There's so much excitement surrounding the postponed Euro 2020 tournament, which finally kicks off this weekend on Friday 11 June.
It's been a long time coming, with some people in Leeds waiting over a year to simply sit down, enjoy a pint and watch the footy in their local.
But, now the time has come, we've put together a list of some of the best places in Leeds to catch the action. After all, you haven't waited all this time just to be stuck with a subpar seat.
Here are some of our top picks for watching the Euro's in Leeds this summer.
The Myrtle Tavern
The landlord at this Meanwood pub is putting on a 'VIP festival of football' this summer, screening every Euro 2020 game in luxury. There's a mega 7 x 3 metre screen and 50 VIP benches here, with tickets costing £100. For that, there's 12 bottles of beer and six packets of crisps included and seats will be reserved after the game.
Dry Dock
With plenty of screens inside and plans to expand outside too, with more seating and screens set to appear ready for the Euros this summer, this characterful pub is a great choice if you want to watch the football. Make sure to book in to avoid disappointment, though.
The Beck and Call
Another Meanwood establishment - operated by the folk behind Belgave Music Hall. Family-run, this boozer has BT Sport and Sky Sports on a huge screen in the Tap Room and on other screens dotted around the venue.
Headingley Taps
This popular student pub has confirmed it will be showing all the Euros games this summer, with bookings being advertised online.
The Royal Armories
The Royal Armouries in Leeds Dock will transform into a football festival for theEuros, with each game preceded by a three-course meal, special guest speakers and live entertainment. The Magnificent 7 event will see all the action beamed onto huge indoor screens alongside match analysis.
Toast
With some tasty beers and grub on offer alongside the football this summer, Toast is a good choice if you're looking for somewhere to spend a few hours before watching the game.
Walkabout
A good stop-off for sports fans in general, this summer Walkabout is going all-out for the Euros with a host of big screens showing all the matches. There'll likely be some special offers closer to the time too.
BOX recently opened a new site in Chapel Allerton / Image: BOX
The Box
A great place to watch the footy, both venues in Chapel Allerton and Headingley will be screening all the Euro action this summer.
Skyrack
This Headingley pub is now taking bookings for those who want to watch the footy. Inside this student favourite you'll find a whopping 12 screens for catching the action, outside a delightful sun terrace.
O'Neills
O'Neills has confirmed it will be showing every Euro game this summer, so if you're stuck for somewhere to watch, you know where to go.
The Brotherhood
Another popular choice for sports fans, all the football matches will be screened here for Euro 2020.
Original Oak
This large pub in Headingley has a big screen in the beer garden and smaller ones dotted around inside too. Arguably the finest sports pub on Otley road, what sets it apart is its lovely beer garden complete with a huge screen.
Brooklyn
This lively Call Lane drinking den will be showing all the Euros matches throughout the summer. With big screens inside, fat burgers and tasty cocktails and you can’t really go wrong here.
Cuckoo
Known for its boozy bottomless brunches, crazy cocktails and free stonebaked pizzas (before 9pm), Cuckoo might not be the first place you’d think of to go watch the footie but we can confirm they’ll be showing all the matches here.
Call Lane Social
This family-run favourite is going to be screening all of the Euros matches. Even better, there’s no need to book - just walk straight in.
Verve
For cold beers and top tequila cocktails, Verve is always a shout. Football fans will want to pull up too, because management have now confirmed they will be showing all the matches for the Euros here.
Mean Eyed Cat Bar
This Merrion Street tiki bar pulls no punches on its cocktails, serving up a mix of signatures and twisted classics alongside tasty pizzas with a variety of toppings. Now taking bookings and walk-ins, you probably want to reserve a table here to make sure you get a good view of the footy action.
Leeds
Kesha pulls out of Roundhay Festival as all-new Pitbull line-up revealed
American pop singer Kesha has dropped out of the Pitbull-fronted Roundhay Festival line-up, with a major shake-up announced today.
The second instalment of artists for Pitbull's headline Roundhay Festival show has been announced and it's missing highly-anticipated and originally-announced artist Kesha.
Festival organisers have said that the star will no longer be able to perform due to 'unforeseen scheduling conflicts'.
The American singer's musical adventure has taken a 'Joyride' since becoming independent in September 2024 and releasing her sixth studio album "." or Period almost a year ago.
Now, Kesha's title as 'Special Guest' has now been handed over to three very impressive artists who also shared a role in soundtracking some of the 2010s biggest hits.
