There’s absolutely no stopping the music industry in 2023, with some of the world’s biggest names playing some of the world’s bigger gigs right here in Leeds.
Venues from the First Direct Arena to Temple Newsam to the Belgrave Music Hall are filling up with amazing live shows in the coming 12 months.
Just looking at how busy June will be (again) is enough to make your head spin.
For a lot of the bands heading out on tour this year, it’s their first big run of live dates since pre-Covid.
And if those ticket sales have been anything to go by, audiences are absolutely desperate to get back to live music.
Here are the biggest gigs coming to Leeds and beyond in 2023, and how you can still get tickets.
January
Lewis Capaldi
Saturday 14 January 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: The Scottish singer will be tackling a massive 31-date arena tour, including a night at the First Direct Arena in January. He also confirmed a new album is finally on the way, with Broken By Desire to be Heavenly Sent set for release on 19 May 2023. The Someone You Loved songwriter recently made his long-awaited return to music with the release of single Forget Me, which marked his third UK number one.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: originally £40-£60 on See Tickets but sold out, look out for resale though
The 1975
Monday 23 January 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: Social media has been awash with videos from The 1975’s tour so far (notably Matty Healy’s autotune) and it’s not long until we get to see their At Their Very Best tour for ourselves. They’ll be going right across the country
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: From £46.50 at See Tickets.
February
Florence & The Machine
Saturday 4 February 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: Florence & The Machine will finally be able to crack on with their scheduled Leeds show after lead singer Florence Welch broke her foot on stage. The rescheduled tour is in support of recent album Dance Party.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: Still available, surprisingly! From £42.45 with See Tickets.
March
Loyle Carner
Saturday 25 March – Sunday 26 March 2023 | Belgrave Music Hall
What: Iconic Leeds bar and venue Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen has announced plans to mark its 10th birthday with a full year-long celebration of events, including an intimate residency from critically acclaimed British MC Loyle Carner.
Where: Belgrave Music Hall, Cross Belgrave Street
Tickets: Long gone, thousands of people entered the ballot to win tickets earlier this year
Snoop Dogg
Monday 27 March 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: Snoop Dogg has finally rebooked the gigs that got pushed back during lockdown (then again for other reasons) and will be performing in Leeds with Xzibit as a special guest plus support from Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, Obie Trice and D12, and Irish rap duo Versatile.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: Between £45.50 and £68.50 at See Tickets.
Find out more here.
Michael Buble
Monday 24 April 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: Michael Buble is for life, not just for Christmas – and he’ll prove it when he pops into town with his new album and tour. We’ve got him for two nights this spring.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: They’re starting from £87.50 at Ticketmaster.
Olly Murs
Friday 28 April 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: Olly Murs is back (he stepped back from the music industry for four years but remained on our screens with his TV career) with a new album and a massive UK arena tour. The X Factor alumni will be heading up to Leeds in 2023 with a gig in support of his new album Marry Me.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: Between £32.50 and £59.50 at See Tickets, with good availability.
The James Orchestral Tour
Monday 28 April 2023 | York Barbican
What: James are back, this time with a full orchestra, and heading over to York Barbican in celebration of their 40th anniversary and double album. They’ll also have a gospel choir and new versions of their greatest hits, fan favourites and deep cuts.
Where: York Barbican, Paragon Street, York, YO10 4AH.
Tickets: Currently sold out but waiting list open at See Tickets.
May
Bad Boy Chiller Crew
Thursday 11 May -Friday 12 May 2023 | Leeds O2 Academy
What: Bradford’s own Bad Boy Chiller Crew will be back in Yorkshire, only miles from where their journey all began. The hip-hop group will be back in Leeds, having just announced their 2023 UK tour. The 13 date tour across the month of May 2023 is set to follow from the release of new album Influential, which is due to go on sale earlier in the new year.
Where: O2 Academy, Millennium Square
Tickets: Get tickets for Bad Boy Chiller Crew for the 2023 tour on the Ticketmaster website here
Live At Leeds: In The Park
Saturday 27 May 2023 | Temple Newsam
What: One of Leeds’ most exciting day festivals returns to the park for a second year- and this time it’ll be Two Door Cinema Club headlining the night. Joining the headline act are plenty of bands from near and far that need no introduction. The Lathums, Wigan’s finest, will be performing alongside Tom Walker, Everything Everything, The Big Moon, Black Honey and more besides.
Where: Temple Newsam, Temple Newsam Road, LS15 0AE.
Tickets: general admission prices starting at £60, or £85 for VIP tickets, with all still available on See Tickets.
Slam Dunk Festival
Saturday 25 May 2023 | Temple Newsam
What: The one day alternative festival was born in Leeds in the early 2000s, where regulars at Cockpit will remember bands going head-to-head for a slot on the stadium. This year, the festival is bringing together The Offspring, Enter Shikari, Billy Talent, Bowling For Soup, Yellowcard and more.
Where: Temple Newsam, Temple Newsam Road, LS15 0AE.
Tickets: Ranging from £79 – £89 and available via See Tickets.
