Can anything make you feel truly festive quite like a great pantomime?
This year the Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto version of Beauty and the Beast is singing and dancing its way to Leeds to bring festive cheer to all and get us all ready for the best Christmas ever!
After the cancellations last Christmas, we’re expecting everyone to celebrate twice as hard this year (as they should!), and what better way than with a self-confessed “dramatic panto” full of everything you expect from a top-quality festive treat.
Filled with audience participation, silly jokes, and live crowd-pleasing musical numbers, including everything from rock anthems to recent smash hits, there’ll be something for the whole family to enjoy.
The theatre is almost ready for the debut of the rock and roll musical. / Image: City Varieties Music Hall
The talented cast do everything from singing and dancing to playing their own instruments live on stage so the energy will be sky-high and even your Scrooge-iest relative will be on their feet dancing by the very end.
We all know the classic story of Beauty and the Beast, but this Rock ‘n’ Rolled, breath-taking interpretation will be like nothing you’ve seen before.
With flashing lights, explosions, and smoke effects, this production is bound to keep every audience member engrossed and, with some surprises promised, you’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout!
The rock and roll theme has previously featured a spin-off Sleeping Beauty version. / Image: City Varieties Music Hall
This magical production by Peter Rowe is taking over Leeds Varieties from November 26th right through the new year until the 9th of January so there’s plenty of time to grab a ticket and take the whole family down to enjoy some festive fun.
Grab your dancing shoes, a Christmas jumper, and some reindeer antlers and get ready for a Christmas sing-along… and don’t forget to get an ice cream in the interval (a MUST when you go to the theatre.)
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept is on its way.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast is gearing up to bring its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds will combine saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space will feature two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: Supplied
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
To suit different moods and preferences, Kontrast Leeds will include both a social sauna and a silent sauna, giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
Image: Supplied
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
The Leeds site builds on everything the team has learned from Kontrast in Manchester.
Alongside the core sauna, Ice, cafe offering, the new site will include improved facilities, more spacious sauna provision and additional ice baths meaning more room for people to get involved.
Myles Smith announces HUGE arena gig in Leeds this year
Thomas Melia
Singer-songwriter Myles Smith has just announced his biggest headline tour and is set to play a huge arena gig in Leeds this year.
Quit ‘Stargazing’ and get ready to fight for tickets as Myles Smith has just announced he’ll be visiting Leeds later this year for his biggest arena gig to date.
Known for hits like ‘Nice To Meet You’, ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ and ‘Wait For You’, this BRIT School graduate is now heading on the road for some headline shows across the UK.
Recognised for his folk-pop sound, Smith has built quite a name for himself just three or so years into his career, with solo efforts and a few collaborations under his belt.
Myles Smith is heading to First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds, on tour this year / Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Recently, the Luton-born artist collaborated with some well-known names like Shaboozey on their track ‘Blink Twice’ and even features on a new single from former One Direction member Niall Horan titled ‘Drive Safe’.
It was only last year that the ‘Stargazing’ songwriter visited Leeds, bringing his high-energy hits to O2 Academy back in February.
Now, Smith is ready to tackle an arena crowd and has chosen Leeds First Direct Bank Arena and is expected to raise the roof when 13,500 fans flock to the star’s show this winter.
Titled after his upcoming album My Mess, My Life, My Heart, Smith will be playing a variety of well-known and brand new hits when he makes his way up North.
Fans who are signed up to the official artist presale can get exclusive access to tickets from Wednesday, 25 March at 10am, with the window closing on Friday, 27 March at 9am.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets go live by 10 am that same Friday (27 Mar).
Myles Smith is embarking on his ‘My Mess, My Life, My Heart’ tour this winter and visiting First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on Sunday 8 November – tickets and more info HERE.
Sophie Smith -
19th November 2021 
