We really thought we’d seen the last of this stormy weather for a while.
It’s half term and all we’ve done is watched northern downpours soak our city, leaving few hours to get out and about during daylight hours. Whilst we may usually prefer to go to the park or get together outdoors, given the freezing temperatures and flood warnings, we reckon we’re better off staying inside for the time being.
Grab your raincoat and get yourself out the house before the weather tempts you back to a cuppa, the telly and the sofa: there’s so much in Leeds to explore indoors.
Keep reading to discover some of our top picks for things to do in Leeds when it’s raining, from the best places to soak up a bit of culture to gaming spots and more.
Curling at Roxy Lanes
The ice curling lane at the newly opened Roxy Lanes at The Light is free of ice and full of surprises, so leave your snow boots at the door and be one of the first to take on the latest must-try activity in Leeds. The idea is that you slide stones down the smooth surface, like normal curling and try to hit the bullseye. As one of the only rinks of its kind in the UK, you can bet that places at the curling lanes will be few and far between so make sure to book well in advance.
To anyone that’s previously visited a Roxy Lanes venue, you’re in for a treat. You’ll already know how exciting the games are and how tasty those pizzas are, but with their new venue comes a new place to grab a pint and play some pool, and it’s a whopping three times the size of their old venue over on Bond Street.
Read More: Roxy Lanes has just opened the first ice curling lane in Leeds
Axe Throwing at Whistlepunks
Whether you’re looking to let out some rage or just have a bit of fun pretending you’re a Canadian lumberjack tossing an axe in the woods, Whistle Punks Leeds has got you covered at its new home in Millenium Square. Housed inside the former All Bar One unit, inside you’ll find four throwing lanes, a bar offering craft drinks and a decent sourdough pizza menu all under one roof. The thrill-seeking company has cornered the urban axe-throwing market in recent years – with three successful sites already established in Manchester, London and Bristol.
Whistlepunks was the first company to bring axe-throwing entertainment to the UK and has helped players throw an estimated 10 million axes since first opening its doors here in 2016.
Read More: Inside new axe-throwing bar Whistle Punks now open in Leeds
Visit Leeds Art Gallery
This striking building on the Headrow is one of Leeds’ most beautiful – containing above its doors the city’s oldest civic sculpture: a marble statue of Queen Anne that dates back to 1712. Inside the Grade II-listed building, you’ll find an impressive collection of 20th-century works deemed by the British government in 1997 to be of ‘national importance.’
This half term, there’s a family trail around the gallery, as well as a massive collage building activity inspired by the work of Eileen Agar to get involved in. If you’d rather soak up the paintings on show, the Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy is the latest exhibition to take its place inside the gallery, and there’s over 100 paintings, collages, photographs and archive material to view.
Trapp’d Escape Room
Located next to Elland Road stadium, there’s three different escape rooms to choose from at Trapp’d. Choose from Salem, a modern-day reimagining of the old folk-tales of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692; Victor Frankenstein’s Reanimation, which is all about creating a monster before lightening strikes and VX 2.0, a futuristic battle against chemical weapons set in 2040.
You’ll have 60 minutes to complete your task and win bragging rights for life so bring a combination of your smartest friends to help you understand the clues and your funniest mates so you can have a laugh too.
Karaoke at Roxy Ballroom
Three intimate karaoke booths are available for hire every day at the Merrion Street venue and thanks to their innovative Singa system, every song imaginable is available for a sing-a-long. All karaoke experiences are charged by the hour, ranging from £24 Sunday – Wednesday and a peak rate of £30 per hour every Thursday – Saturday.
Concerts may have returned to their former glory in Leeds, but given that we can’t seem to get tickets for anything until late 2022, these karaoke rooms is a unique solution- let’s just hope that your friends aren’t as tone deaf as you’re expecting.
Team Sport Go Karting
Adrenaline junkies can’t go wrong with a spot of go-karting at Team Sport. After watching a quick safety video and getting all your driving equipment, you’ll be in your kart zooming around the court in no time living out your best race car driver life. The track here is state of the art with flyover and electronic timing, so you know you’ll be taken good care of.
For fast, furious and fully adrenalised four-wheeled thrills, you know where to go. The company have 35 venues across the UK and have just hosted the first ever British Indoor Karting Championship, BIKC.
Bottomless Brunch at Revs de Cuba
Serving up a bottomless brunch from 11 am, with availability stretching until 2 pm, this is the place to get your booze-fuelled foodie fix whilst you wait out the storm on a rainy day. Pick from the likes of Aperol spritz, strawberry daiquiris and bloody marys, or opt for pints of Mahou, glasses of Prosecco, or low-alcohol choices like their Spanish shandy and Disaronno fizz. On the mains, meanwhile, tuck into classic brunch dishes like smashed avocado toast, chorizo hash and full English or opt for something a little different – like Rev’s breakfast burrito.
Bottomless brunch is an option every single day of the week at Revolucion de Cuba, making it the perfect spot to grab a cold one (or five) and while away the afternoon, just try and book in advance to avoid disappointment- so check the weather forecast.
Read More: Revolucion De Cuba add 7-piece gospel choir to its bottomless brunch
Jackrabbits Pottery, Roundhay
Painting pottery is a great way to relax and while away an afternoon when it’s pouring it down outside. The way it works at this paint-your-own pottery studio is you pick a piece from one of their creations – be that a jug, a plate, piggy banks, animals, plaques, baubles, coasters – to paint, then one of their team members will guide you through the process to ensure you leave with something you’ll be proud to display at home.
Located on Roudhay Road, this rainy day spot is beautiful pottery studio is the perfect rainy-day activity for children and adults alike. Specialising in sentimental baby print items, Jackrabbits Pottery offers light food and drink so you can spend all day long relaxing with a paintbrush in their studio.
Read More: The best things to do in Roundhay at the weekend
Visit Royal Armouries Museum
The Royal Armouries has some seriously incredible artefacts that are perfect to inspect on a rainy day,but the most impressive has to be the 16th century elephant armour on display. Brought to the UK in 1801 by the Governor of Madras’ former wife, it’s the biggest known piece of animal armour to exist in the world. Find it at The Royal Armouries alongside a host of other intriguing displays.
Whilst there’s so much to get involved in at the museum space itself, the conference centre at Royal Armouries also hosts a range of exciting indoor events, including themed dinners from famous 80s TV shows like Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses- perfect for a rainy day or evening.
Read More: There’s a Fawlty Towers Dinner Comedy Show coming to Leeds
Shuffleboard at The Box
Shuffleboard fans are in for a treat at BOX, which boasts two of the biggest tables you can find in the city. The sports bar is also known for its cracking pizzas, so if you’re heading down might as well make an afternoon of it and get one of their signature chicken katsu bad boys down you whilst you play a few games.
There’s also all the Six Nation games, and the best football games all shown at either of the City Centre or Headingley venues, so grab a seat and wash down some pints in the company of likeminded people on a rainy day.
Feature Image- Joshua Coleman, Unsplash
