Dates for the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival returns have been announced.
The city is about to get illuminated once more, because Light Night Leeds is making a triumphant return once again.
Taking place on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October 2025 from 6 til 10pm, the hugely popular cultural showcase will be lighting up some of the city’s most recognisable buildings with captivating creations by artists from around the world.
This year's theme is Landmarks and will aim to celebrate some of the city’s historic civic buildings, modern architecture and public spaces as well as asking visitors to contemplate their own personal landmarks and the places which are important and memorable to them.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Key pieces will include an enchanting projection on the face of the iconic Queens Hotel celebrating 200 years of the modern railway.
Entitled One Second Lovestory by German artist Dirk Rauscher, it captures the romantic moment when two people’s eyes meet at a busy train station and is sponsored by Markel.
Leeds Civic Hall will host a mesmerising new commission by Portuguese artists Ocubo, entitled, Portals: The Machine of Worlds, it incorporates fantastical imagery from books in the library’s collection, inviting visitors to explore universes of science, illusion and discovery.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
We'll keep you up to date with the full programme that will be announced in the coming months.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “Light Night Leeds is an event which truly exemplifies the very best of culture and life in the city, bringing thousands of people together for a collective experience which celebrates artistic ingenuity and the power of the arts to unite.
"The impact the event has on the city in terms of boosting our reputation as a cultural destination, supporting the local economy and promoting local and regional artists cannot be overstated, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to what will be an occasion like no other.”
Leeds Festival 2026 is officially underway and we've rounded up drinks prices at the bars on the festival site.
While many of us will be sipping on warm cans of cider and boxes of wine at the camp sites, you can't take any of your own alcohol into the arena (where all the stages are) itself.
So you'll need to budget for drinks over the course of the weekend if you want to watch the headliners with a pint in hand.
And with headline performances from the likes of Fontaines D.C., Raye, Florence and the Machine and Dave, there's masses of amazing live music on the horizon at Leeds Festival 2026.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
We're already on site at Leeds Festival ready to bring you all the action and updates from this massive weekend - staring with, importantly, drinks prices.
So, let's get into it...
This year you're looking at paying around £7 of beer and £7.50 £7.50 for a pint of cider.
Different for this year, is you'll get 10% off if paying with a Paypal debit card which you can get for free - which we think is pretty class and well worth your time.
You can take your own empty water bottles in to refill at water stations around the festival site.
You're also allowed to bring in sealed water/soft drinks which are 500ml or less.
And if you're taking your own booze into the campsites, remember that there's no glass allowed, so you'll need to decant anything into plastic bottles.
Here are all your drinks prices for Leeds Festival 2026
Beer and cider
Budweiser - £7 (£6.30 with Paypal discount)
Corona Extra - £7.50 (£6.75 with Paypal discount)
Kopparberg Crisp Apple - £7.50 (£6.75 with Paypal discount)
Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime - £7.70 (£6.93 with Paypal discount)
Rose - 175ml £10 / btl £35 (£9/£31.5 with Paypal discount)
Italian sparkling - 200ml £10 (£9 with Paypal discount)
No and Low
Budweiser Zero - £5.80 (£5.22 with Paypal discount)
Water - £2.50 (£2.25 with Paypal discount)
And that should just about do you in terms of booze - as always, please drink responsibly and look after each other.
For all the other important information, you can consult our complete 2026 Leeds Festival guide down below.
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
Leeds Festival warning issued as police announce speed cameras and traffic restrictions
Clementine Hall
Leeds Fest is almost here, but festival-goers heading to Bramham Park by car have been warned to take extra care on the roads.
Driving to Leeds Festival has never been particularly easy, but West Yorkshire Police have issued a warning to those driving by car in an attempt to make it somewhat easier.
Ahead of Leeds Festival 2026, temporary traffic management measures will be in place from Wednesday 26 August until Monday 31 August.
The measures are designed to improve road safety, reduce congestion, and help ensure the safe movement of the tens of thousands of people expected to attend the event.
Speed camera enforcement vans will be operating throughout the festival period alongside clearways surrounding the festival site.
Police have warned that drivers caught breaking the temporary restrictions could face prosecution, so it's definitely worth keeping an eye out for the signage as you approach the festival.
Superintendent Dan Wood said: “Leeds Festival is one of the largest events in West Yorkshire and attracts a significant increase in traffic to the local road network.
"The temporary speed restrictions and clearways are being introduced to help keep everyone safe, including festival-goers, local residents and road users.
"We would ask all motorists to pay close attention to the temporary signage in place and allow extra time for their journeys. Speed enforcement will be carried out during the event, and we encourage drivers to comply with all restrictions for their own safety and that of others."
Festival attendees are also being urged to follow the event signage rather than relying solely on their sat nav. Dedicated routes will direct different categories of visitors to the correct locations, including:
Camping entrances
Day / Non-camping ticket parking areas
Drop-off and pick-up points
Staff and authorised vehicle access routes
Motorists who follow sat nav directions alone may be directed to unsuitable routes, causing unnecessary delays for themselves and other road users.
Clementine Hall -
8th August 2025 
