Plans to increase the crowd capacity to 69,999 at Roundhay Park have been approved.
It would make Roundhay Park one of the biggest outdoor venues in the UK.
Councillors voted on whether or not to increase the capacity of the park from its current limit of 19,999 to 69,999 at a recent Leeds City Council meeting.
The plans have been approved, although for just two weekends of events throughout the year. But hey, it's better than nothing right?
Roundhay Park has seen some incredible music events in the past, welcoming huge names such as Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and The Rolling Stones.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Most recently, the capacity was raised for the Ed Sheeran gigs back in 2019.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council told the Yorkshire Evening Post that the announcement stands as an "important boost to the local economy."
They said: They said: “We can confirm that our application for a variation of the premises licence for Roundhay Park has been successful.
"As a result, the maximum capacity for outdoor events at the park – which has been set at 19,999 since 2019 – now stands at 69,999. The application was approved by members of the council’s licensing committee following a meeting held on August 18.
“The increased capacity means the council can once again potentially facilitate larger-scale entertainment events at Roundhay, which has in the past played host to concerts by legendary music names such as the Rolling Stones, Madonna and U2.
“Any similar events in the future would provide an important boost to the local economy while also raising Leeds’s profile, both nationally and internationally. We will continue to liaise closely with residents and stakeholders on matters relating to the use of the park, and are fully committed to ensuring that it remains a wonderful place to visit all year round.”
Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, kicking off a run of arena dates here in Leeds.
The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad 'You're Beautiful', is hitting the road again in 2027.
The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.
James Blunt will kick off his tour here in Leeds next spring, with a massive show at the First Direct Arena.
Then he'll head to more cities including Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be 'exhilarating'.
James has already released the first single, 'Tastes Like Summer', and 'Weight Of It All', with 10 more songs to come on the record.
Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who'll be back on tour with him next year.
Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: "Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury."
James Blunt will be at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 26 March, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.
Major DJ has set cancelled as overcrowding concerns continue at Leeds Festival
Clementine Hall
After closing for the entire second day, The Warehouse stage at Leeds Festival has once again been forced to evacuate.
One of the most anticipated dance acts of the day has been cancelled due to health and safety concerns just moments before the set.
Sheffield DJ Silva Bumpa was due to take to The Warehouse stage today at 1:30pm, but the set was cancelled due to overcrowding.
It's not the first time this has happened at Leeds Festival 2026, as yesterday Omar+'s set was cancelled due to the same issue and the stage was subsequently closed for the rest of the day.
The Warehouse stage is completely new for this year, and supposedly is designed specifically for dance music...which is quite ironic.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Silva Bumpa said: "So so sorry Leeds Fest but due to over crowding my set was cancelled last min I was just behind the stage and got told right before such a massive shame."
Prospa, another prominent DJ who's set was cancelled at Reading on Friday afternoon, spoke up on the situation: "We are disappointed in The Warehouse stage closure at Reading Festival. We were told it wasn't possible to play whilst on the way. This was due to too many people outside the stage.
"We have seen this happen before at larger festivals in the UK. It's time to double the capacity of tents or put dance music on the main stage."
It comes after another dance stage, LS23, was closed mid-set last night due to a health and safety hazard when all the lights suddenly switched off and ravers were forced to evacuate.
If yesterday is anything to go by, we wouldn't be surprised if The Warehouse was closed for the rest of the day which means anticipated sets from Rossi and Mall Grab will also be cancelled.
Clementine Hall -
28th August 2025 
