstall Abbey that includes all of this:
Premium Entrance (please note this opens at the same time as all gates)
Premium Hang Out Area located in the Historic Abbey’s Cloister with Private bar and toilets.
Live at Kirkstall Abbey map
Getting to Kirkstall Abbey
You can pre-book parking, which will open at 3.30pm for The Maccabees. g.
Entry to Kirkstall Abbey Car park is located next to Abbey House Museum on Abbey Walk in Kirkstall (LS5 3EJ).
But fans are urged to use public transport or travel on foot wherever possible.
Kirkstall Abbey has two local train stations nearby; Kirkstall Forge is located approximately 1.3 miles from Kirkstall Abbey and Headingley Station is approximately 0.7 miles.
There are several bus stops near Kirkstall Abbey too, for more information visit here.
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 -
30th July 2026 
