All the biggest gigs to look forward to in Leeds, Sheffield, Halifax, Scarborough and more....
It's that time of the year where we all start to review the year ahead and book in some adventures - and lucky for us in Yorkshire, we won't have to travel far.
The four ridings has plenty of homegrown talent on tour this year, as well as space for some of the world's biggest names - and that's all just in the first half of the year.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the biggest gigs of 2024...
The Sheffield alternative-rock band recently parted ways with keyboardist Jordan Fish, but still plan to tour from next month, with a special homecoming gig planned in Sheffield.
Tickets: £56.70 each, join the waitlist via See Tickets here
Strictly Come Dancing
23 January - 2 February 2024 | Utilita Arena, Sheffield / First Direct Arena, Leeds
Image: Strictly Come Dancing
Get your paddles at the ready because Strictly Come Dancing is coming to Yorkshire, stopping in Leeds and Sheffield for four shows across three nights.
When: Tuesday 23 January 2024 in Sheffield, 1 - 2 February 2024 in Leeds
Where: Utilita Arena Sheffield, 45 Broughton Lane, Sheffield S9 2DF / First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: From £53.50 and available via the Strictly Come Dancing Tour website here
Wednesday 7 February 2024 | Utilita Arena, Sheffield
Image: MOBO Awards
The UK’s biggest celebration of black music and culture will kick off the 2024 awards season in God’s Own County this year. When: Wednesday 7 February 2024
Pete Doherty and Co. will be performing to just 400 people at The Wardrobe's intimate gig this February as part of the venue's 25 year anniversary shows.
When: Thursday 15 February 2024
Where: The Wardrobe, 6 St Peter's Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
Sunday 11 February 2023 | First Direct Arena, Leeds
Image: Noah Kahan via Facebook
It might not quite be the Season Of The Sticks when Noah Kahan comes back to Leeds, but the breakthrough artist has gone from selling out the SU and heading for a pint at Dry Dock to booking an already sold-out show at the Arena just months on.
When: Sunday 11 February 2023
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: Either £39.81 and £48.25, join the waitlist via See Tickets here
The Never Gonna Give You Up singer has not one, not two, but three shows planned across Yorkshire for 2024, including a stop here in Leeds' own First Direct Arena.
When: Saturday 24 February 2024 in Leeds; 5 July in Scarborough and 7 July in Halifax
Where: First Direct Arena, Scarborough Open Air Theatre and The Piece Hall, Halifax
Tickets: Last few seats at the First Direct are available for £38.80 via See Tickets here
Find out more here.
Ne-Yo
8 March 2024 | First Direct Arena, Leeds
Image: Spotify
The Closer singer is going back on tour this year with Champagne & Roses with special guest Mario along for the ride too
When: 8 March 2024
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: Last few seats are available via See Tickets for £64.55 here
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: From £42.30 - £527 if you want a VIP experience, including the chance to make a TikTok with Jason Derulo himself. All available via See Tickets here
Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen are heading back on tour for another year - and as with all Take That gigs, there's a lot of hype around the six-day leg in Yorkshire.
When: 13 - 14 April in Sheffield, then 17 -20 April 2024 in Leeds
Where: Utilita Arena Sheffield, 45 Broughton Lane, Sheffield S9 2DF / First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: From £69.05 for seats - £241.95 for VIP package, all available via See Tickets here
Find out more here.
Elbow
12 May 2024 | First Direct Arena, Leeds
Image: Ticketmaster
The 25-year-strong rock band have dates across the UK booked for 2024 and Leeds is lucky enough to be slap bang in the middle of it. The Waeve, featuring Blur's Graham Coxon, Rose Elinor Dougall, will be special guests.
When: Sunday 12 May 2024
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: From £49.50 for seats and £55 standing, all available via See Tickets here.
The Kooks, Declan McKenna, The Cribs, Future Islands, Slow Readers Club, the list goes on! Leeds' huge indie day festival kicks off the May bank holiday weekend with some much-loved favourites.
The UK’s biggest independent rock music festival returns to Temple Newsam for another year, and has already announced names like You Me At Six, The All American Rejects, BoysLikeGirls, We The Kings, State Champs and more.
