As soon as there’s an opportunity to head up to a rooftop terrace or grab an ice cream, it doesn’t matter what city you’re in, everyone’s clearing their plans to make the most of those rays of sunshine (because, let’s face it, we’re in Britain and it never lasts long).
The truth is there's seemingly unlimited spaces to spend our days basking in the sunshine in Leeds, if you know where to look.
The city and its suburbs are packed with natural beauty, but regardless of whether you’re just visiting or a long-time Leeds local, it can feel overwhelming choosing a space to soak up the sunshine.
That's where our handy guide comes in. We've rounded up some of the best places in the city to hang out whatever your day looks like. From beer gardens and rooftop terraces to parks and ice cream shops, keep reading to find our top picks for the summer in Leeds…
Rooftop Terraces
Image: The Hoot LeedsImage: The Hoot Leeds
Rooftop bars are something Leeds does best - how many other cities (well, cities of our size) can say that they host live DJ sets, frozen cocktails and all with skyline views of the city all around the centre?
Naturally Headrow House and Belgrave are an easy go-to.Always recommended to our team by locals and packed with daytime drinkers looking for a cocktail offer at Headrow and a side of loaded fries to share over wine at Belgrave, it's a must try for newbies on a day trip to Leeds.
Having been open for 10 and 8 years respectively, the rooftop bars are sharing our city's love for drinks in the sky with the likes of Green Room hidden on Wellington Street. Having been open for just over a year, this place has already been named as one of the best rooftops in Europe - and with beautiful greenery intertwined between long benches and a bar stocked with local draught pints.Plus, there's also the newly opened IF... Rooftop bringing frozen margaritas and BBQ classics to the masses, having taken over the former East Parade Social site just a few short months ago.
Parks
When it comes to green spaces, Leeds welcomes plenty of benches to nip out for an alfresco morning meeting or spend the afternoon playing around with the whole family alike.
Naturally, Roundhay Park is often a popular choice. As one of the biggest city parks in Europe, spanning a whopping 800 acres, Roundhay has welcomed guests to its children’s play area, woodland walks or riverside strolls for just over 200 years. Av
Park Square is the metropolitan hangout for office workers seeking sunshine on their lunch hour and is often packed out with deck chairs and picnic blankets - grab yourself a sarnie or salad from indie Italian kitchen La Piola just on the corner and truly transport yourself to the Mediterranean without leaving Leeds.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Festival goers might recognise Temple Newsam as home of Live At Leeds: In The Park and Slam Dunk North festival, but there's plenty of walking routes to explore through the estate too. The 4.7km walk around the perimeter offers strolls through peaceful fields, all just five miles from the city centre.
Leeds Dock isn't just for boats and walking around the Royal Armouries, if you head over to Knight's Way Bridge you'll find a little spot of grass between where the River Aire and canalside that's a little picnic point - just be careful since it's near the water's edge.
Beer Gardens
These days it feels as if you can't walk two steps without finding a pub on the corner - but how do you strike the perfect balance of a friendly but bustling atmosphere without picking a space too cramped?
Waterlane Boat House on Granary Wharf has been recognised as one of the best beer gardens in England, according to Big 7 Travel - and with plenty of outdoor seating overlooking the canalside, it's no wonder it's one of the busiest watering holes in the city on a summer day.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those familiar with the Netflix smash hit movie Bank of Dave might recognise the Duck and Drake on Kirkgate as one of the city's favourite beer gardens. Between quirky details like old maps of Leeds and shaded corners to seek refuge from the sunlight, it's everything you'd want from a good old fashioned pub.
Over in the suburbs you're not short of big beer gardens either - famous for its cricket viewings and as an Otley Run stop on the weekends, the Original Oak in Headingley as well as The Mustard Pot in Chapel Allerton are both perfect for whiling the afternoon away in sun drenched settings.
And who could forget about the plethora of breweries with huge outdoor spaces, welcoming punters with open arms over the summer months? North Brewing Co's Springwell is perfect for soaking up the sunshine over in Sheepscar whilst Kirkstall is home to (you guessed it) Kirkstall Brewery, which boasts plenty of outdoor seating - and it's only a breezy 15 minute walk from the city centre.
Ice Cream Shops
Who doesn't love an ice cream in the sunshine? With much-loved the Mr Whippy van now departed from Roundhay Park, we've been on the hunt for a new ice cream regular - but luckily we're not short of places to visit in Leeds.
Kult Gelato serves bright purple ube ice cream, either as soft serve or by the scoop on the cone or even inside a brioche bun to make a 'doughlato'.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Inside Leeds Kirkgate Market, you'll find Roberto Authentic Italian Gelato where a whole host of different seasonal flavours of gelato are created every day. Combining the best produce from Yorkshire and Tuscany, there's not just gelato here but coffee, sarnies and even ice cream for four legged friends.
And for those looking for a truly Insta-worthy ice cream, Amorino creates gorgeous ice cream cones in the shape of flowers. Choose from unique flavours like organic blood orange, amaretti biscuit, tiramisu and bergamot, or even get your ice cream fix inside a cake, crepe or macaron.
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just a weeks time, and we've got everything you need to know.
This year, the markets are looking a little bit different than before as outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi have stepped up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular.
