Feature

The best things to do in and around Leeds this week | 18 – 24 December 2023

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 18th December 2023

Don't panic, but it is officially one week til Christmas.

There's only one week left until the big man comes shooting down the chimney, which also means there's only two weeks left of the entire year.

So before we blabber on about how we can't believe how fast this year has gone (which honestly, we really can't), let's take a look at what you can get up to this week in and around Leeds.

Christmas Shawarma at Sqew

Monday 18 December 2023 | Sqew, 7 Duncan Street

The absolute legends at Sqew will be serving up their limited-edition Christmas shawarma this Monday and you do not want to miss out. Expect minted lamb, rosemary and sage chicken shawarma and of course all the trimmings.

This is sure to get you in the festive period but in the best way - the Sqew way.

Magical Nights at The Queens

Monday 18 – Saturday 23 December 2023 | The Queens Hotel, City Square

The Queens will host a special Christmas instillation, and we absolutely cannot wait.

Announcing the news to Instagram, the hotel said: “We invite you to join us for a Magical Night at The Queens. The landmark Leeds building will be brought to life, with British actress Celia Imrie to voice our new stunning new city centre animation, taking spectators on a tour around the iconic hotel with the help of one very special guest – The Gingerbread Man.”

Find out more here.

Leeds Christmas Markets 

Monday 18 – Friday 22 December 2023 | Across the city centre 

Image: The Hoot Leeds

It's the last week to enjoy the complete Christmas markets in Leeds, so wrap up and head out to enjoy a glass of mulled wine and fully get in the festive spirit.

Read more here.

We're giving away unlimited gig tickets to The Wardrobe for a year

Monday 18 December - Wednesday 20 December 2023 | Instagram

This isn't one to sleep on Leeds! We've teamed up with The Wardrobe to give away a season pass for you and a guest to every single performance at the landmark music venue in 2024 to celebrate its 25 year anniversary. You've got until Wednesday to enter, and with a prize worth around £3500, a line-up of Tom Odell and The Libertines already confirmed AND the chance to find yourself at 100+ more live shows next year, it's one of our biggest to date.

Find out more here.

Christmas Shows and Pantomimes 

Monday 18 – Sunday 24 December 2023 | Various locations

Image: Supplied 

Pantomime season is almost here…oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is.

Nothing screams Christmas more than heading to the theatre on a cold, crisp evening and watching a brilliant show. Whether you want to risk being pulled on stage by a lavish panto dame or prefer a more civilised evening at the ballet, there’s so many productions happening in and around Leeds this season for you to enjoy.

Find out more here.

Feature Image - Unsplash

Feature

A new female-founded business has opened in Leeds and it’s a trinket-lover’s paradise

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Lisa Angel has just opened inside the Victoria Gate and it’s an Aladdin’s Cave full of jewellery, prints, gifts and everything in between.

The best part? It’s a female-founded brand that has chosen our wonderful city for their first Yorkshire site. We absolutely don't blame them.

Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has gone from strength to strength every since.

The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Shoppers can expect beautifully handcrafted jewellery, unique trinkets and wonderful staff who are open to have a natter.

It's the perfect shop for when you don't exactly know what to buy that someone special, just pop in here and you'll be hit with a wave of inspiration immediately.

We could've genuinely spent a good hour in there and come out with a much lighter wallet.

Lisa herself spoke about the opening: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.

"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Managing Director James Moody said: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.

"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."

Read more: New grassroots music space aiming to make DJing and music more accessible opening in Headingley this month

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Feature

World Book Day: The coolest independent book shops to visit in Leeds

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Today marks 29 years of World Book Day- so why not celebrate with a brand new book from one of Leeds' independent book shops?

A day dedicated to all things literature that's remained at the heart of the UK's Primary School agenda for over a quarter of a century now.

The number of indie book shops is finally increasing across the UK once more, meaning there are more spots than ever to pick up a book or spend your World Book Day token.

It's not just the crease of corners and the smell of mass produced paper that your online book can't quite replicate, it's the recommendations, the exciting new covers and the warm coffee that matches the mood in most book stores. They're welcoming places, full of like-minded people, and they're certainly worth a visit, even if you haven't turned a page in years.

