Planet Earth II was first released in 2016, but it's remained a firm favourite of any Attenborough fan (so, most of the UK) for the last five years. Now the hit TV show is going to be shown live to an audience to the sound of some of the UK's best musicians.
Planet Earth II Live was due to tour across the UK and Ireland back in 2020, but pandemic-related restrictions have put off the performance until March 2022, when the show is finally scheduled to go ahead.
Luckily, all the seats carried over from previous cancellations haven't completely sold out, so there's still ample room for anyone to join the audience in their experience as they're brought closer to the planet’s spellbinding animals, landscapes and wildlife dramas than ever before.
Live concerts will feature breathtaking, specially-selected footage shown in 4K ultra high-definition on a gigantic LED screen, as the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Freeman, play the remarkable music by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea & Jasha Klebe for Bleeding Fingers Music- if you know your musicians, you'll know this is a big deal.
So what can the audience expect to see on the big screen? Rubbing shoulders with acrobatic primate cousins in the steaming jungles of Madagascar is hinted to be a part of the experience, as well as racing alongside fearsome hunting lions in the remote sandy deserts of Namibia, facing stormy Antarctic seas with a family of penguins and feeling the raw tension as a baby iguana tries to escape the clutches of deadly racer snakes.
Following in Attenborough's footsteps and setting a positive environmental example, every venue that we work with has an individual sustainability programme in place. Some examples of their outstanding pledges include: free water refill stations at all UK tour venues, choosing not to sell a concert programme to reduce wastage, the host will wear fully sustainable clothing, the crew will avoid air travel where possible and catering suppliers are not providing any red meat dishes, and only offer reusable cutlery and crockery.
The show will be hosted by hosted science and natural history TV presenter Liz Bonnin, rather than David Attenborough, but Liz hopes to bring the same character as the national legend to the screen.
When first cast the role of presenter, Liz said, “I am so honoured to have the role of host on the Planet Earth II Live in Concert arena tour. The TV series included some absolutely breathtaking sequences - who can ever forget the marine iguana fighting for its life as it escaped those racer snakes? I will be just as thrilled as the audience to relive such magnificent scenes on the giant screen, accompanied by a spectacular 80-piece orchestra - it will certainly be an experience to remember!”
The executive producer of the BBC's Planet Earth II television series will be joining Liz Bonnin on stage as our very special guest for all dates on the UK and Ireland Arena tour too.
Planet Earth II will be in Leeds at the First Direct Arena on Thursday 24 March. For more information, including how to book a ticket for the one-night-only event, visit the Ticketmaster website.
Feature Image- Chuff Media
Leeds
Team behind Headrow House and Belgrave to take over and reopen Woodside just one year after opening
The foodie-favourite restaurant and bar is now under new management.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that Woodside has sadly been closed for a few months.
We certainly have, and ever since December we've had a Woodside Sunday roast-shaped hole in our hearts that's been gasping for one of their glorious Marmite glazed parsnips.
But luckily, it has now been confirmed that Woodside isn't going anywhere as Superfriendz, the team behind Headrow House, Belgrave and many other top Leeds spots will be taking over. Hallelujah.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Woodside opened at the end of 2024 from the owners of The Brunswick and The Melbourne.
Labelling itself as a 'neighbourhood eatery and bar', Woodside quickly became a favourite amongst Leeds foodies and was known for its smoked meats, great cocktails and stellar Sunday roasts (do I need to talk about the parsnips again).
The menu was fresh and innovative, with oysters topped with kiwi granita and an incredibly garish banana split standing out as highlights.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We hope that the new management continues to maintain Woodside's brilliance, but mainly we're just so glad that it's sticking around.
Superfriendz take care of a whole host of spots in the city, including proper Leeds favourites Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Waterlane Boathouse.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Woodside said: "After a longer-than-expected winter break, Woodside is back and will reopen on Thursday 19th March!
"Your favourite neighbourhood bar and eatery returns with the same warm welcome, but an all new management team.
"We can’t wait to see you so keep your eyes on our socials for news on great food and drinks, big screen sports, quizzes and more.
"We’d also like to thank Sam and the original team for all the hard work that went into setting-up the venue. We hope we can do it justice."
A new female-founded business has opened in Leeds and it’s a trinket-lover’s paradise
Clementine Hall
Lisa Angel has just opened inside the Victoria Gate and it’s an Aladdin’s Cave full of jewellery, prints, gifts and everything in between.
The best part? It’s a female-founded brand that has chosen our wonderful city for their first Yorkshire site. We absolutely don't blame them.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has gone from strength to strength every since.
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Shoppers can expect beautifully handcrafted jewellery, unique trinkets and wonderful staff who are open to have a natter.
It's the perfect shop for when you don't exactly know what to buy that someone special, just pop in here and you'll be hit with a wave of inspiration immediately.
We could've genuinely spent a good hour in there and come out with a much lighter wallet.
Lisa herself spoke about the opening: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Managing Director James Moody said: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
Sophie Smith -
18th January 2022 
