The Leeds legend has been announced as the headliner for the pilot of WX Live, a series of concerts taking place at Wakefield Exchange.
Presented by Wakefield Council, the fantastic new programme of live music in the multi-use space endeavours to bring world-class live music experiences to the city.
Renowned singer, songwriter and Leeds-born Corinne Bailey Rae shot to stardom with her self-titled no. 1 UK debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits ‘Put Your Records On’ and ‘Like A Star’.
Over the course of her career, Bailey Rae has released four critically acclaimed studio records, sold over 10 million albums worldwide; worked with a wide range of music legends such as Paul McCartney, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and more.
Image: Supplied
It's the perfect headliner to open the series of performances a WX Live and we're sure she's going to kick things off in style.
Having opened in February 2025, Wakefield Exchange has been hosting events, exhibitions and performances for local people of all ages as well as being home to lots of independent businesses.
Corinne Bailey Rae said: “I'm so excited to be the first artist to headline Wakefield Exchange, and to be a part of launching this new space for people in Wakefield to come and enjoy live music and the arts. It's always special for us to be able to play at home in West Yorkshire and I can't wait to perform a very special show xx"
Image: Supplied
Cllr Hannah Appleyard, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “Wakefield Exchange is fast becoming a vibrant hub where local communities and visitors come together to enjoy unforgettable events.
"Its transformation into a venue capable of hosting large-scale music gigs marks a significant milestone in enhancing our district’s cultural landscape."
Corinne Bailey Rae will perform at XY Live on Saturday 18 October, tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday 4 September and you can grab yours here.
Farsley is now home to an ultra-cool record bar with coffee, cocktails and an unbeatable sound system.
Tucked away in the beautiful Sunny Bank Mills, Pardon Me is a record bar built around 'music, atmosphere, and detail'.
It's been launched by Scott Rapson, who grew up in the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with music around the time of the arrival of hip hop in the early 80s.
He then spent time travelling for raves, and visiting venues like Glasgow’s Sub Club and London’s Plastic People, giving Scott an appreciation for how 'music can shape a room, not just fill it'.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Scott and his partner Laurie have then spent the past three years travelling, visiting listening bars across Europe to shape the foundations of Pardon Me.
Listening bars, also known as hi-fi bars, originated in 1920s Japan - and you can really see the Japanese influence within the space and it's super cool interiors.
Images: The Hoot Leeeds
Bartenders here create a small but perfectly formed menu of cocktails and pour natural wines from Wayward Wines in front of a wall of vinyl, while a collection of Scott's records play as a soundtrack to your evening.
The sound system Scott claims is one of the "best in the North East", which he says has a "real sense of depth and balance to it" with a "coverage that stays incredibly consistent across the room".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Whether it's for coffee during the day, or drinks into the evening, they want Pardon Me to be a place to spend time, looking out across Sunny Bank Mills.
Pardon Me is open Thursday - Sunday, and you can find out more about this wonderful new opening here.
Morrissey announces limited run of UK tour dates – but skips one key city
Danny Jones
Veteran British musician Morrissey has just announced a very limited run of tour dates across the UK, including one right here in Leeds.
He's also overlooked one very obvious location...
The iconic singer-songwriter, legendary lyricist and former Smiths frontman is a controversial one these days, but he still has a fervent following of die-hards.
With that in mind, despite some recent cancellations, Morrissey will be coming to just a handful of British cities later this year.
🚨NEW SHOW ALERT!
Live In Concert, Morrissey is bringing his tour to Leeds! 📆Saturday, 19th December 2026
🎫Venue Presale - Wed 20th May, 2026 🎟️General On Sale - Friday 22 may, 2026
Selecting just five cities to play in winter 2026, these latest live shows will be in support of his most recent record, Make-Up Is a Lie.
The 14th studio LP of his solo career, the reviews have been almost as divisive as the man himself, but his most passionate fans have praised it as one of his best.
Have you listened to it yet?
Most notably on this tour, however, the Greater Manchester-born artist has chosen to skip performing in his home city for some reason.
He did make his Co-op Live debut last June, but this time, his only Northern gigs in England are the first direct arena and a night in Liverpool.
We'd be foolish if we didn't mention that 'Moz' caused a bit of a stir by scrapping some slots earlier this year simply due to 'tiredness' - hence memes like this:
The other dates include Cardiff, Brighton and Glasgow, following his sold-out stadium show at The O2 in London this past February, with tickets going on sale next week.
If you're confident of him turning up to Yorkshire on time for his set in December, you can sign up for venue presale from next Wednesday, 20 May, with general admission going live at 9am the following Friday (22 May).
Clementine Hall -
3rd September 2025 