In Leeds, we're fortunate to have our pick of independent bookshops, granted they're hidden between the odd Waterstones and W H Smiths, but we still have plenty to offer.

Here are our favourite places to grab a new book from an independent seller...

Hold Fast Bookshop

Leeds Dock | Open Thursday - Sunday

Images: The Hoot Leeds

HoldFast is a book and plant store that champions independent artists, local authors all onboard an old coal boat called Marjorie R. Owners Chris and Victoria Bonner actually lived on the boat for a good few years before deciding to protect the future of the 76 year old boat by turning it into a business.

This is the perfect place to grab a new read. There’s a real community feel about the place, with talks from local authors and Chris and Victoria welcome anyone in to spend hours pouring over their hand picked selection of new and preloved books.

Colours May Vary

Leeds Corn Exchange

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Located inside the Corn Exchange in a sun-drenched top floor store, Colours May Vary is a celebration of independently published zines, unusual books and wholesome gifts that suit birthdays, parties, get well soons and congrats for all ages.

If you're on the hunt for a magazine that's more art than 'trash' content, this is the place to browse. There's a beautiful selection of limited edition prints, as well as some more popular independent magazines and books to choose from.

Find out more here.

The Little Bookshop

Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton

book.
Image: The Little Book Shop Leeds Kids

Dedicated to children's books, including some rather incredible novels on young activism and social justice, The Little Bookshop is a one-of-a-kind bookshop that's worth the trek over to suburb Chapel Allerton. The quaint little store is full of enough books to allow a child's imagination to run wild and the selection is varied enough to be challenging and bring up different topics of discussion. There's an adults section too, just through the back of the store- so there's something for all ages to find.

On International Women's Day, Wednesday 9 March, the bookshop will be joined by special guest, Kate Pankhurst, a British author and illustrator and the woman behind the phenomenon 'Fantastically Great Women That Changed The World'.

The Bookish Type

Great George Street

Images: The Hoot Leeds

The Bookish Type is an indie queer bookshop with a lot to offer. Run by Nicola Hargrave and Ray Larman, this place champions the voices and stories of the LGBT+ community with its range of memoirs, novels, plays and children's books.

There's also a fantastic selection of zines available covering everything from mental health to the history of the trans communities.

Village

Thorton's Arcade, Lands Lane

Self-published books and zines can be found inside Village, one of Leeds few independent booksellers in the city centre. The bookshop can be found within Thornton's Arcade and is locally known for its extensive copies of art-themed books and curated fashion and design selection.

Special edition hardbacks and paperbacks can be found amongst the gallery space used to showcase up-and-coming talent, and there's a decent selection of good old fashioned novels too.

Find out more here.

Oxfam Books

Otley Road, Headingley | Open from 9.15am

book held up.
Image: The Hoot Leeds

Home of pre-loved books that are still in good condition, Oxfam Books is where books find a new home and all the proceeds go to charity. It's the recycling eco-friendly bookstore that actually has a decent selection of new and old favourites- so yeah, it's not an independent, but it's all for a good cause.

The selection here is far from your average charity shop shelf, there's aisle upon aisle of fiction, including vintage Penguin classics, as well as shelves of University-level textbooks, cookery books and niche topics like politics, history and languages piled high.

Find out more here.

Leeds Little Libraries

Various locations around Leeds

little library box.
Image: The Hoot Leeds

Since 2017, Leeds Little Free Libraries have been popping up all over the city, with a mission to encourage random acts of kindness by leaving books for others to read.

The little libraries can be found using an interactive online map to help guide users to their nearest library, where they can pick up and drop off literature of any kind. The Little Free Library continues to surprise locals with its locations ranging from Bradford and Pudsey to Wakefield, Ossett, as well as covering the majority of villages close to the city centre like Headingley, Chapel Allerton, Armley and there’s even a little lending library down by Leeds Docks too.

The online interactive map will help visitors to find their nearest little library.

Find out more here.

Read more: British Pie Week 2026 – all the best places to find a pie in and around Leeds

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

More Feature

Eats

British Pie Week 2026 – all the best places to find a pie in and around Leeds

Feature

Five of the best new openings to come out of Leeds so far this year

Eats

Inside Kerala Canteen – the world’s first Kerala tapas restaurant in Leeds city centre