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.
"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
Leeds’ most famous pub has announced the return of its annual FREE Beer Festival this summer
Whitelock’s Ale House has announced the return of its annual Beer Festival - hoorah!
There’s nothing quite like a nice fresh pint, and we all know Whitelock’s Ale House know how to pour a good one.
So it's with great glee that we can fill you in on their upcoming Beer Festival which will be returning to the iconic festival from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 June 2026.
The four-day festival will celebrate the best of independent brewing in Leeds, with beers sourced exclusively from local breweries.
Featured breweries will include Northern Monk, Kirkstall Brewery, Anthology, Amity Brew Co. and more.
Known as the oldest pub in Leeds, Whitelock’s Ale House has long championed independent beers and local brewing culture.
Image: Supplied
This year’s festival aims to spotlight the strength and diversity of the city’s brewing scene, with the tagline 'Beer tastes better up north!'
Beer will be pouring throughout the weekend across Whitelock's Ale House and The Turk's Head, with further brewery announcements and festival details set to be shared in the coming weeks via their Instagram.
The best part? Entry to the festival is completely free.
Talking about this year’s festival, General Manager Beth said: “Beer has always been at the heart of Whitelock’s, so this felt like the right year to celebrate both the breweries on our doorstep and the city we’ve called home for more than 300 years.
"Leeds has a brilliantly strong independent beer scene right now, and we’re looking forward to showcasing some of the best breweries the city has to offer across the weekend.”
You can find out more about Whitelock's Ale House and their fabulous Beer Festival here via their website. Cheers to that!
Inside Leeds’ very first sauna and ice bath cafe hidden behind a railway arch
Clementine Hall
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept has landed in the city centre.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast has brought its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds combines saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space features two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The space is absolutely gorgeous, complete with trendy tin ceilings, fairy lights and soft furnishings.
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.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The same goes for the saunas, with one silent and one 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.
There's a fab little cafe too offering all sorts from electrolyte slushes to ginger shots and a range of coffees and matcha.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
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.
Officially opening their doors this Friday 29 May, Kontrast are offering free sessions over the weekend so you can try before you buy. Book your spot here.
Emily Sergeant -
19th August 2021 
