If ‘Red Light Spells Danger’ then Billy Ocean live in Leeds spells a quality night of music as far as we’re concerned.
It’s time to go ‘Calypso Crazy’ as legend and all-round hitmaker Billy Ocean is making his way to first direct arena Leeds to celebrate his latest tour ‘The Very Best of Billy Ocean’.
Whether you’re there to party the night away with Ocean and his stacked roster of hits or are hoping ‘There’ll Be Sad Songs’, you’re definitely in for a treat.
Amassing 12 UK top 40 hits and six top ten albums, Ocean has certified his place in the music industry and built himself a very impressive legacy.
Eva Rinaldi via Wikimedia Commons
Now he’s ready to spread even more ‘Everlasting Love’ as he embarks on his latest UK tour across music venues up and down the country.
Billy Ocean UK tour dates
Wed 11 June - Bristol, UK - Bristol Beacon
Fri 13 June - Brighton, UK - Brighton Centre
Sat 14 June - Blackpool, UK - Blackpool Opera House
21 June - Leeds, UK - first direct arena
23 June - Liverpool, UK - Liverpool Empire Theatre
25 June - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall
27 June - Wolverhampton, UK - University of Wolverhampton Civic Hall
28 June - Cardiff, UK - Utilita Arena
30 June - Nottingham, UK - Royal Concert Hall
2 July - Stockton, UK - Stockton Globe
4 July - Oxford, UK - New Theatre
5 July - Birmingham, UK - bp Pulse Live
Billy Ocean tickets for first direct arena gig
If you’re after a chance of catching the ‘Loverboy’ in the flesh, you’re in luck, there’s a good selection of tickets still for you to get your hands on HERE.
Billy Ocean setlist
One World
Love Really Hurts Without You
Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)
Stay the Night
Red Light Spells Danger
Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
The Colour of Love
No Woman, No Cry
Mystery
Suddenly
Loverboy
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going
Daylight
Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)
What are the stage times for Billy Ocean in Leeds?
Image: Eva Rinaldi via Wikimedia Commons
First direct arena has a curfew of 10.30pm meaning concertgoers can be safe knowing they’ve heard a lifetime of hits without having to ‘Suddenly’ disappear before the clock strikes twelve.
Doors for ‘The Very Best of Billy Ocean’ are scheduled for 6pm with a kick off time of 7pm with support from German talent Ada Morghe who’s dropping an album of her own on 13 June titled ‘Pure Good Vibes’, how lovely.
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.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Thomas Melia -
16th June 2025 