They're organising a market where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
So, let's get into it...
Opening dates and timings
The Leeds Christmas Markets will kick off from Thursday 19 November and run until Wednesday 23 December. So that's almost five weeks of festivities flooding the city, and plenty of time for you to make the most of it.
The markets will be open 7 days a week, the exact timings are:
The main stalls and street food will be located at City Square, here you will also find the main Christmas tree and two THOR's bars.
Ice Cube at Millennium Square will also be making a return, here you'll find rides, an ice rink and more food and drink. This is separate to what is being run by THOR's this year, though.
There will be plenty of other festive activities taking place throughout the city throughout November and December, you can find out more and view the Leeds Christmas map here.
Food
Okay, now we can get onto the good stuff.
We all know that the highlight of the markets is the food, and this year there's going to be more independent and local trader than ever before.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
From Leeds' very own Italian street food restaurant Stuzzi to homemade mini tiramisu drawers, you're going to want to arrive feeling very peckish at these markets that's for sure.
The current full list of street food vendors at City Square is as follows:
Cut & Craft (steak and chips)
Beth Bakes Cakes (hot chocolate fudge cake)
Misu Tiramisu (mini tiramisu drawers)
Crumble pots (crumble)
La Grassa (Italian-American sandwiches)
Chocolate Circus (stacked hot chocolates)
Stuzzi (Italian street food)
Street Kings Bratwurst (traditional bratwurst)
Johnsons' Toffee (homemade toffee and fudge)
The Savvy Baker (sweet treats and hot cookie dough)
Irish spice bags
Churros
Drink
Closely following behind food, a good old tipple is what many of us venture to the markets for.
This year, alongside a few mulled wine stalls in city square, THOR's will be doing what they do best and opening two brand-new outdoor bars to really get you in the spirit.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
You can pick from a Scottish Highland Lodge and a Folie Ski Bar, both designed to welcome large groups with their own themed drinks and cosy interiors. You can read more about these bars here.
Not only that, but they'll be a specialist coffee trader as well as a matcha trader if you don't fancy anything alcoholic.
Shopping
The Leeds Christmas Markets isn't just about eating and drinking, it's also about browsing and shopping for those last minute Christmas gifts or gorgeous knick-knacks to decorate your home with over the festive season.
Here's your list of traders to buy gifts from at City Square:
Stump Cross (natural crystal jewellery, fossils and more)
House of the Trembling Madness (festive craft beer cans)
Real Markets Yorkshire (lots of goodies made in Yorkshire)
Yorkshire Print Company (Yorkshire-inspired artwork)
Paper Starlights (handmade paper lanterns)
Scents of Christmas (handcrafted decorations)
Kakuwi (homemade crafts sourced across India and Nepal)
Audio North’s Artist of the Month – The Wranglers | November 2026
Declan Kelly
It’s time to bring a whole lot of country music to the North.
Country music might traditionally have you thinking of Nashville, cowboy boots, and American highways, but there's a new generation of artists proving you don't have to cross the Atlantic to find a good country tune.
Meet The Wranglers - a Leeds-based band who are bringing a whole lot of country to the North's music scene, with big vocals, infectious energy, and a sound that feels just as at home in a packed festival field as it does in a Nashville honky-tonk.
Formed in April 2024, the independent band have wasted little time making their mark on the UK's growing country music scene. The Wranglers have been championing the sort of live performances that are about more than simply playing a setlist, inviting audiences into a world of storytelling, freedom, heart and a little bit of country-rock chaos.
Their sound takes inspiration from some of music's biggest names (think Bruce Springsteen, Journey, and Foreigner) while bringing in the more modern country influences of Luke Combs, The Shires, and Lady A.
It's this combination of classic rock influences and contemporary country that gives the band their own identity. Whether it's a summer anthem, a power ballad, or something exploring darker themes of lust and betrayal, their songwriting is rooted in storytelling and the ability to make people feel something.
And if there's one thing The Wranglers want you to know, it's that their music is best experienced live.
Credit: SuppliedCredit: Supplied
With lead vocalists Milly Ballington and Leo Hicks at the front, alongside Dylan Wilson on lead guitar, Sian Keates on drums, and Sean Robinson on bass, the five-piece put showmanship at the heart of everything they do. Expect plenty of audience participation, powerful vocals, and the kind of stage presence that makes it difficult to stand still.
Since forming, they've already found themselves performing at some of the UK's most exciting country music destinations, including The Long Road Festival and Lil' Nashville in London, while continuing to build a dedicated following back home in Leeds.
Their debut single, 'Rewind', arrived in 2025, giving listeners an introduction to their original sound. They've since continued to build on that momentum with 'Freedom in the Rain', released in August 2026, and their latest single 'Ghost', showing there's plenty more to come from the band.
It's not just about getting their music out there, either. With a headline show at Leeds' Oporto among their recent milestones, The Wranglers are continuing to put their hometown firmly on the map as they take their country sound further afield.
For a band that only came together in 2024, there's already plenty to shout about. But with new music, live performances and a growing audience behind them, it feels like they're only just getting started.
So, if you've been looking for your next country music obsession, it might be time to give The Wranglers a listen. After all, you don't need to be in Nashville to have a little bit of country in your life.
Sophie Smith -
20th July 2023 
