What a way to say goodbye to an incredible summer of music.
Another August Bank Holiday weekend can only mean one thing...Leeds Festival takes over Bramham Park for three days of mud, mayhem and music.
Thousands of post-GCSE teens flocked to see a huge variety of acts, from global superstar Travis Scott to sequin spangled Chappell Roan - and let us tell you, it was an absolute triumph.
But let's talk about the camping first, this year's festival saw one of the biggest overhauls in Leeds Festival's history.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Campers said goodbye to soggy tents and smelly Portaloos and instead welcomed real flushing toilets (yes, really), decent showers and specially curated 'get ready with me' stations with plug sockets and soap.
There was even morning yoga sessions, film screenings and run clubs taking place at the five brand-new campsites designed to suit every style of camper.
So it's safe to say that baby wipe showers are a thing of the past, and we're sure that the majority of punters felt pretty chuffed about that.
Now, onto the music.
By 12pm on Friday, Bramham Park was a sea of bucket hats and £7 pints, with D-Block Europe and Trippie Redd laying down the bass-heavy groundwork on the Main Stage.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Amyl and the Sniffers got the mosh pits forming like clockwork whilst Girls Don't Sync and Sammy Virji turned the Chevron Stage into an electric rave full of nostalgia.
But it's safe to say, the night belonged to Travis Scott - a rare European festival exclusive - that delivered a firestorm of energy and enough pyros to make you think it's bonfire night.
A great start to a brilliant weekend.
Onto Saturday and the bucket hats turned into sparkly, sequinned, furry cowboy hats. Who for? Well the incredible Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan, of course.
Dripping in glitter, pride flags waving, and a stage presence that screamed nothing other than 'global superstar’, Chappell's set was a theatrical masterpiece and a frontrunner for the best of the weekend. Camp, chaotic and completely euphoric.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And if that wasn't enough, then came Hozier - the Irish singer-songwriter performed a politically-charged set that sent tingles down spines and tears into eyes, a really beautiful set that felt like a welcomed moment of stillness over the weekend.
Elsewhere, The Kooks had everyone shouting 'Naïve' like it was 2006 again, and AJ Tracey packed out the Chevron Stage with his blend of grime and swagger.
By Sunday it's safe to say there were a few jaded festival-goers trudging round the park, but that didn't stop an incredible crowd forming for Yorkshire's own Bring Me The Horizon.
Oli Sykes growled, screamed and shouted through a set that reminded us of their reputation as one of the best Rock bands in the country...and dare we say, the world?
Each song was performed like it was their last, complete with enough fire and confetti canons to match.
Before that, Limp Bizkit transported us back to the 90s whilst Becky Hill played banger after banger on the Chevron Stage as the sun went down over another fabulous Leeds Fest weekend.
So, same again next year?
To find out more about Leeds Festival 2026, take a look at their website.
The Hepworth Wakefield is joining forces with Jarvis Cocker and his wife Kim Sion to create a one-of-a-kind art exhibition.
And it's got the best name ever, titled 'The Hodge Podge'.
This exciting new exhibition (opening in May 2027) will include artists who have challenged mainstream ideas about what can be considered 'art'.
It will invite unlikely conversations between artists such as Jeremy Deller, Peter Doig, Barbara Hepworth, Klara Kristalova, Emma Kunz, Mark Leckey and Agnes Pelton, as well as unknown outsider and visionary artists never exhibited before in UK public museums.
Focusing on alternative means of expression, the structures of class and how communities are able to come together outside of religious or high-brow contexts, Cocker and Sion are keen to explore alternative spiritualities, psychedelia, fandom, dreams, poetry and music.
Laura Smith, Artistic Director of The Hepworth Wakefield comments: "Jarvis Cocker has a long-held interest in art, attending St Martin’s College of Art & Design in the early 1990s, and as a Yorkshireman, felt like the ideal person to work with to consider a fresh way of thinking about and experiencing art.
"The art that he and Kim have gathered together in The Hodge Podge will encourage the feelings of joy, marvel and curiosity that great works of art can inspire and offer our audiences an expanded idea of creativity and community. We are thrilled to be working with Jarvis and Kim on this incredibly exciting exhibition."
In Cocker and Sion’s The Hodge Podge Manifesto, the couple state that te exhibition provides ‘an opportunity to understand where that creative urge comes from and what it can do for you… You’d be a fool to miss it.’
Tickets for The Hodge Podge: Jarvis Cocker & Kim Sion curate The Hepworth Wakefield go on sale later this year and you can find them here.
Ne-Yo and Akon at First Direct Arena – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Clementine Hall
Two R&B greats are heading out on a joint headline tour for the first time, as Ne-Yo and Akon visit Leeds' First Direct Arena.
Both artists are Grammy Award winners, and each has a formidable back catalogue of chart-topping hits.
For Ne-Yo, that includes songs like Miss Independent, So Sick, and Closer; while for Akon, he’s responsible for huge tracks like Smack That, Lonelty, and Right Now (Na Na Na).
Between them, they’ve shaped and defined radio, nightlife, and pop culture for decades.
This 2026 tour will see the pair performing on the same stage – for Leeds that's the First Direct Arena – for a co-headline Nights Like This tour.
Tonight, Thursday 30 April, they’ll perform in a unique back-and-forth set throughout the show.
You might have already seen some pretty iconic videos of their tour already circulating the internet, so it's safe to say you're in for a treat.
The nostalgic gigs will feature everything from slow jams to club anthems, with a party atmosphere throughout.
Are there tickets left for Ne-Yo and Akon at First Direct Arena?
It looks like tickets are limited for tonight, but you may be able to grab a few last minute ones HERE via Ticketmaster.
Ne-yo and Akon setlist for 2026 tour
Judging by previous nights of the tour, the current set list is looking like this...
Ne-Yo
The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson cover) (Snippet)
Miss Independent
Because Of You
Nobody
Champagne Life
One in a Million
Akon
Akon's Beautiful Day
Smack That
I'm So Paid
Locked Up
Soul Survivor (Jeezy cover)
Ne-Yo
She Knows
Single
Mirror
Sexy Love
Akon
Bananza (Belly Dancer)
Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) (Wyclef Jean cover)
Bartender (T‐Pain cover)
Body on me (Ashanti cover)
Dangerous (Kardinal Offishall cover)
Songs Ne-Yo/Akon Produced
Let Me Love You (Mario cover)
Titanium (David Guetta/Sia Cover) / Take A Bow (Rihanna Cover) / Drunk In Love (Beyoncé Cover) / Irreplaceable (Beyoncé Cover) / Just Dance (Lady Gaga)
Akon
Don't Matter
Danza Kuduro (Remix)
The Sweet Escape (Gwen Stefani song)
Shut It Down (Pitbull song)
Angel
Ghetto
Sorry, Blame It On Me
Lonely
Ne-Yo
So Sick
Mad
NIGHTS LIKE THESE
Simple Things
Up Out & Gone
Beautiful Monster
Closer
Akon
QUE CALOR (Akon crowd surfs in an inflatable ball)
I Wanna Love You
Right Now (Na Na Na)
Beautiful
Sexy Bitch (David Guetta cover)
Til the Sun Rise Up (Bob Sinclair cover)
Ne-Yo
Let's Go
Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)
Time of Our Lives
Give Me Everything
Encore:
Play Hard (David Guetta cover) - Akon & Ne-Yo on stage
Stage times for Ne-Yo and Akon at First Direct Arena
Doors open: 6.30pm
Gig starts: 8pm
Gig ends: 11pm
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.
Clementine Hall -
27th August 2025 
