Merrion Street Festival is returning to Leeds city centre "bigger than ever" before this Bank Holiday weekend.
Merrion Street will be throwing the street party to end all street parties this Sunday 29 August, with eight operators on the street having joined forces with neighbours the Grand Arcade to host the first Bank Holiday celebration since lockdown restrictions were lifted in the city.
Expect eclectic music from local DJs, top class entertainment, and incredible food and drinks in one of the city’s largest outdoor drinking areas.
Visitors can tuck into food and incredible cocktails from Manahatta and Liv Bar, get their chicken fix from Yard&Coop, dance to incredible music at the award-winning MOJO, spice things up with authentic street food from Zaap Thai, sling some bourbon and beer at Mean Eyed Cat, slam tequilas at Verve, and also compete with mates in ball games at Roxy Ball Room.
The outdoor seating area on the street will be opened up to provide the biggest street party vibe in the city, and bring Leeds to life and its people together for the first time in two years to a soundtrack provided the best in local DJ talent.
Merrion Street will be throwing the street party to end all street parties / Credit: Yard & Coop | Flickr
As the party spills over into the Grand Arcade, visitors can hang out and listen to open mic at Santiago Rock Bar, sip on a wide selection of gins at the illustrious Tailors Speakeasy, watch traditional Latino dancing at Casa Columbiana, listen to live jazz at the hidden gem that is the Domino Club, and grab a bite to eat washed down with a tasty tipple at Leeds’ first wellbeing bar, Better Days. Â
"We’re all looking forward to this event and have each put our hearts and souls into making it truly special for our much-loved guests," said Martin Greenhow, Managing Director of MOJO.
"It’s about time everyone had a bit of summer fun and this will be the ideal way to celebrate the incredible social scene our great city has to offer [as] the pandemic has really taught us that we’re better together, so we want to show the people of Leeds the best time so they can forget about the last year and look to the future.
"It’s going to be incredible."
It's the first Bank Holiday celebration since lockdown restrictions were lifted in the city / Credit: Contakt Photography
Merrion Street Festival is back after staff and customers came together in summer 2020 for a weekend of live music, food and drink after a long hospitality hiatus, and it was such a success that the operators wanted to get more people involved and make this August Bank Holiday the biggest party the street has ever seen.
There will be something for everyone all throughout the day.
Merrion Street Festival will open to the public from midday on Sunday 29 August, and the festivities will run until late.
Featured Image - Contakt Photography
Leeds
Kevin Sinfield will return to Leeds for his final 7 in 7 challenge in honour of Rob Burrow
Leeds legend Kevin Sinfield is set to take on his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain will begin 7 in 7: The Grand Finale next Sunday 27 September.
Wondering what on earth that is? Allow us to fill you in.
Sinfield will be running an ultra-marathon every day for seven days, and this time it's across the north of England including a special stop off right here in Leeds.
Not only that, but the challenge will bring Sinfield back to some of the places that have played a huge part in his rugby league career.
The route will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds, starting at Hull KR before travelling through Yorkshire and eventually crossing the Pennines towards Manchester where Sinfield is from.
Here in Leeds, we can expect Sinfield to arrive at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 30 September at 11:14am, before leaving towards Pudsey Civic Hall at 11:40am.
The challenge will then finish at Old Trafford on Saturday 3 October, where Sinfield will arrive ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Since the first annual challenge back in 2020, Kevin Sinfield and his team have raised over £11 million for the MND community with six charities set to benefit once again from this years fundraising.
It's an amazing challenge for an amazing cause, and you can donate and find out more about the challenge here.
Good luck Kevin and the team, we know you'll smash it.
Fences at Leeds Playhouse – walls, wounds and what we leave behind | ReviewÂ
Declan Kelly
Leeds Playhouse delivers a powerful story about the walls we build.
August Wilson’s Fences is a powerful and deeply personal family drama, exploring race, fatherhood, ambition and the emotional scars that can be passed from one generation to the next.
At Leeds Playhouse, the strength of the production lies largely with its cast. Ray Fearon gives Troy Maxson a commanding presence, balancing humour and charm with a growing sense of anger and resentment. It is an uncomfortable performance at times, but one that keeps you invested in Troy even when his actions become increasingly difficult to accept.
Madeline Appiah brings real warmth and emotional depth to Rose, while Josh Tedeku captures Cory’s frustration as a young man determined to make his own way rather than inherit his father’s limitations.
Image: Supplied
For me, though, Act 2 is where the production really comes alive.
The first half feels comparatively restrained. That isn't necessarily a criticism of the performances or Wilson's writing, but having experienced previous Headlong productions, I went in expecting a little more theatrical imagination from the staging. There were moments where I felt the production could have pushed the material further visually.
Act 2 begins to deliver that.
The rotating set adds movement and energy, while the bright LED lighting works particularly well with the live music, creating a more heightened atmosphere as the family's tensions reach breaking point. The production suddenly feels more visually ambitious, and the design starts to work hand-in-hand with the emotional journey of the characters.
Images: Supplied
The fence itself is an effective recurring image, initially a practical task, but gradually becoming a representation of Troy's need for control, protection and separation. The more the story unfolds, the more the fence feels like a barrier between Troy and the people he loves.
There is a lot to admire here, particularly in the performances, and Wilson's writing remains as relevant and affecting as ever. However, I couldn't help feeling that some of the theatrical ambition found in Act 2 could have been introduced earlier.
Ultimately, Fences is a moving and thought-provoking evening, with a particularly strong second half. For me, it was Act 2 that turned a solid production into a genuinely memorable one.
Running until 23 September at Leeds Playhouse, get your tickets here.
Emily Sergeant -
19th August 2021 
