The WOW festival celebrates women, girls and non-binary people and will feature a series of events, talks, workshops, and performances.
Having launched back in 2010, WOW festivals have taken place in more than 30 locations across 6 different continents, reaching more than three million people to date.
This is the first WOW festival to take place in Rotherham and will be held over the weekend of Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July 2022 in the town’s Clifton Park.
The two day festival will celebrate community, culture, and entrepreneurialism with artists local, national and international taking part in the event. Aiming to tackle the subjects that matter most to women, girls and non-binary people, the festival is open to people from all walks of life, however they identify.
Image: WOW Rotherham
The weekend’s main stage will kick off with a welcome address from WOW Festival organisers from across the globe including founder Jude Kelly and entrepreneur Dame Julie Kenny.
The welcome will be followed by WOW Big Ideas, a platform for short talks about pressing conversations and important ideas for change. Speakers will include award-winning cultural producer and freelance marketer Annalisa Toccara, campaigners and activists The 3 Hijabis who are calling for racists to be banned for life from all football matches in England and senior critical care nurse Charmaine Mutsago.
Image: WOW Rotherham
And that is only the start of it, the entire weekend will be jam-packed with thought provoking, important conversations and workshops for you to fully immerse yourself in.
Not only that but there will also be plenty of opportunities for you to kick back and relax, WOW Rotherham will be hosting a diverse marketplace filled with female makers and organisations, featuring a number of stalls selling hand-crafted gifts, a clothes swap stall and many more. There will also be a food and drink area to keep you refreshed throughout the weekend.
Image: WOW Rotherham
Jude Kelly CBE, CEO and Founder of The WOW Foundation said: “WOW Rotherham is going to be a wonderful and joyful celebration of the women and girls whose stories, achievements and resilience can help build a new chapter in the history of the town."
"The WOW local producers are using their huge energy to build an equal, just and safe world where the women, girls, trans and non-binary communities of Rotherham can flourish.”
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Clementine Hall -
7th July 2022 
