Yorkshire's biggest cultural festival is back with a bang. Taking over Leeds Playhouse for another year, Leeds International Festival of Ideas is bringing together four nights of worldwide speakers, performers and thought leaders to discuss some of the biggest questions of our time.
This year, conversations span from addiction, artificial intelligence, care, neurodiversity, and the impact of reality TV on our perception of reality amongst other exciting topics.
Notable names scheduled to grace the festival stages include: Kate Adie, Stacey Dooley, Kate Garraway, Goldie, Paterson Joseph, Nile Rodgers, Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem, Tim Spector, Carol Vorderman, Matt Willis and many more.
What events can we look forward to at this year's festival?
The panel chats this year are the strongest the festival has had. Get ready for an engaging lineup as Matt Willis from the pop-punk band Busted and Lauren Windle, an esteemed author and journalist and more as they tackle the topic of addiction.
Delve into the realm of AI with Georgie Barrat, host of Gadget Show, along with NHS Digital's Dr. Nisha Sharma and the talented actor Paterson Joseph, who brings a sceptical yet insightful perspective.
Professor Tim Wilson (The Circle) joins forces with Rylan (X Factor, Big Brother) alongside Charlotte Armitage, an expert on the duty of care for production companies, to explore the impact of reality TV on our perception of reality.
Discover the diverse facets of neurodiversity with Ellie Middleton, an impassioned activist, Christine McGuiness, a model, and Tumi Sotire, founder of The Black Dyspraxic, in what promises to be a highlight of the discussion as they discuss “We’re all neurodiverse aren’t we?”.
And ponder the question of care with Kate Garraway as she leads a conversation with Goldie, a renowned music producer, and Lizzy Oma, an advocate for cohousing, about who steps in when basic human needs are left unmet due to illness, age, disability, or poverty.
Carol Vorderman / Grace Beverley / Kate Garraway / Images: Supplied, Chapter 81
When is LIFI24?
Taking place from Wednesday 2 October - Saturday 5 October 2024, the full event timetable for 2024 is as follows:
Courtyard Theatre
Quarry Theatre
Wed 2 Oct
7pm - How do we talk about addiction?
7:30pm - The evolution of creativity with Nile Rodgers (hosted by BEKA)
Thu 3 Oct
12pm - How to break moulds and influence people with Grace Beverley
7pm - Could AI be humanity’s saviour?
7:30pm - Trust your gut with Tim Spector (hosted by Dr Amir Khan)
Fri 4 Oct
7pm - How is TV distorting our reality?
7:30pm - Does the media need to grow a pair? With Carol Vorderman and Self Esteem
Sat 5 Oct
2pm - We’re all neurodiverse aren’t we?
7pm - Who really cares?
7:30pm - This means war with Kate Adie (hosted by Stacey Dooley)
Martin Dickson, Festival Manager, says, “The power of LIFI to bring the people of Leeds together and have a courageous, open, and honest conversation about major issues affecting us all in society today is one of the unique elements that sets this festival apart. There’s nothing as bold, confident, or influential in the UK today as a people-focused festival.”
“LIFI aims to shout louder about the city, confidently and boldly projecting an innovative, creative, exciting place to be and amplifying that to the world; that is what makes it the ultimate place-marketing festival of its type, not only in Leeds but the UK. The heartbeat of the festival lies in the experiences and sentiments shared by the people who came to witness it. After last year's sell-out, we are super proud of this year's line-up and hope many people join the conversation!”
How can I get tickets for Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2024?
Tickets go on sale on Friday 10 May 2024 via the LIFI website here.
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.
Sophie Smith -
1st May 2024 
