The Darkness have announced their largest headline tour in 20 years, and they’re heading straight to Leeds.
The British glam rockers will be performing seven nights across the UK, including the First Direct Bank Arena.
The Darkness Band of Brothers Tour will include support from the Grammy Award-winning American country rockets Brothers Osborne, as well as UK rock band A.
Earlier this year, the band released their eighth studio album, Dreams On Toast, which has become their most successful album since their debut Permission to Land.
Permission To Land, which spawned the single I Believe in a Thing Called Love, has been revealed as the most successful British rock album of the 21st century.
They’ve been touring across Europe, Australia and the USA with their new music, and soon it’ll be time for their gargantuan headline tour.
The Darkness will be performing at Knebworth Park in support of Iron Maiden next summer, before The Band of Brothers Tour kicks off in winter 2026.
Frontman Justin Hawkins said: “Powerful rock was designed to be played in huge rectangular buildings. Huge rectangular buildings were designed to house powerful rock bands.
“The Darkness are a powerful rock band and the arenas listed below are huge rectangular buildings. Except for the exception which proves the rule. Thank you O2 Arena…
“In December 2026 this elegantly logical proposition will become a reality, driven by three bands consisting of seven brothers.
“Three of them are Perrys, from Lowestoft’s A. Two of them are Osbornes, from the Brothers Osborne. And two of them are my brother Dan and I.
“The Darkness, Brothers Osborne and A, veritable Bands of Brothers, rocking in a huge rectangular (or domed) building – what could be more powerful than that?”
The Darkness will play the First Direct Bank Arena in Leeds on 9 December 2026 with tickets on sale from 10am on Friday 28 November HERE.
Two R&B greats are heading out on a joint headline tour for the very first time, as Ne-Yo and Akon announced the Nights Like This global tour.
Both artists are Grammy Award winners, and each has a formidable back catalogue of chart-topping hits.
For Ne-Yo, that includes songs like Miss Independent, So Sick, and Closer; while for Akon, he's responsible for huge tracks like Smack That, Lonelty, and Right Now (Na Na Na).
Between them, they've shaped and defined radio, nightlife, and pop culture for decades.
This newly-announced tour will see the pair performing on the same stage - for Leeds, that's the First Direct Bank Arena.
They'll perform in a unique back-and-forth set throughout the show, visiting venues right across the UK and Europe, as well as heading across to the USA and Canada.
The nostalgic gigs will feature everything from slow jams to club anthems, with a party atmosphere throughout.
Ne-Yo and Akon will perform at the First Direct Bank Arena on Thursday 30 April 2026, with tickets on sale this Friday 30 January at 10am.
There will be an artist pre-sale on Wednesday 28 January at 10am.
Nights Like This EU/UK 2026 tour dates
Fri 24 Apr – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Mon 27 Apr – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena Newcastle
Tue 28 Apr – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Thu 30 Apr – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Fri 1 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 4 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Birmingham
Loyle Carner to headline Kirkstall Abbey as part of new all-day music event
Clementine Hall
Loyle Carner has been announced as the headliner for ‘Above All Else’ a new curated event that will form part of the Live at Kirkstall Abbey concert series.
Boy oh boy are we excited about this one.
An all-day celebration of music and culture is coming to Kirkstall Abbey, ‘Above All Else’ is a new event from independent Leeds promoters Futuresound with forward-thinking curation at its heart.
And who better to headline its debut than Loyle Carner.
Released last summer, Loyle Carner’s fourth full-length album Hopefully! reasserted his position at the forefront of the UK’s emotionally-charged hip hop movement.
Images: Supplied
First finding his voice in 2013 with the A Little Late EP, it was Loyle Carner’s debut album 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone that brought the artist to national attention and earned himself a Mercury Music Prize nomination and BRIT award nominations for British Breakthrough Act and British Male Solo Artist at just 23 years old.
Joining Loyle Carner at ‘Above All Else’ will be a full supporting line-up including acclaimed Grammy and Ivor-Novello award nominated songwriter Jordan Rakei and Kokoroko, the London based sextet.
Completing the line-up is much-hyped Birmingham rapper Kofi Stone and rising Dublin collective Bricknasty.
Also announced for Live At Kirkstall Abbey 2026 are revered British multi-hyphenates The Streets, reunited Leeds indie heroes The Sunshine Underground, art rock royalty The Maccabees will be performing their only northern gig and the hugely successful Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival is gearing up for a return featuring Dara Ó’Brien, Jason Manford, Lucy Beamount and more.
Kirkstall postcode pre-sale for local residents (LS4, LS5, LS13 & LS18) will open at 10am on Wednesday 28 January here with general sale opening at 10am on Friday 30 January here.
Clementine Hall -
20th November 2025 