Kesha was originally listed as a 'Special Guest' for Pitbull's Roundhay Festival gig in Leeds this July / Credit: Brendan Walters / Press Shots
One of these new artists is Jason Derulo, who is ready to treat the crowd to his array of chart-topping melodies like: 'Whatcha Say', 'Talk Dirty to Me', 'Trumpets'.
Another act who knows a thing or two about travelling the globe like Mr. Worldwide is 'Miami 2 Ibiza' hitmaker Tinie Tempah - things are definitely about to get 'Frisky'.
The final artist joining this already impressive list of names is Lil Jon who's bringing his high energy tracks to Roundhay Park such as 'Turn Down For What', 'Shots' and 'Get Low'.
Jason Derulo is just one of the artists making up the all-new Pitbull Roundhay Festival line-up / Credit: Wikimedia Commons (via Supplied)
Kesha's departure from this Leeds gig comes as a complete shock as the star is still set to play a whole host of UK festival dates including a BST Hyde Park show in London on 10 July.
In a statement shared via social media, Roundhay Festival has stated the reason for this very big change to the line-up:
"Due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts, Kesha will no longer be joining us this July. We hope to welcome her to Roundhay Park in the future."
Although fans who have already bought tickets to the show might still be 'Praying' for Kesha's return to the Roundhay Festival bill, it's safe to say these artists are a great addition.
Pitbull is coming to Roundhay Park in Leeds on Friday 3 July 2026 and so far he's bringing along Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon with more acts to follow - Tickets HERE.
A Leeds icon has been reborn as The Smithfield opens in former The Reliance site
Daisy Jackson
The Smithfield is finally here - and we're pleased to report that it's every bit as special as you were hoping.
This newcomer to Leeds has taken over the site that was home to The Reliance for more than two decades.
The team's transformation of the site started with a paint job - probably the most-talked-about paint job in the city - taking the site's exterior back to its memorable dark red.
That move immediately won over fans of The Reliance, with one person writing: "Seems the team here held the Relly in high regard and rightly so! Hopefully they can recapture some of its magic."
But the efforts to recapture the essence of the iconic old venue go way beyond that.
The Smithfield, a collaboration between Crooked Brewing and Chef James Donovan, is setting out to mix up relaxed hospitality with simple dining.
It's all about connection - to seasonal food, to the heritage of the building, and to the community that will make connections here.
Co-founder Steve Dawson outside The SmithfieldThe Reliance has been reborn as The SmithfieldWayward WinesThe dining room
If you're wondering what sort of things will be on the table, allow us to enlighten you.
There are sharing plates like grilled leeks on romesco, pigs head croquettes (a must-order), and whipped cods roe with radishes, all served on charming mismatched plates.
The bigger dishes include a comically massive pie for sharing, packed with chicken, leek, and tarragon. It's a mighty thing, especially paired with their crispy-edged chips.
You can also order a whole wild Cornish seabass for a real feast, or a fantastic beef sirloin with wild garlic butter.
There's a fantastic selection of natural wines from Wayward Wines, as well as (unsurprisingly) great beers.
Steak, pie, and charred leeksA spread of the plates at The SmithfieldSticky toffee puddingThe Smithfield has taken over the old The ReliancePigs head croquettes with gribicheThe chicken and tarragon sharing pieA sharing pie and chips at The SmithfieldBeef sirloin with wild garlic butter, and purple sprouting broccoli with ricotta and mintWild Cornish seabass with kohlrabi, fennel, and chervil - plus an orange wine from Wayward WinesThe Smithfield is now open
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, and his business partner chef James Donovan, were drawn to the old The Reliance site and are seizing the opportunity to contribute to the area's dining legacy.
While Steve's focus is on creating a social meeting point, James will focus on the casual, social dining, taking inspiration from the building's reputation as a cutting-edge gastro pub.
They'll be sourcing seasonally and locally, with menus that will change with the seasons.
The space itself inside is still familiar - those huge windows are the stars of the show, with the bar still standing centrally, while the dining room at the back is stripped-back and simple overlooking the open kitchen.
It's very early days for The Smithfield - they're just out of their soft launch period and gearing up for their first 'proper' weekend.
On their soft launch period, they wrote: "We were so grateful to welcome friends, neighbours, and the Leeds hospitality community to The Smithfield. Seeing the bar and dining room full after weeks of cleaning, painting, and graft has truly made it all worth it.
"A huge thank you to everyone who came along, showed their support, and has made this journey possible. Not least the Kitchen and bar teams, whose incredible service has kept the plates coming and the drinks flowing."
We feel pretty confident in saying Leeds will be very proud to have The Smithfield in our city.
Georgina Pellant -
7th June 2021 