Neighbourhood Weekender
Saturday 27 May – Sunday 28 May 2023 | Victoria Park, Warrington
What: A little bit off-patch now, but Neighbourhood Weekender is one of the north west’s biggest and best festivals and draws plenty of Mancs over to Warrington. The first wave of headliners has already been announced and includes Pulp, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, The Kooks, and The Wombats.
Where: Victoria Park, Warrington, WA4 1QN
Tickets: From £127.50 for a weekend ticket or £66.50 for one day, with VIP packages available too. On sale now with See Tickets.
June
Coldplay
Wednesday 31 May – Sunday 4 June 2023 | Ethiad Stadium, Manchester
What: Coldplay, famously, don’t hold back when it comes to their live shows – so you can expect some big things when they rock up to the Etihad Stadium for FOUR sold-out gigs. It’s part of their massive Music of the Spheres tour.
Where: Etihad Stadium, Ashton New Road, Manchester, M11 3FF
Tickets: Good luck… You can try at See Tickets.
Elton John
Tuesday 6 June 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: 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…
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: 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. Keep an eye on Ticketmaster here.
Arctic Monkeys
Friday 9 – Saturday 10 June 2023 | Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
What: Often touted as one of the best live bands on the planet, Arctic Monkeys will be stopping off on home turf at Hillsborough Stadium for two massive outdoors summer gigs. They last played here way back in 2007. Support will come from The Hives and The Mysterines.
Where: Hillsborough Stadium, Parkside Road, Sheffield, S6 2AB
Tickets: Completely sold out obviously, but if they come back to See Tickets you’re looking at £72.50 as the cheapest possible tickets.
Parklife Festival
Saturday 10 June – Sunday 11 June 2023
What: Heaton Park is barely an hour from Leeds, and you’ll find one of the north’s biggest festival will be back next summer, drawing tens of thousands to the region for two days of dance music. Previous headliners have included massive names like Disclosure, 50 Cent, Tyler The Creator, Megan Thee Stallion and Lewis Capaldi. The 2023 line-up is due to land at the end of January.
Where: Heaton Park, Middleton Road, Higher Blackley, Manchester M25 2SW.
Tickets: You need to register here ahead of the final release of tickets, which will be released when the line-up is announced.
Iron Maiden
Wednesday 28 June 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden will bring The Future Past Tour to the AO Arena, featuring songs from Senjutsu and a focus on the iconic 1986 Somewhere In Time.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: They started from £64 on Ticketmaster but are currently all sold out.
July
Sounds of the City
Friday 6 July – Sunday 15 July 2023 | Millenium Square
What: One of Leeds’ biggest gig series will be taking over Millennium Square again in the summer of 2023. Already announced are McFly (6 July), Kasabian (7 July) Blossoms with Miles Kane (8 July), Bastille (13 July), The Wombats (14 July) and Shed Seven (15 July).
Where: Millennium Square, LS2 3AD.
Tickets: Get tickets for Blossoms here and the rest here.
Hollywood Vampires
Saturday 8 July 2023 | AO Arena, Manchester
What: Supergroup Hollywood Vampires have announced a raft of massive UK tour dates – which means A-lister Johnny Depp will be back on stage in Manchester. The band also features Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, of Aerosmith fame.
Where: AO Arena, Hunts Bank, M3 1AR
Tickets: From £47.50 at See Tickets.
Tramlines Festival
Friday 21 July – Saturday 23 July 2023 | Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
What: After a sellout year, Tramlines is set to return for 2023. There’s little information about headliners at present, but there’s a good reason those tickets are flying off the shelves, so keep an eye out for any updates or read about Tramlines 2022 here.
Where: Hillsborough Park, Parkside Road, Sheffield, S6 2AB
Tickets: We’re up to Tier 5 now, pricing tickets at £140, available via See Tickets
August
Leeds Festival
Friday 25 August – Sunday 27 August 2023 | Bramham Park
What: One of the UK’s biggest festivals is back on our turf for another year. Taking to the headliner stage next year will be Tyneside favourite Sam Fender, pop megastar Billie Eilish and rock legends the Killers. Other headliners include Oxford rockers Foals, Scottish singer songwriter Lewis Capaldi and American pop band Imagine Dragons.
Where: Bramham Park
Tickets: A full weekend ticket will set you back £286, with day passes coming in at £101. There’s plenty available on the Leeds Fest website though (for now).
September
Shania Twain
Thursday 28 September 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: The queen of country music has been so busy with her Las Vegas that she hasn’t toured in five years, but that’s all about to change. Shania, a five-time Grammy Award-winner, has announced a huge UK tour and a new album, Queen of Me.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: The cheapest tickets were £83 when the on-sale started – now it’s down to resale tickets which are going for eye-watering prices. Check Ticketmaster and get the credit card ready.
Peter Kay
Friday 15 December 2023 | First Direct Arena
What: There’ll be absolutely no escaping Peter Kay for the next few years (yes, YEARS) as he makes his return to the live comedy circuit after more than a decade out of the spotlight. There are plenty of dates across the north, including a handful in Leeds, Sheffield and a whopping 42 dates in Manchester last time we checked, all the way into 2025, but he keeps adding more. We can’t keep up.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, LS2 8BY
Tickets: Pretty much all gone, remarkably – you can check here for yours.
Feature Image- Live At Leeds Festival
