One of the biggest events in Leeds' cultural calendar is almost upon us, as the city gears up for Leeds Pride Festival 2025.
From the glittering parade that attracts thousands to the city centre, to the live music and performances on the stages to the nightlife scene that gets busier than ever for one glorious weekend, there’s something for everyone.
This year's event will take place on Sunday 20 July, and it's set to be a fabulous weekend full of music, food, and cabaret - all promising a weekend of celebration and inclusion.
If you're heading there this weekend, here's everything you need to know to make your day as good as it can be.
Parade
Image: Leeds Pride
At 12:15pm, the iconic Pride Parade will begin outside the Town Hall, marching through the the city, down to Lower Briggate onto The Calls.
Expect plenty of colour, impressive floats and amazing energy.
The line-up
This year you'll find three stages dotted across the city, all with great lineups to keep you dancing throughout the day.
On the Main Stage on Lower Briggate, music will go on from 12 - 10pm with performances from Angie Brown, Booty Luv, the Cartoons and a Chappell Roan tribute act.
Just down the road on the Cabaret stage you'll be blessed with performances from Koko Popperz, Dedelicious and Tonya Kneez amongst so many more.
Make your way to Millennium Square and you'll find the Community Stage, music will start earlier here at 10:30am so if you want to get warmed up before the parade this is where to be.
By grabbing yourself a 2025 Leeds Pride Wristband, you'll get exclusive perks such as discounted drinks, dedicated entry lanes and so much more. You can get your wristband from Viaduct Showbar or the Briggante Hotel. Find out more here.
Afterparties
If you want to keep the party going, then there's plenty of after parties on offer.
Leeds Pride will be hosting an official after party at Under The Arches, and you can buy your ticket for entry here.
Elsewhere, Leeds' famous speakeasy Behind Closed Doors will be hosting music until 5am with a special Pride cocktail menu, live DJS and best of all? Free entry.
And if that doesn't take your fancy and you're looking to celebrate Pride in style, White Cloth Hall will be hosting an all-day street party with live music, an outdoor bar and a delicious BBQ to keep you fuelled up for the day.
When bands reunite, it's usually pretty easy to guess what the motive is. A looming tax bill, an incoming divorce, a tanking solo career, for example.
But with The Maccabees, those scenarios feel a long way removed.
This is a band that called it a day at the top of their game - and then have returned even stronger, and seemingly because they just missed being on stage together.
Addressing the near-decade apart while on stage at Kirkstall Abbey, The Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks sums it up simply: "For a long time we were a band, and then we weren't a band for a bit, and now we're a band again."
He's as softly-spoken a frontman as they come, but then The Maccabees never have leaned entirely on their frontman for their live energy - not when he's flanked by the White brothers.
Felix White spends half the gig sporting an ear-splitting grin, and the other half screaming words of encouragement at the audience like a crazed Top of the Pops presenter. The organised-fun patter might grate if he weren't so phenomenal the moment the music starts again.
Then brother Hugo is a brooding, powerful figure, usually standing with his legs so wide apart I'm surprised he doesn't split his trousers. His stage presence is so cool, so confident, it's hard to take your eyes off him.
Orlando's otherworldly voice is really allowed to shine through with songs like Spit It Out, when the stage reduces to a single spotlight and the other band members actually squat down to minimise the distractions.
The tempo shifts of Marks to Prove It, the urgency of X-Ray and the layered beauty of Wall of Arms all underline just how tightly the band play together.
There will be new music on the way, eventually, and they give us a glimpse into that with The Ballad of So Long, a swooping epic that suggests they still have somewhere new to go.
It's hard to complain that they don't have much more to show us yet - not when the alternative is a greatest hits, belt-every-word live show.
By the end of the night, as The Maccabees wrap up their show at Kirkstall Abbey, there's a quiet confidence about them. They know this comeback works, and we'll be lapping it up for as long as they'll stick around.
Judging by the reaction inside Kirkstall Abbey, everyone else does too.
The popular Manchester brunch spot serving all things viral is coming to Leeds
Clementine Hall
A brunch spot made famous across the pond is opening a site in Leeds.
If you're a fiend for all things brunch, then this news is going to get you a little bit excited.
Bruncho is known for its brunch dishes that have a real knack for going viral on social media, including New York-style breakfast rolls in croissant bread; fresh coconut water and matcha served in the coconut; and its innovative watermelon sandwiches.
Oh, and they also went viral for serving a Labubu French Toast...but we'll let the photos do the talking on that one.
Images: The Manc Group
They've currently got one site in Manchester city centre with one more almost ready to open its doors, and now they're making their way across the Pennines and opening their first Yorkshire cafe right here in Leeds. Aren't we lucky.
Announcing the exciting news to Instagram, Bruncho said: "We’ve been keeping a HUGE SECRET, but now it’s finally time to share… LEEDS CITY CENTRE WE’RE COMING FOR YOU!!
"Keep your eyes peeled on our socials, we’ll be announcing our opening date SOON!!"
Images: The Manc Group
With queues constantly forming at their cafe in Deansgate, Manchester - we're sure that their weird and wonderful creations will go down just as well here in Leeds.
It's not the first brunch spot to make their way over, with Federal opening on Boar Lane earlier this year that has been packed out ever since.
We'll of course keep you in the loop with opening dates as and when we find out but for now, Bruncho we can't wait to welcome you to our city.
Clementine Hall -
16th July 2025 
