Yorkshire’s Olympic and Paralympic heroes will be given a homecoming to remember with a major event at the Leeds first direct arena on October 10.
Olympians and Paralympians will take to the stage to talk about their exploits in an event hosted by 2016 Olympic medallist Nile Wilson and sports broadcaster Tanya Arnold.
Athletes attending include Jess Learmonth, Jonny Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jack Laugher MBE and Hannah Cockroft MBE among many others - with more athletes being confirmed daily.
Tickets are available to the public for just £5 per ticket which includes a donation to charity SportsAid, an organisation that has supported so many of the Yorkshire athletes, and will include live entertainment including headline Yorkshire act, The Skylights, along with Phoenix Dance, Yorkshire Prose live poetry and other acts.
Tickets have been priced as affordably as possible to give thousands of people the chance to be part of this historic event to celebrate our county’s athletes under one roof, together.
Channel 4, who have just opened their new National HQ in Leeds, are backing the event – which will take place on Sunday October 10 from 3-5pm – as headline partner.
Tickets go on sale on Friday from 9am via the arena. In addition to the public tickets, free tickets will be distributed to local grassroots sports clubs, and organisations working with more vulnerable children and young people to enable these groups to attend the event.
All of Yorkshire’s 22 councils are joining forces on the event, with Leeds City Council acting as lead organiser supported by Yorkshire and Humber Councils.
Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis, said: “Our Leeds and Yorkshire athletes performed brilliantly at Tokyo 2020, and this homecoming celebration event promises to be the perfect way of congratulating them all on their inspiring achievements.
"The first direct arena will be the ideal venue and we are delighted to have Channel 4 supporting the event, so we look forward to a really special day honouring our sporting heroes and the importance of grassroots sports across the county which helped produce them.”
Sinead Rocks, Channel 4 MD Nations and Regions, said: “Channel 4 is delighted to join the celebrations welcoming back Yorkshire’s athletes from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic and Olympic Games. Having just opened our new national HQ at the Majestic in Leeds, we’re thrilled to be able to join the party giving our athletes a rousing welcome home.”
Tickets are £5 plus booking fee and can be purchased via the arena here.
Leeds
A Caribbean street food restaurant famed for its jerk chicken is opening in Leeds this week
Get ready to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean as Jerk Junction is coming to Leeds.
The street food favourite has made waves in the foodie scene over in Manchester and Liverpool, so it's only right that its making its way into Trinity Kitchen.
Jerk Junction specialises in authentic Caribbean flavours, from dumplings and jerk chicken to curried goat and rice and peas, it's all flame-grilled and packed with island spices.
Gosh, we're suddenly feeling very hungry.
Image: The Manc Group
Jerk Junction will officially be opening to the public from 12pm on Tuesday 12 May 2026, and you can bet we'll be first in line to get our hands on a big tray of jerk chicken and rice.
Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “There’s been a lot of interest in the upcoming arrival of Jerk Junction since it was announced. Bringing a taste of the Caribbean to Trinity Kitchen, it’ll be the place to be when it opens its doors next week.”
Jake Shaffi, founder at Jerk Junction, said: “We’re all about good vibes and creating dishes that help bring people together. We’re looking forward to bringing the Jerk Junction spirit to Trinity Kitchen. The brand already holds a special place within the communities in Manchester and Liverpool – and we’re sure the people of Leeds will embrace it in the same way.”
The latest announcement follows the recent launches of schuh and LEGO at Trinity Leeds, which will also welcome the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling brand, Lane7, and Footasylum later this year.
Leeds Jazz Festival returns to the city this month complete with best lineup yet
Clementine Hall
The 2026 edition of the Leeds Jazz Festival is here, and it's set to be bigger and better than ever before.
If you're a lover of jazz, then you're going to want to keep reading.
Now in its fifth year, Leeds Jazz Festival showcases the best of local, national, and international music through gigs, screenings, DJs, talks and more.
The festival is set to take place across the city from Thursday 21 to Tuesday 26 May 2026, making it the perfect event to enjoy across the bank holiday weekend.
Image: Supplied
Kicking the festival off is Submotion Orchestra, a boundary-pushing musical collective originally formed in Leeds who will be making their return to The Wardrobe for a very special gig.
Over in Chapel Allerton, Jazz Leeds will bring Donovan Haffner to Seven Arts, fresh from his wins for "Jazz Newcomer of the Year" at the UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards and "UK Breakthrough Act" at the 2026 JazzFM Awards.
Leeds Jazz Festival legend DJ Lubi has curated a fantastic night of live Cuban music, alongside a Cuban dance class and a DJ after-party at Howard Assembly Room.
Image: Supplied
Elsewhere at The Domino Club there'll be a whole host of different events taking place, including Three or Four Shades of Mingus, Alligator Gumbo, and two special shows celebrating the 100th birthday of jazz icon Miles Davis.
For more laid-back chill vibes on Bank Holiday Monday, Mercury Music Prize-nominated pianist Kit Downes will play an intimate performance in the stunning acoustics of Mill Hill Chapel. Now that is something not to be missed.
For full details on the lineup as well as information on free activities as well as ticketed gigs, visit the Leeds Jazz Festival website.
Georgina Pellant -
24th September 2021 
