Art & Culture

An award-winning Star Wars burlesque show is coming to Leeds

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Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd January 2026

In a galaxy not so far away, a smash-hit Star Wars parody and burlesque show is coming to Leeds city centre in the New Year.

That’s right, the award-winning ‘Empire Strips Back’ is coming to town in 2026.

You may have heard of the funny Star Wars stripper show or even seen clips of it online, but rumour has it that nothing can quite prepare you for the cheekiness of seeing this romp in the flesh.

In case you’ve been completely immersed in the dark side until now, here’s what you can expect:

Now well over a decade into its success and more than 200 Las Vegas shows, ‘The Empire Strips Back’ made its long-awaited transatlantic debut earlier this year.

Getting away at London’s Riverside Studios from May and enjoying a run until this past August, the comedy-driven twist on the classic Star Wars stories and beloved sci-fi characters was an instant hit with us Brits.

It started in Australia way back in 2011 and has gone not only to tour across Europe, but land a coveted residency at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Nevada.

Rather fittingly, they recently won Gold and Bronze at Las Vegas’ annual awards for the Best New Act/Show and Female Revue (a multi-act theatrical performance involving music, dance and/or sketches) on the strip.

See what we did there?…

Now set to seek out new padawans and storm-strippers all over the cosmos, and by that we mean the UK, ‘The Empire Strips Back: Burlesque Parody’ is coming to Manchester.

Set to land at TESTBED in February from from Thursday 12 to Sunday 22 specifically, we cannot wait to see how this goes down with Northern crowds.

It’s also worth noting that this two-hour show, including intermission, is a strictly 18+ only event; if you’re interested, you can find out more info and grab your tickets right HERE.

Read more: Iconic Leeds steakhouse announces new gastrobar concept to mark 18th anniversary

    Featured Images — Press shots (via Empire Strips Back gallery)

    Art & Culture

    Here’s everything you need to know about Light Night Leeds 2026

    Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

    The time has come, Light Night Leeds is about to transform the city into a dazzling array of illuminated artworks.

    And this year, for the first time in its history, the beloved, free light trail will take place during half term, making it more accessible than ever to families across West Yorkshire.

    The streets will be filled with projections, immersive artworks, and light installations across two nights - Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October 2026.

    Images: The Hoot Leeds

    Happily, that also means it will fall a week after the clocks have gone back, which means the full programme can benefit from the darker evenings and begin from 6pm.

    So, if you're heading to Light Night - here's everything you need to know.

    Theme

    The theme for this year's Light Night will be centred around tales of the city's past and future.

    With the theme 'A City Speaks…', this year's trail will form part of Leeds 400, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its first Royal Charter by King Charles I.

    Contemporary art installations like performances and projections across city landmarks will explore the stories, people and places that have shaped Leeds over the past four centuries.

    Familiar streets and buildings will be totally transformed for two very special evenings, with more than 40 artworks to discover.

    Areas

    The stunning light installations will span across eight zones around the city.

    These locations are:

    • Millennium Square
    • Briggate
    • Leeds train station
    • SOYO near Quarry Hill
    • Wellington Place
    • South Bank (Aire Park)
    • University of Leeds
    • Stourton park-and-ride sites
    Images: The Hoot Leeds

    Highlights

    There's plenty to see at Light Night... and we mean plenty.

    So we've handpicked five instillations that you don't want to miss.

    Far, Far Away

    Briggate

    'Follow a trail of light along Briggate and step into an enchanting fairy-tale adventure inspired by the British Library’s collections. Classic stories by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen meet ideas imagined by Leeds schoolchildren, brought vividly to life at an extraordinary scale.'

    Call My Name, Call Me Home

    Queen's Hotel, Station Zone

    'A figure arrives by train to begin a new life in Leeds. Over six minutes, the façade of The Queens Hotel transforms as five decades of memories unfold across roads, streets, bars, hospitals and homes. Buildings appear and disappear, mapping one person’s journey onto the changing landscape of the city'

    Butterflies

    The Tetley, Aire park

    'Look out for four enormous butterflies roaming freely through Aire Park. Lit from within by glowing LEDs, these spectacular puppets float, turn and dance among the crowds to their own musical soundtrack.'

    Leeds Bridge 1880/2026

    The Light, The Headrow

    'See Leeds Bridge shift between past and present in Emily Allchurch’s contemporary response to a painting by Atkinson Grimshaw. His atmospheric 1880 view of the Victorian cast iron crossing, held by Leeds Art Gallery, slowly dissolves into a digital photographic collage of the same scene today.'

    Foster 4 Leeds Neons

    Cookridge Street

    'Look up to discover children’s drawings glowing above Cookridge Street. Each neon artwork began as an image created by a child in care, capturing something they enjoy doing with their foster carer.'

    Travel

    To help you get there and back safely, there will be park-and-ride facilities at Elland Road and Stourton to accommodate visitors to and from the event, with buses running until later than normal every 15 minutes from both to the city centre at peak times.

    There will also be additional buses running throughout the event from these locations with the last bus to Elland Road leaving Trinity P (Boar Lane) at 23:16 GMT and the last bus to Stourton leaving Trinity K (Lower Briggate) at 23:36.

    Do I need a ticket?

    Nope! Entrance and all the instillations are completely free.

    Though the council have warned visitors that there may be some queues for the busier attractions.

    You can find out more about Light Night and read about all the instillations here.

    Read more: One of the UK’s cult-favourite burger chains is coming to Leeds city centre

    Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

    Art & Culture

    Inside the historic Leeds mill transformed into a thriving hub for creatives

    Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

    Nestled in Armley, Assembly House is an independent creative hub bringing artists together.

    Assembly House, based on Canal Road in Armley inside a historic Victorian mill, has become a home for creatives across Leeds since launching in 2013.

    The artist-led organisation combines working studios with an independent gallery and project space, hosting everything from exhibitions and workshops to community events and live music.

    The space is currently home to 80 creatives who make up their community, comprising of professional practitioners including educators, performers, painters, sculptors, illustrators, video artists and designers.

    Images: The Hoot Leeds

    Their aim is simple - to offer affordable studios to emerging artists alongside technical support, producing support along with access to workshops, internal film screenings and events.

    Assembly House offer a yearly program of exhibitions designed to showcase the studio holders and get their work out there. It's all aimed at helping the artists, whether it's their first show or tenth.  

    It has also helped bring art into the wider neighbourhood through community murals, public sculptures and activities for local people.

    Images: The Hoot Leeds

    They believe art has the power to bring people together and to evoke emotion and thought, and we've got to say that we absolutely agree.

    The space can also be hired by students and independent creatives looking to put on their own exhibitions or bring a project to life.

    The fabulous venue is generally open to visitors during exhibitions, workshops and events, with visits by appointment at other times, so it's worth checking its website before heading over.

    To have a look at their current programme and to find out more about what Assembly House are doing for Leeds and the community, you can take a look at their website here.

    Read more:

    Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

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