Leeds O2 Arena is set to be transformed beyond recognition when trippy part series Foreverland returns to the city this October.
Known for transforming dance floors into surreal, neon mazes, think Day-Glo flora, tropical palms, gigantic installations - and you're part way to imagining what's in store.
First launching in Bournemouth in 2004, Foreverland has been throwing its famously bizarre parties in locations around the world for the past seven years.
To date, they've sold 130,000 tickets to parties in 26 different cities. After a year off, they've had ample time to imagine their perfect party - and it looks set to be a mad one.
This October's event in Leeds will feature interactive walkabout characters, giant hanging inflatables suspended from the ceiling, CO2 jets, sparks and confetti explosions, trippy neon-themed decorations and even psychedelic dip painting.
Organisers will also be working with a range of new scents to create an all-encompassing sensory experience for the first time ever.
On the music front, House and bass-heavy tech are the order of the day.
Headline sets come from James Hype, Low Steppa, Weiss, Secondcity and Endor. All boast recent successes on labels like Defected, Top 10 UK chart placings, millions of Spotify streams and diaries taking in the likes of Abode and Elrow.
The resident team, meanwhile, features rising UK talents AmyElle, Tita Lau and Ben Rainey.
A spokesperson for Foreverland said: "We’re putting a focus on the whole sensory experience, adding themed smells to the venues to differentiate Foreverland shows from all other experiences revelers might have had.
"We’re incorporating a lot more technology into the stage builds and SFX, using holographic projections, water pumps and moving levers to add motion to parts of the decor build."
Register for ticket updates and find out more information online at the Foreverland website.
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‘It wasn’t its time’ – Mediterranean Leeds cafe closes just two months after opening
A new street food spot has sadly closed its doors just two months after opening.
Back in May, a beautiful taste of the Mediterranean was was brought to us by Shvaan, a very talented chef who previously worked alongside his family at Eastern Oven in Kirkgate Market.
An absolute gem of a spot, Eastern Oven is known for its fresh breads, aromatic meats and plates bursting with colour - and this is exactly what Shvaan set up with FenerBar.
This new venture opened up inside The Attic, a multidisciplinary arts and events space just on the outskirts of the city centre by The Tetley and the new Aire Park development.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Serving up Eastern Mediterranean dishes like mackerel, lamb and beef kebabs, as well as various colourful vegan plates, everything at Fenerbar was homemade and you could really tell the amount of love put into each and every dish.
Unfortunately, Fenerbar has now closed its doors with owner Shvaan stating 'it wasn't it's time'.
Announcing the sad news to Instagram, Fenerbar said: "fenerBar has been closed. It wasn’t its time, whether it’s from the past or in the future, we’ll have to find out.
"Many thanks to @theatticleeds for hosting me and giving me the space to give it a shot. Wish them all the best. And thanks to everyone who came."
Of course in true Leeds fashion, fellow independents flocked to the comments showing their support and wishing Fenerbar all the luck in the next chapter.
We're sure this isn't the end for Shvaan's talents, and we can't wait to see what he does next.
Vinyl-only 1970s-inspired cocktail bar coming to Leeds from team behind some of the city’s best bars
Clementine Hall
A new cocktail bar is coming to Leeds city centre.
If you know a thing or two about cocktails, or just drinks in general, then you're going to be very excited about this news.
The very talented team behind Roland's on Call Lane and The Domino Club, just to name a few, are setting their sites on a brand-new venture.
Introducing Paper Plane, an intimate new cocktail bar that will be taking over the old Casa site in the city's beautiful Grand Arcade.
Paper Plane will be inspired by the glamour of 1970s air travel and will be a vinyl-only listening bar, serving a world-inspired cocktail menu alongside a carefully curated whisky collection.
The space will be lovely and intimate, with around just 40 covers, designed to transport guests somewhere completely different from the minute they step foot through the door.
And what a location too, joining a whole host of fantastic independents in the arcade such as Alfonso's Deli, Stuzzi and Sonder.
For now, we don't know many more details about the project, but we already know it's going to be exceptional cas anything these guys do turns to gold.
Not only has Roland's been consistently one of the busiest bars on Call Lane since they opened back in 2014, but The Domino Club was recently crowned one of the best cocktail bars in the world. Now that is some accolade worth shouting about.
We'll keep you updated with Paper Plane's progress, but Roland's have stated that the site is hoping to open this coming autumn. So we really don't have long to wait.
Georgina Pellant -
30th April 2021 
