Light Night Leeds, Leeds annual festival of light and art, will return to the city next month it has been confirmed.
Landing in the city centre across two days in October, the major event will shine a light on the city as it brings with it a host of gorgeous artworks showcasing a. brilliant display of light and art.
For the past 17 years, the festival has long been an annual occurrence in the city and one we always look forward to.
Initially in January organisers had warned that restrictions may get in the way, but with the progress made on the recovery roadmap its now possible for it to go ahead in full swing - with organisers confirming it will return.to the city centre over two incredible nights in October,
Some of Leeds's most recognisable indoor and outdoor spaces will be transformed, with local, national and international artists all contributing new spectacular pieces to this year's festival.
Inviting people to see the city in a new light and discover free arts events across the city centre, the festival will bring everything from large-scale light projections and interactive installations to music, dance and street performances next month.
Confirming the event will go ahead, organisers recently posted to the festival's Facebook page saying:
"*Big News Klaxon* We’re very excited to announce that #LightNightLeeds will be returning on the 14th & 15th October!
"The UK’s largest annual light art festival will be back, and although there will be a slightly reduced programme due to current restrictions, we will once again be shining a light on our amazing city with a whole host of spectacular artworks.
"We’ll have more information for you over the coming weeks including; this year’s theme, sneak peeks at our amazing design work from Lee Goater, a look at which festival partners are supporting this year’s event and, of course, news on what artworks will be featured at this year’s festival.
"So make sure you are following us for all the updates and we can’t wait to see you in the autumn!
Taking place on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 October 2021, the festival is currently also on the hunt for volunteers to assist.
Promising the chance to meet new people and see some great art, if you are interested they've directed people to get in touch via email.
Leeds Pride has confirmed the dates for its 2026 festival, which will mark the event’s 20th anniversary this summer.
And you bet that organisers are pulling out all the stops.
The city-wide celebration champions local LGBTQ+ talent alongside world-class headline acts, and this year for the first time ever, celebrations will be held across two days on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026.
The festival’s first performer has been announced as Strictly Come Dancing Icon & RuPaul’s Drag Race Star La Voix, who will be taking to the main stage.
Image: Supplied
And it doesn't stop there, Leeds Pride will feature a full weekend of diverse events, including the Leeds Pride Drag Brunch Fest, street parties across the city and of course the iconic Pride parade, which is set to be even bigger and better than ever before.
A Leeds Pride spokesperson said: "We're incredibly excited to celebrate 20 years of Leeds Pride. This milestone anniversary represents two decades of bringing our community together, championing LGBTQ+ voices and creating unforgettable moments.
Images: Supplied
“Leeds Pride is growing and stronger than ever and we're committed to giving Northern LGBTQ+ performers a platform to shine. This 20th anniversary festival will be our biggest and best yet, but as we expand, we need public and sponsor support more than ever to make our vision a reality. We're calling on businesses and individuals to get behind Leeds Pride and help us deliver an incredible celebration that our community deserves.
“Expanding to two days for the first time shows just how far we've come, and we can't wait to welcome everyone back to Leeds this summer for what will be our most spectacular Pride yet."
More details will be announced soon and you can find out more here on the Leeds Pride website.
This UK pub chain has announced bottomless Guinness for the 2026 Six Nations
Danny Jones
Guinness and the Six Nations has got to be a match made in heaven.
With the 2026 Six Nations tournament kicking off last Friday Thursday, 5 February – it's safe to say rugby fans across Leeds will be set on finding the perfect place to watch the upcoming matches.
However, we can’t think of many other places offering bottomless black gold in town, let alone anywhere else in Leeds.
So, if you were still unsure of where to watch this year’s tournament, the Social Pub and Kitchen group might have just made the decision for you…
That’s right, this widespread British chain is looking to keep the pints flowing throughout the duration of this year’s competition, thanks to a twist on their standard bottomless brunch format.
Image: Social Pub and Kitchen Group
Running for every single televised meeting between the much-loved half dozen rugby union teams, all 103 of their locations across the country will be providing this impressive offer on pints.
Here in Leeds, the Dry Dock, The Library and the Hyde Park Hotel will be offering the deal.
As well as these nearby venues, there are obviously plenty more around Yorkshire for those slightly further afield.
With a new food menu too, which features several honey-based dishes like the sweet sriracha pizza, chipotle loaded fries, as well as honey chipotle chicken wings, the matchday scran is on point.
So too are the drinks, clearly, and if any of your party wants to stray away from the bottomless Guinness, there are series of special Six Nations-themed cocktails, such as the ‘Midnight in Dublin’, a ‘Peach on the Pitch’ margarita, Baby Velvet, and the bold ‘G-Bomb’.
Yes, we suspect it is as boozy as it sounds.
Running throughout February and March whilst the games are on, we imagine plenty of people will be making at least one Social Pub and Kitchen site their chosen destination for watching all the action.
Even if you happen to be reading this outside of Leeds, you can find your nearest Social Pub and Kitchen and book your table right HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd September 2021 
