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Reggae legends UB40 announce massive Leeds arena gig
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UK reggae icons UB40 have just announced a massive run of domestic arena dates, including a huge show right here in Leeds.
The Brummy veterans of the British reggae and ska scene have been going for more than four decades now, blending both pop and rocksteady styles, as well as other Caribbean influences into their music.
A cult favourite group since their inception, whose lineup has always remained fluid – sometimes featuring more than nine different musicians on stage – they’re known for their brilliant live sets just as much as their studio material.
Started by the Campbell family, with four founding members remaining and singer Matt Doyle now serving as the modern lead singer since 2021, there’s still plenty of energy, youth and experience to their spirited gigs.
Revealing a return to Leeds with a gig at the First Direct Bank Arena on Monday morning, 3 November, UB40 have confirmed a total of 13 domestic dates.
While the 66-year-old hasn’t strictly ‘reunited’ with the group, he does star as the main featured artist on the upcoming 2026 tour.
He will also be joined by R’n’B/reggae-fusion artist Maxi Priest, as well as fellow contemporaries, Aswad – another seasoned act who have been making music in the genre and performing live since 1975.
Speaking on the comeback, co-founder Robin Campbell said: “For more than 40 years, we’ve been one of the hardest working touring bands in pop music.
“We aim to have a party every show. As much as we enjoyed our Zoom chats [about more shows] during lockdown, there’s no substitute for the relationship and synergy we have with our live audiences.”
Dropping a definitive UB45 compilation featuring their greatest hits back in April 2024 – and celebrating as many years in their recording career – UB40 are also set to release another new album next year, in line with the fresh UK tour dates.
You can see the rest of their dates, including several up in the North, down below.
- Monday 1 June – Brighton, Brighton Centre
- Wednesday 3 June – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
- Friday 5 June – London – OVO Arena Wembley
- Saturday 6 June – Manchester, AO Arena
- Sunday 7 June – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
- Tuesday 9 June – Hull, Connexin Live
- Thursday 11 June – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
- Friday 12 June – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
- Saturday 13 June – Leeds, First Direct Bank Arena
- Tuesday 16 June – Swansea, Swansea Building Society Arena
- Wednesday 17 June – Plymouth, Pavilions
- Thursday 18 June – Bournemouth, BIC
- Saturday 20 June – Birmingham, BP Pulse Live
Venue presale will be available from the same time on Thursday, before general admission tickets go live on the following Friday (7 Nov).
You can get ready to grab your tickets to see UB40 in Leeds at the First Direct Arena on Saturday, 13 June 2026, right HERE.
Read more: Slam Dunk completes Leeds lineup for 2026 Temple Newsam festival
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Festival-goers can now get cash back for returning their used tents after Leeds Festival
Clementine Hall
Those heading to Leeds Fest this weekend could get some of their money back thanks to a new tent pledge.
And it's all in an attempt to stop festival waste.
Decathlon is encouraging festival-goers to ditch the ‘one and done’ approach to festival camping by offering refunds when used tents are returned. How class is that?
Under the tent pledge, customers can get 100% of the original purchase price back as a Decathlon gift card, or claim up to 50% back in cash, depending on the condition of their tent.
The offer is available on Decathlon’s QUECHUA tents until Sunday 6 September.
It comes as concerns continue to grow around the amount of waste left behind at UK festivals. According to Decathlon, UK festivals generate around 25,800 tonnes of waste every year, while as many as 250,000 tents are abandoned in fields each summer.
But instead of leaving your tent behind, Decathlon is asking campers to bring it back to one of its stores, along with proof of purchase. It really is as simple as that.
Returned tents in good condition will be assessed, cleaned and potentially resold through the retailer’s Second Life programme, giving them another lease of life rather than sending them to landfill.
Customers have got to be Decathlon Members to take part, although membership is free and the retailer says refunds can be transferred to customers’ bank accounts in as little as an hour.
“Our No Tent Life Behind scheme goes from strength to strength each year,” says Chris Allen, Sustainability Leader at Decathlon UK.
“What started as a small-scale initiative has become an important part of how we approach camping and festivals more broadly - encouraging customers to return used equipment, keep valuable materials in circulation, and give more products a second chapter through our Second Life programme.
"This year, we’re helping customers’ pockets as well as our planet. With our new one-hour bank transfer service, we’re providing the flexibility and value needed to turn unused gear into new adventures."
Read more: Leeds Festival warning issued as police announce speed cameras and traffic restrictions
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Fontaines D.C. announce huge Leeds gig on new European tour
Daisy Jackson
Fontaines D.C. are coming to Leeds for a huge headline show as part of their biggest tour to date.
The wildly popular Irish rock band are set to play a whopping 20 arena shows across Europe and the UK this autumn, including a major gig at Leeds' First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour has been announced in celebration of their upcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, which is set for release this October.
Fontaines D.C. will hit the road just five days after the album drops, kicking off their European tour in Lisbon on 21 October.
They'll then make their way over to the UK, with shows in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
The band are set to play the First Direct Bank Arena on Tuesday 24 November, giving Leeds fans the chance to see one of the biggest names in modern rock on their biggest headline tour yet.
The announcement comes as Fontaines D.C. prepare to headline Reading & Leeds Festival, where they'll take to the stage at one of the UK's biggest music events.
They've already released Marianne, the first single from their new album, and frontman Grian Chatten says of the record: "The album itself is a dopamine chamber. You step inside and we test these different mind- or mood-altering pieces of music on you."
The new record has been recorded between London, the English countryside, and Palermo, where Chatten recorded vocals in a makeshift booth built from mattresses and cushions.
He said: "There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity."
Tickets will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 3 September, with pre-sale live from 10am on Tuesday 1 September.
Fans who pre-order Dopamine Chamber from the official store by 6pm on Monday 31 August will gain access to the UK pre-sale.
Tickets will be available HERE.
Fontaines D.C. UK tour dates in full
- Friday 20 November - Liverpool, UK - M&S Bank Arena
- Saturday 21 November - Manchester, UK - AO Arena
- Sunday 22 November - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
- Tuesday 24 November - Leeds, UK - First Direct Bank Arena
- Wednesday 25 November - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
- Friday 27 November - London, UK - The O2 Arena
Featured image: Elizaveta Porodina
Danny Jones -
3rd November 2025 