Tickets: All dates across the entire tour sold out within minutes - sorry!
Find out more here.
Girls Aloud
28 May / 15-16 June 2024 | Utilita Arena Sheffield / First Direct Arena Leeds
Image: Supplied
Could this be the biggest reunion of 2024? Entitled ‘The Girls Aloud Show’, the band have confirmed the tour will not feature any new music, but will instead “be a celebration of Girls Aloud’s rich back catalogue and all the ground-breaking success they have achieved as a band.”
When: 28 May 2024 in Sheffield and 15 - 16 May 2024 in Leeds
Where: Utilita Arena Sheffield, 45 Broughton Lane, Sheffield S9 2DF / First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY
Tickets: There's still a handful available via Ticketmaster here
Sir Tom Jones has got quite the summer planned. There's stops across the UK at some of the fanciest open air venues about - including The Piece Hall and Scarborough Open Air Theatre.
When: Wednesday 26 June and Friday 12 July 2024
Where: Scarborough Open Air Theatre and The Piece Hall, Halifax
Tickets: Available via Ticketmaster here with hotel packages available
Former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson is heading out on a UK tour, visiting First Direct Arena for his biggest Leeds solo show to date.
Ten years since launching his solo career with debut single 'Just Hold On', Tomlinson is hitting the road again for his tour, which shares its title with the name of his latest LP - How Did I Get Here?
Tomlinson's last visit to Leeds saw him play an intimate show at The Wardrobe back in 2020 and is set to perform to 13,500 - he has definitely made sure to 'Jump the Gun' in terms of crowd size.
Now, the Doncaster-born musician is visiting one of Leeds biggest indoor live music venues First Direct Arena and it's sure to be a jam-packed night of live music.
Gig guide | Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Arena, Leeds - all you need to know
Are there tickets left for Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Arena?
Louis Tomlinson is bringing the How Did I Get Here? tour to Leeds on 28 April / Credit: Flickr via Javie Rosh / Wikimedia Commons via Kurt Kulac (Supplied)
Well if you've made it this far through, it's safe to say the fact you're after Louis Tomlinson tickets is 'Written All Over Your Face'.
If you're wanting to 'Face The Music' or 'Jump the Gun' you can do so as there's tickets to his Leeds show at First Direct Arena HERE.
Standing tickets are still available priced at £55.85, while seated tickets remaining are priced between £55.85 and £83.35 each.
Louis Tomlinson setlist for 2026 tour
The How Did I Get Here? Tour officially kicked off in Europe and it prioritises songs from his latest LP.
Here is the set list:
Lemonade
On Fire
Written All Over Your Face
Out Of My System
Bigger Than Me
Saturdays
Angels Fly
Dark to Light
Broken Bones
Defenceless
Just Hold On
Lazy
Sunflowers
Lucid
Jump the Gun
Imposter
Sanity
Kill My Mind
Face the Music
Silver Tounges
The Observer
The Answer
Miss You
Palaces
Wristbands and queue system
To manage crowds and ensure a 'fair and comfortable' experience for fans, a randomly allocated wristband system will be in place for standing ticket holders.
This is how it works:
Arrive at the arena between 11am and 2pm on the day of the show, Tuesday 28 April 2026.
Wristbands will be given out in batches at random to standing ticket holders, while availability lasts
Once you have your wristband, you will be asked to leave the area surrounding the venue and return between 4.30pm and 5.30pm
Upon your return to the arena, you will be asked to join a dedicated queue related to the number or colour on your wristband as guided by the dedicated venue team.
Doors open to the show at 6pm for general admission.
Stage times for Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Arena, Leeds
First Direct Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning you can get home before having to watch the sky turn from 'Dark to Light'.
Anyone attending this show is in luck as the North has been well and truly represented in the form of Manc-based rock group Pale Waves and Doncaster talent ADMT.
Alex Spencer, another Northern act from Manchester is also joining the bill, but he's only playing at select Europe dates of the tour.
These are the expected stage times for Louis Tomlinson in Leeds tonight, based on his other shows so far:
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.
Featured Images - Press shot / Flickr via Javie Rosh / Wikimedia Commons via Kurt Kulac (Supplied)
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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 -
3rd January 2024 
