New openings, live music, TV specials, a pay rise and more.
As we enter the new year: there are lots of uncertainties. From Covid-related restrictions to whether or not Love Island will run again: who truly knows what 2022 has in store for us.
Here in Leeds, we already have plenty to look forward to in the coming year that no matter what is thrown at us, we’ll still be able to enjoy ourselves. We’ve rounded up the best of the events, openings and general good news for our city that’s getting us through to the New Year with a smile on our face.
Arctic Monkeys will headline Leeds Festival
The headliners we’ve all been waiting for are back. Earlier this month, Leeds Festival announced more than thirty artists for their 2022 festival, with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Dave and Bring Me The Horizon all set to perform on the main stage next August. They will follow on from Rage Against the Machine, Halsey, Dave, Polo G, Little Simz, Glass Animals, Wolf Alice, Enter Shikari, Run the Jewels, Bastille, Megan the Stallion, Jack Harlow, Circa Waves, Denzel Curry and so, so many more incredible acts. We can’t wait to find out what the rest of the lineup will be.
Find out more here.
Students that deferred after universities oversubscribed, will finally enrol
This year’s A-level results saw an unprecedented number of high grades, which led to an overwhelming number of students meeting the terms of their conditional offers so some students at the University of Leeds were offered £10,000 in cash and a year’s free accommodation to defer their place for a year. The offer applied to mainly law and business students and caused uproar amongst alumni that were not given this same option in previous years. It’s unknown how many people accepted the offer, but we’ll find out this September.
Find out more here.
Leeds first rum distillery from Libations Rum will open
The company were overwhelmed by local support after launching the for a Libations Rum distillery onto a crowdfunding platform and received 96% of donations needed towards their £150,000 budget in just twenty four hours. The plans for a dedicated production house comes after twenty months of careful planning and temporary stents around Leeds at various venues, so the rum makers will be delighted to land themselves a permanent home, opening in March or April 2022.
Find out more here.
Hogwarts will reopen for a one-off Harry Potter reunion
Muggles and wizards of Leeds will be sitting down on New Years Day at 8pm to watch the reunion of Harry Potter and the rest of the Hogwarts cast. The premier will air on HBO on 1 January 2022, before being shown on a range of additional US channels and Sky Max for us in the UK. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson will return to Hogwarts alongside character favourites like Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Isaacs and Gary Oldham.
Find out more here.
Live at Leeds will return- but in a park
The best of indie and alternative music is set to play at the Temple Newsham location in June 2022 at Live at Leeds: In the Park. Think Bombay Bicycle Club, Nothing But Thieves, Arlo Parks, Easy Life, Sea Girls, Courting, Finn Askew, The Royston Club and plenty more. The only thing that’s left to do is Eat, Sleep, Wake, Nothing But countdown the day until the 4 June 2022.
Find out more here.
Tom Zanetti’s new drink-dine-dance concept will open at The Electric Press
The latest venture to land in Leeds is a new drink-dine-dance space from the TV star and multi-platinum selling musician, Tom Zanetti and his business partner, Kane Towning. From the creators of Dollhouse, the exclusive late-night dining concept is said to be the first of its kind in the city, taking inspiration from premium destination venues across London, Dubai and Ibiza. Over £300k has been invested in the project, the name of which is being kept under wraps until nearer the launch.
Find out more here.
The minimum wage will rise to £9.50 per hour
Back in October, the Treasury confirmed there will be a 6.6% increase for adults in the new financial year. The national living wage, currently set at £8.91 is set to increase to £9.50 for all workers ages 23 or over, with a lower minimum wage for younger workers. Those living in London will also see an increase in the London living wage, which accounts for the higher cost of living in the capital. This is set to reach £10.85 an hour.
Find out more here.
Half price burgers from Almost Famous
Thanks to Almost Famous, there’s no reason we should have to go without eating out and enjoying a well-deserved burger in the new year. The chain’s January offers will allow all eaters to grab a juicy ‘best ever burger’ from Almost Famous at half price. Having recently changed their production method to produce tender fall-apart burgers, the menu consists of delicious burgers like the classic Blame It On The Whiskey variety and new found favourite, the Juicy Double.
Find out more here.
You’ll be able to use the Drive-Thru Greggs in Bradford
Soon you’ll be able to grab your sausage rolls, steak bakes, coffees and cakes on the go at the newest Greggs drive-thru in Yorkshire. The popular chain opened their first drive-thru to the public in Manchester back in 2017 but is now expanding at a quick pace, with new drive-thru branches opening in both Cumbria and Wales earlier this year. The construction of the new building is likely to begin in the new year after the former pub on the site has been demolished.
Find out more here.
A Nespresso Boutique will open in Trinity
Nespresso is set to relocate to Trinity Leeds in the New Year, with an interactive boutique concept with tastings and demonstrations. This news follows the opening of Space NK’s store, doubling the size of the brand’s previous Leeds unit, and a first store in the North of England for MINISO. Meanwhile fashion store Levi’s has also relocated from elsewhere in Leeds city centre. The company is now looking for Boutique Sales Assistants to help keep up with anticipated demand upon reopening their huge store in Trinity.
Find out more here.
Feature Image– Gary Butterfield
