Now in it's eighteenth year, the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival returns to Leeds next month with the theme of 'Playful City'.
The streets of Leeds will be transformed into an incredible illuminated playground when Light Night returns to the city this October.
Across Thursday 13 and Friday 14 October 2022 from 18:30 to 22:00, more than 50 breathtaking light installations, dynamic projections and spectacular interactive artworks are set to wow thousands of visitors to the highly anticipated, annual cultural event.
This years theme is 'Playful City' which will invite visitors to engage and interact with the city in exciting, new and innovate ways. Iconic Leeds landmarks and locations will host jaw-dropping illuminations and installations, from The Queen's Hotel to the Leeds Art Gallery.
Here's where you can find all the incredible pieces of art work and captivating performances by local, national and international artists around the city.
Millennium Square Zone
Image: Leeds City Council
There are five beautiful art pieces to view in this zone, the most unmissable being the Leeds Civic Hall paying homage to the classic video games of the 1980s. Visitors can take control of a high tech augmented reality experience, played out across the historic building's impressive façade.
Headrow Zone
The Headrow will welcome three installations and if you've got a competitive streak in you, head to The Light where you can try your luck and skill as you compete against each other at the Kosmo-Lounge.
Briggate Zone
Image: Leeds City Council
Spark! are returning to Light Night Leeds to take you on an otherworldly adventure with a mesmerising mix of music, movement and mayhem. Head to Trinity where you’ll be immersed in an electrifying experience with live music, choreography and a visual spectacle of light and colour. On top of this, there's three other experiences in this zone for you to enjoy as well.
Victoria Zone
Image: Leeds City Council
Three instillations are in this zone, outside Victoria Gate you will find an incredible structure entitled House of Cards, created by Israeli artists OGE Group, it will be made up of 128 beautiful light boxes, each taking the form of a playing card which will light up in sequence.
This is a spectacle not to be missed, the eye-catching creation will appear different when viewed from various angles, looking like a modern church from one side and like a classical structure of building blocks from the other.
Town Hall Zone
There's a whopping five instillations to feast your eyes on around the Town Hall, from activities for all the family to enjoy at the Henry Moore institute to part of the Leeds Art Gallery being transformed into an LED aquarium. Everywhere you look you'll be bowled over by the magnificent power of light, colour and music.
SOYO Zone (Quarry Hill)
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled and look up when around Quarry Hill as you don't want to miss out on the 'Goofs' hanging out on the roof of Leeds Bus Station. The friendly, inflatable creatures will give visitors entering the city a cheery welcome as they explore a further six artworks dotted around this area.
Wellington Place Zone
Image: Leeds City Council
Who can resist some free UV face paint? If you're looking to really embrace the Light Night way of life, then head to the Family Friendly Fun area at Wellington Place. Get your face painted and catch a beautiful performance by the LED Winged Ballerinas, a stunning, choreographed ballet performance incorporating light and movement, at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm.
Here you can also view the Zauberin des Mondes, a modern take on the enchanting Rapunzel Tower which tells the quest of a character through impossible architectures, placed under the protection of the mysterious and luminous figure of the Moon.
Station Zone
Taking this year's festival to another level, a thrilling large scale projection of a futuristic, digital rollercoaster ride will be taking over The Queen's Hotel. Be prepared to take a trip into the future for the night with this dynamic, innovative and multi-sensory experience.
South Bank Zone
Image: Leeds City Council
With eight instillations to visit, this is the busiest zone in the city. Outside The Tetley you will find 'Affinity', a large-scale immersive interactive light and sound installation created by Australian artists Amigo & Amigo. Inspired by the human brain, each light globe represents a neuron and connection in the brain.
Outside the Centre
Surrounding the centre are eight spectacles welcoming you into the city, including an immersive and playful light installation in the historic setting of Bramley Baths. Here you can experience a swim like no other, as a cloud of colour and light hovers over the waters of the pool, creating an ever changing and surreal environment as you move through the water. Booking for this unique experience is essential and can be done here on the Light Night website.
For more information including a full list of all the installations included in Light Night Leeds, take a look at their website.
A 20-year-old man from Bradford has been sentenced to time in prison this week after admitting to numerous child sex offences.
Following an investigation initially by West Mercia and Lancashire Police, Kasey Fitton, aged 20 of Amundsen Avenue in Bradford, was arrested in February 2025 on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with four children residing outside of West Yorkshire Police force area.
