The summer months are truly on the horizon, and Leeds is hotting up with exciting events, gigs, festivals and so much more.
Let's kick off Summer the right way then, shall we?
Leeds not only looks bloomin' beautiful in the sunshine, but it's also buzzing with fantastic things to do. This week we've got some major music legends taking to a stage near you, pub quizzes, food festivals and a whole host of other fun bits and bobs.
Keep reading to find out more.
Headrow House Pub Quiz
Tuesday 6 June 2023 | Headrow House, Leeds City Centre
Image: Headrow House
The Headrow House pub quiz is something quite special. Located in their huge beer hall, nestled amongst their sixty plus lines of beers from around the world, they promise a night of quizzes and games: start with the pub quiz and if you’re successful, your prize will be selected when you spin the wheel of fortune.
Head down to Headrow House for 6.30 pm on a Tuesday evening and take full advantage of their free entry and grab a pint before getting your game face on.
Find out more here.
Elton John’s last ever performance in Leeds
Tuesday 6 June 2023 | First Direct Arena, Arena Way
Elton John. / Image: Publicity picture
Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour is finally set to arrive in town this summer after being rescheduled for health reasons, with just one night at Leeds’ First Direct Arena. It’s set to be his last-ever tour and has around 300 dates – so you can imagine what the demand for tickets has been like… Tickets are priced between £51 and £899 (that is not a typo), tickets are very much sold out, but you might be able to get some resale tickets.
Two of Leeds' best restaurants are collaborating for two nights of absolute deliciousness. Chefs from pasta hot spot Sarto will be swapping with the chefs from flame-cooking favourite Ox Club, they'll be taking a crack at each other's signature dishes and we're certain it will be amazing.
Ilkley Food and Drink Festival
Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 June 2023 | East Holmes Field, Ilkley
Image: Ilkley Food and Drink Festival
Just 25 minutes from Leeds, you’ll find the perfect day trip to add to any weekend itinerary, Ilkley Food and Drink Festival. Put your feet up on the deck chairs and soak in the summer sun with an ice cream in one hand and a burger in the other. Up in Ilkley, there’s two full days of street food venders, bars, fine artisan markets, live cooking demos to explore.
It's no surprise that Revolution Electric Press are pros when it comes to bottomless brunches, and their new extended two hour brunch is unmissable.
Expect a huge range of delicious food, tasty tipples and a brilliant party atmosphere. What's better is that they host it every single day of the week with bookings up to 6pm, so you can have a bottomless on a Monday afternoon if you fancy it, we're not judging.
News
Leeds has been crowned the best city in the UK for foodies outside of London
It's fantastic news for our city as Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for foodies.
It's news that we've been pretty certain of for some time, but it's still nice to be recognised isn't it?
It comes from a new study carried out by credit card brand Aqua who analysed 30 major UK cities across a range of dining and social media metrics, including cuisine variety, restaurant availability, meal affordability, Michelin recognition and TikTok hashtag volumes.
Coming in at number on was, of course, London.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
With 47 cuisines, 22.5 restaurants per 10,000 residents and 81 Michelin-starred establishments, the capital unsurprisingly continues to dominate the UK’s culinary scene.
But in at number two was our glorious city of Leeds, supported by the highest restaurant density in the study, with 38.5 establishments per 10,000 people, and strong affordability compared with cities in the south.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We will absolutely take that.
Other northern spots to feature on the list include Sheffield and Bradford in sixth and eighth place.
The top ten UK cities for foodies are:
London
Leeds
Nottingham
Edinburgh
Wolverhampton / Leicester
Sheffield
Birmingham / Glasgow
Bradford / Swansea
Preston
Milton Keynes
Here in Leeds we've got so many fabulous food spots, with new openings cropping up every month it's hard to keep track.
From the multi award-winning Bavette Bistro in Horsforth to the highly acclaimed indie Bundobust that started off in Leeds - you certainly won't find yourself hungry or at a loss for somewhere to eat here.
Sheffield amongst nine areas to be long listed for UK City of Culture 2029
Clementine Hall
It's big news for Sheffield as the city has officially been long listed to become the UK City of Culture in 2029.
It’s one of just nine places across the country to make the cut, alongside the likes of Blackpool, Portsmouth and Wrexham.
Winning the title could bring huge investment to Sheffield, thousands of visitors, and a massive spotlight on everything that makes our city special - and let’s be honest, Sheffield’s got plenty to shout about.
From music and film to art and grassroots creativity, culture runs right through this city, and it would be a huge achievement to receive this title.
So, what happens now? Each arena will now receive £60,000 to develop a full application with the aim to build a vibrant cultural programme by 2028.
The nine confirmed long listed locations are: Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "For far too long, opportunity has not been shared equally across the country. The UK City of Culture and new UK Town of Culture competitions recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation.
"I look forward to seeing what the nine long listed places have in store as they progress in the competition. I also urge any towns thinking about entering the UK Town of Culture competition to seize this opportunity and get involved. It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people."
Go on Sheffield, we're rooting for you big time. We can't think of a city more worthy.
Clementine Hall -
5th June 2023 
