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Kirkstall Brewery has taken over The Tetley building
“It really is the crown jewel of brewing history in Leeds, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to make it a landmark of Yorkshire beer culture once again.”
Kirkstall Brewery has announced that it is taking on the lease of The Tetley building.
The plan is to make it a hub for great beer from Leeds and renew its status as a “landmark of Yorkshire beer culture”.
‘The Tetley’ building itself is the former brewing headquarters of Tetley’s Brewery, and having spent the last decade as an arts and gallery space (until the end of 2023), it is now planned to return to its beer heritage roots.
Kirkstall Brewery will operate onsite from May onwards, showcasing local beers, including, but not exclusively, the brand's own beers, including Leeds Brewery and owner Steve Holt’s most recent acquisition, North (formerly known as North Brewing Co).
Image: Supplied
The news comes just days after the team behind The Tetley, the announced that they have still not been able to find a new permanent home since leaving The Tetley building in 2023 as it finished its 10-year lease.
“It’s a tremendous privilege to bring Leeds’s most iconic brewery building into the Kirkstall fold,” said Steve Holt, Kirkstall Brewery’s owner and founder. “As a brewery that pays a great deal of respect to the history of brewing in the city, we believe we are the ideal custodians for the next chapter of this legendary building.”
Michael Cronin, Head of Portfolio at Vastint UK, the developer behind Aire Park and owners of The Tetley building, said: “Last year we outlined our ambitions to safeguard this iconic building for the next 100 years and have now submitted our plans to the council. Since we became custodians of the building, it was always our intention to keep it open until the restoration work got underway to bring this fantastic building up to 21st century standards.
"So, we’re thrilled to be welcoming Kirkstall Brewery to Aire Park and to be bringing one of the current generations of Leeds and Yorkshire breweries to a site which has played such a pivotal role in the history of beer making in the region.
“The Tetley will form the centre piece of Aire Park, alongside the eight-acre public park and this collaboration will hopefully give the people of Leeds a small taster of what’s to come in the very near future.”
Holt added: “It really is the crown jewel of brewing history in Leeds, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to make it a landmark of Yorkshire beer culture once again.”
The Tetley is expected to reopen under Kirkstall’s management in May.
About The Tetley
The brewery was founded by Joshua Tetley in 1822, when he bought the site for a mere £400. A few years later in 1839 he made his son, Francis William a partner, creating Joshua Tetley and Son.
Construction of the new brewery began in 1852 and by 1860, Tetley was the largest brewery in the North of England. By 1875, annual beer production had reached a whopping 171,500 barrels.
Built in the Art Deco style in 1931. In the 1980s, Tetley’s Brewery became the largest producer of cask ale in the world, and the site has remained an icon of Leeds beer history, even after its closure in 2011.
The space was used as contemporary art gallery from 2013 until 2023, called The Tetley, when its lease ended.
If you're in need of a holiday, there's no better time to book than now with easyJet's 'Big Orange Sale' returning to the UK.
Not only can you get affordable trips from the likes of Leeds Bradford and Doncaster Sheffield, specifically, but there are discounts across the board by the operator.
The Big Orange Sale is becoming an increasingly popular annual occurrence for Brits, with countless holidaymakers, rather fittingly, making the most of the offer.
In fact, you might have already seen the advert yourselves:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgGG1AciY3I
Just as the ad explains, those travelling via easyJet can get up to 20% discount on flights to a load of different destinations across the globe.
Yes, the company are knocking up to a fifth off the price on flights over the course of nearly 10 months' worth of travel from the UK, provided the trip is booked within the right window.
Seeing savings on more than 730,000 seats, the time frame itself is also one of the longest cut-price periods you'll come across this year, not to mention well into 2027.
Better still, it doesn't just stop at flying itself...
Get this, the flight operators and travel agents are offering up to £400 off on package holidays, meaning those old faithful all-inclusives are about to become even more bang for your buck.
Featuring not only countless mainland European favourites on the list, but also the likes of the Canary Islands, Morocco, and numerous popular skiing hotspots, just to name a few.
As reported by our friends over at The Manc, there are loads of cheap seats from the likes of Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Leeds-Bradford and more as part of this year's sale.
Allowing you to book trips departing between 1 May 2026 and 14 March 2027, it's a huge travel window for you to get extra value-for-money deals on your next getaway.
You can find the full list of flights and package holidays on easyJet's Big Orange Sale right HERE.
Alex Warren at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Singer-songwriter and social media star Alex Warren is visiting First Direct Arena, Leeds, for two nights of out of the 'Ordinary' live music.
One of the founding members of the TikTok group, Hype House, which also included fellow pop performer Addison Rae, Warren has gone on to receive global recognition for his contributions to music.
Born in California, it's no surprise his music has managed to catapult into the mainstream as he's been mastering content creation since he was 10 on YouTube.
His music journey began back in 2021, when he released music as an independent artist in 2021 before signing a record deal one year later, dropping the chart-topping 'Ordinary' in 2025.
Now, Alex Warren prepares for his biggest UK tour to date, and he's playing two shows right here in Leeds at the 13,500 seater First Direct Arena in April and May.
Gig guide | Alex Warren at First Direct Arena, Leeds - all the info
Alex Warren is visiting Leeds at First Direct Arena on 29 April / Credit: Press Shots (supplied)
Alex Warren UK tour dates
Fri 24 April - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
Sun 26 April - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
Mon 27 April - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
Wed 29 April - Leeds, UK - First Direct Arena
Thu 30 April - Nottingham, UK - Motorpoint Arena
Sat 2 May - Belfast, UK - SSE Arena
Mon 4 May - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
Wed 6 May - Dublin, IE - 3Arena
Thu 7 May - Dublin, IE - 3Arena
Are there tickets left for Alex Warren at First Direct Arena?
If you're looking for somebody to 'Save You a Seat', look no further as you can get tickets to Alex Warren's 29 April at First Direct Arena in Leeds HERE.
Stage times for Alex Warren at First Direct Arena, Leeds
Warren has built a cult following thanks to chart-topping hits like 'Ordinary'/ Credit: Press Shots (supplied)
First Direct Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home without having to start ‘Chasing Shadows’.
Supporting Alex Warren on the night will be Claire Rosinkranz, a singer-songwriter from California with tracks like 'Frankenstein' and 'Backyard Boy'.
How to get to first direct arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approximately a 15min walk from the arena, it's also 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 its own car park; however, there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct, click HERE.
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street, click HERE.
None of the above car parks is operated by the arena, so for questions, queries or comments, we'd recommend contacting 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 them, and then 16p per minute to use. 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. 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 -
15th March 2024 