An investigation was then launched by Bradford Safeguarding Unit, who went on to uncover large-scale sexual offending against children.
In February 2026, Fitton was charged with 16 counts of sexual communication with a child and 20 counts of making/possession of indecent images of children - with police confirming that five child victims have been identified.
At Bradford Crown Court, Fitton admitted to all 36 counts, and then earlier this week (7 September), he was jailed for seven and a half years, plus a five year extension on licence. He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life, and he has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.
Speaking following the sentencing this week, Detective Superintendent Alan Weekes of Bradford District Police, described Fitton as a 'very dangerous individual to children'.
"There are further investigations ongoing and we would appeal to anyone who may have been a victim to come forward to us," DSI Weekes said.
"We are keen to speak to anyone who interacted with the Snapchat accounts Kaseyfitton23, Kaseyfitton24 and MyCroft110.
"We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and they are treated with sensitivity. We have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process and do everything we can to get justice."
Featured Image - West Yorkshire Police
News
History has never been this fun – Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House | Review
Declan Kelly
Don’t judge a book by its cover... or in this case, a musical by its posters.
Going in completely blind, I really didn’t know what to expect from Operation Mincemeat. In fact, after the first number, I found myself thinking, I’m not sure this is quite my cup of tea.
How wrong I was.
Watching Tuesday night’s performance at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, I was quickly proven wrong about what I thought a musical needed to be. There are no huge sets, endless costume changes, or hundreds of performers filling the stage. Instead, Operation Mincemeat delivers a genuinely funny, surprisingly heart-warming story with just five performers, while somehow teaching you a bit of history along the way.
If I had to sum this show up in two words? Belly laughter.
Based on the real-life British intelligence operation during the Second World War, the musical follows the unlikely group tasked with convincing Hitler that the Allies were planning to invade Greece rather than Sicily.
And honestly, if you didn’t already know it actually happened, you’d probably think someone had made it up. That ridiculousness is exactly what makes the show work. The comedy comes thick and fast, with characters, accents, and personalities constantly changing as the five-strong cast jump between roles.
And this is where the production really impressed me.The multi-roling is incredibly slick. A pair of glasses, a change in voice or a small shift in posture can completely transform a character, and somehow it never feels like a gimmick. Instead, it becomes part of the magic of the production. It’s a brilliant example of how much can be achieved on stage without throwing money at elaborate sets or costumes.
Credit: Matt CrockettCredit: Matt Crockett
But underneath all the comedy is where Operation Mincemeat really surprised me.
One of the standout performances for me came from Christian Andrews as Hester Leggatt. During ‘Roses’, Andrews completely captivates the audience while portraying an older woman writing about the experience of wives waiting for their loved ones away at war.
What makes the moment so effective is its simplicity. With little more than a pair of glasses, Andrews transforms into Hester, but there is never any sense that the character is being played for laughs. Instead, there is real care and respect in the performance.
Andrews captures the loneliness, vulnerability, and uncertainty of a woman whose life has been put on hold while her partner is away fighting. After so much laughter, the sudden change in tone really lands. For me, it was one of the clearest examples of the craftsmanship behind the show. Both the writing and performance manage to find genuine emotion without losing the production’s personality.
The music follows the same balance, moving between big, energetic numbers and quieter moments that give the characters room to breathe. It never feels like songs have been added simply because this happens to be a musical; they actually help tell the story.
And despite being based on a historical event, it never feels like a history lesson.
Operation Mincemeat at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House / Credit: Matt Crockett
In fact, I left the theatre wanting to find out more about the real Operation Mincemeat, which is probably the biggest compliment I can give it and definitely will be watching the film very soon.
If you’re heading to the theatre expecting huge dance numbers, powerhouse ballads and elaborate sets, then this might not be the show for you. But if you want something different, something that will have you laughing at one of the strangest stories in British history while leaving you amazed at just how slick a production can be with only five cast members, then this is absolutely worth seeing.
What I initially thought wasn’t my cup of tea ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the evening.
Funny, clever, completely bonkers at times and unexpectedly moving, Operation Mincemeat proves you don’t need a massive production to make a big impression. I have seen a lot of theatre productions in my life, but I have never seen anything as slick as this production, and that is pure talent at its finest.
Sometimes, all you need is a ridiculous true story, five brilliant performers and a whole lot of belly laughs.
Clementine Hall -
28th September 2022 
