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Simply Red announce huge Leeds anniversary gig at First Direct Arena
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Simply Red have announced a massive homecoming gig in Leeds to celebrate 40 years of the legendary band.
The special UK and Ireland arena tour will bring them to the First Direct Arena.
Simply Red, fronted by Mick Hucknall, were formed in Manchester way back in 1985 and went on to sell more than 60 million albums worldwide.
With 13 studio albums, five of which made it to the top of the UK albums chart, Simply Red also hold the rare crown for having the best-selling album for two years on the trot with their classic record Stars.
And now to celebrate their 40 year milestone, the band are heading back out on the road… in 2025.
Yeah, it’s a while to wait…
Mick Hucknall said: “Simply Red are turning 40! We’re looking forward to marking this special milestone with you all in 2025 on our UK tour.
“Fans can expect to hear all their favourite Simply Red tracks from 1985 to the present, and enjoy a memorable night celebrating the incredible journey that we’ve been on together over the past four decades.”
Simply Red will be at the First Direct Arena, Leeds on Friday 26 October 2025.
Other dates on the tour include two shows at the O2 in London, plus gigs in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, to name a few.
General sale tickets go on sale from Thursday 21 September at 10am through See Tickets.
Simply Red tour dates in full
September 2025
- Tuesday 23 – Belfast SSE Arena
- Wednesday 24 – Dublin 3 Arena
- Friday 26 – Leeds First Direct Arena
- Saturday 27 – Manchester Co-op Live
- Sunday 28 – Glasgow OVO Hydro Arena
October
- Wednesday 1 – Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
- Friday 3 – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
- Saturday 4 – Birmingham Utilita Arena
- Sunday 5 – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
- Tuesday 7 – Brighton Centre
- Thursday 9 – London The O2
- Friday 10 – London The O2
Read more: Keane announce huge 20th-anniversary world tour of their debut album
News
Horsforth Brewery to takeover and save beloved Ilkley tap house
Clementine Hall
A renowned brewery have announced that they will be taking over the reigns of a popular craft beer bottle shop in Ilkley.
Fuggle & Golding opened in 2015 on Leeds road in Ilkley and quickly grew a loyal following with locals and visitors alike.
Sadly they announced last month that their last day of trading would be Saturday 28 February, news which was met with huge disappointment.
However this is no longer the case, as Horsforth Brewery is set to reopen the venue on Wednesday. Hooray!
Announcing the welcomed news to Instagram, Horsforth Brewery wrote: "When we saw they were going to close we were determined to not lose another great venue from the local beer scene.
"We owe a massive thank you to George and the landlord for getting a deal across the line in quick order.
"We’re going to take a few days to put our stamp on the place and then we will be open on Wednesday!"
"Obviously we will be stocking our beers here but as anyone who knows will know, we love the beer scene so we will continue to have a good amount of guest beer on as well. We’ll even been joining in with the biggest beer launches from around the country.
"Want to know the best news? We’re doing this solo. No outside interests, no investors, no debt. In the current climate being able to organically grow like this is so so hard and it’s thanks to all our team that we’ve been able to do this.
"We’ve always been determined to grow our business in a healthy and sustainable way; it may have (absolutely has) been tough over the years but we’ve got ourselves in a position to take us to the next level in a sustainable way."
Read more: Inside Leeds’ newest Italian cafe and gelateria that’s inspired by the streets of Puglia
Featured images - The Hoot Leeds
News
Beloved late night Leeds cocktail bar The Maven announces permanent closure
Clementine Hall
"After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors"
It's a sad day for the Leeds night life scene, as a beloved speakeasy bar has today announced that it will be closing its doors for good.
The Maven has been a firm favourite for many years with those looking to enjoy some experimental and expertly made cocktails.
Hidden behind an unassuming door at the top of Call Lane, it was a great spot to visit if you were looking for something that little bit special.
Announcing the news to their social media, The Maven said: "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for being our guests over the years and promise that until then, we'll do our best to give you the best nights out on Call Lane."
The post continued: "After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors on the 28th of March.
"Rest assured every booking will be honoured. Every cocktail poured properly. The lights stay low. The music stays on. We’re not done yet.
"Thank you for being our guests - we hope you'll join us for the final chapter and celebrate all things Maven this month."
Comments have been flooding in with fans expressing their sadness and praising them for their 'best spicy margs' and fond memories spent at The Maven.
So make sure to pop by and cheers to The Maven before its gone for good.
Read more:
Featured images - The Hoot Leeds
Daisy Jackson -
19th September 2023 
