Leeds will be lit up in neon lights next week, and that can only mean one thing.
Yep, it's the return of Light Night.
As one of the official markers of the autumn season, Light Night is one of the key calendar events to bring people together across the city and celebrate an array of beautiful installations and pieces of artwork, all of which can only be seen once the skies go dark.
Over atThe Junction and Wellington Place, the celebrations will be taken to a whole new level.
Image: Supplied
Yorkshire Circus will be hosting 'have a go' workshops where you can come and try your hand with a variety of LED and pixel props with performers.
There'll be UV face painting from The Face Paint Parlour so you can really get in the Light Night spirit and if you're feeling peckish, Marmita Cafe will be serving up pizza, pasta, burgers and hot dogs.
Leeds' very own Savvy Baker will be providing the sweet treats, and Finer Pleasures will be bringing their epic pies to keep you fuelled up for the night.
Instillation wise, The Junction will host The Matter Of The Heart where a collection of local residents will be wearing a heart monitor for the duration of Light Night, and for every heartbeat their own lightbox will flash in time with their beat.
Image: Supplied
Wherever the participants are during this time, whether they are together or apart, far away or nearby, their hearts will be seen, flashing together. Pretty cool hey?
And it doesn't stop there, the Wellington Place Zone will be hosting an array of instillations and is the perfect family-friendly area where it's a little less chaotic than elsewhere.
Instillations will include The Dancing Fountain, a live self-choreographing water and light show, And...Breathe, an interactive sound and light piece that blends science with the joy of play through the medium of breath work and Light Cube, a cube of dazzling light that you can take control of.
Image: Supplied
Not only that but there'll be a whole host of family-friendly events from free face painting to a silent disco.
There'll be loads of food and drink available from on-site retailers Veeno, Hoist House, Sociable Folk and plenty others if you fancy a break from the madness and need to fuel up.
So if you're planning your perfect Light Night, make sure to head to The Junction and Wellington Place to elevate your experience to the next level.
Light Night Leeds will take place next Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October 2025, and you can find out more here.
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Clementine Hall -
16th October 2025 
