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The Leeds bar playing FOUR hours of non-stop Taylor Swift hits

The Hoot - 12th September 2022

After the success of Swiftogeddon at Belgrave in May, the club night is back and bringing a four hours session of non-stop Taylor Swift hits.

Swiftogeddon will be taking over Belgrave Music Hall for a night of back-to-back hits from the pop sensation.

Every song on the playlist will be either an original hit, a deep cut, or an extended mix of Taylor Swift's massive back catalogue.

With nine studio albums under her belt (as well as those re-released versions), there'll be plenty of bangers to go at.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Taylor_Swift_6966830273.jpeg — Taylor Swift. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The event organisers say: "Swiftogeddon is a night run by fans, for fans to come together and worship at the altar of Taylor Swift.

"The greatest songwriter of her generation? That's not for us to say. But if it were, then we would say: absolutely yes. Who else has articulated the emotions of love, life and growing up better than Taylor, over the course of her nine amazing albums?

"Do you go to sleep at night dreaming of Shaking It Off? Did you go to both nights at Wembley on the Reputation tour? (We did.) Then this night is Taylor-made for you! Join fellow fans in a celebration of the genius of the Swift - because she'll never go out of style."

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Gig-goers at Belgrave Music Hall will be treated to versions of hits like Shake It Off, Blank Space, ... Ready For It?, and Lover, spanning all the way back to 2006.

Taylor is one of the most successful musicians of all time, earning 11 Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, 34 American Music Awards, 25 Billboard Music Awards and 56 Guinness World Records.

Swiftogeddon will take over Belgrave Music Hall on Saturday 25 September, from 11pm until 3am.

General admission tickets are priced at £10, plus a £1 booking fee, and are on sale now via Eventbrite.

Featured image: Swiftogeddon / Belgrave Music Hall

News

Beloved late night Leeds cocktail bar The Maven announces permanent closure

Clementine Hall

"After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors"

It's a sad day for the Leeds night life scene, as a beloved speakeasy bar has today announced that it will be closing its doors for good.

The Maven has been a firm favourite for many years with those looking to enjoy some experimental and expertly made cocktails.

Hidden behind an unassuming door at the top of Call Lane, it was a great spot to visit if you were looking for something that little bit special.

Announcing the news to their social media, The Maven said: "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for being our guests over the years and promise that until then, we'll do our best to give you the best nights out on Call Lane."

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A post shared by The Maven (@themavenbar)

The post continued: "After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors on the 28th of March.

"Rest assured every booking will be honoured. Every cocktail poured properly. The lights stay low. The music stays on. We’re not done yet.

"Thank you for being our guests - we hope you'll join us for the final chapter and celebrate all things Maven this month."

Comments have been flooding in with fans expressing their sadness and praising them for their 'best spicy margs' and fond memories spent at The Maven.

So make sure to pop by and cheers to The Maven before its gone for good.

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Featured images - The Hoot Leeds

News

The Government wants the public to help decide if children should be banned from social media

Should there be a minimum age to access social media? Should children be banned all together? The Government is asking the public to help decide.

In case you missed it earlier last month, the Government announced a social media crackdown in a bid to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes – with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he was looking to take ‘immediate action’ to make the online world safer for young people.

The new measures announced included a crackdown on ‘vile’ illegal content created by AI, as well as ‘fast action’ to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.

It was also hinted at that setting a minimum age limit for social media – which Australia famously became the first country to do so last year – could be on the cards, and also the restricting of other harmful features like infinite scrolling.

The Prime Minister insisted that ‘no platform gets a free pass’.

And now, it’s your turn – parents, guardians, and young people across the UK are being urged to shape the country’s next steps on children’s digital wellbeing, as the Government has today (2 March 2026) opened what is said to be the the world’s most ambitious consultation on social media.

The consultation will aim to gather insights from the public on how to keep children safe online across social media, AI chatbots, and gaming platforms.

The Government has launched a consultation on banning social media for children / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)

“Millions of parents across the country worry about what social media is doing to their children’s sleep, concentration, and mental health,” the Government said in a announcing the launch of the consultation.

Many parents and campaign groups have called for an outright ban on social media for under-16s, however, others – including leading children’s charities like UNICEF – have warned that a blanket ban could drive children towards ‘less regulated’ corners of the internet, or leave teenagers unprepared for when they do come online.

This is why the Government says its consultation ‘looks beyond a ban’ and instead covers a full range of options – from curfews, to the impact of chatbots and gaming.

It also asks the questions about how any new rules would work in practice, in a bid to make sure they are effective.

On the social media side of things, three main questions are being posed in the consultaion:

Should there be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right?
Should platforms be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay?
And whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better, and what age they should apply to?

Speaking on the launch of the consultation today, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Technology is fundamentally changing childhood. Used well, it can open up new opportunities for learning, creativity and connection, but only if we get the balance right.

“That is why we want to hear directly from parents, teachers and young people about how we strike that balance and give children the very best childhood in a digital age.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added: “We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.

“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.”

The consultation is now live, and you can have your say here.

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Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)