Northern Monk brewery is hosting the UK's first hop-led beer festival this weekend.
Taking place at its Sydenham Road brewery site for the first time ever, it will bring over 100 different beers down this weekend over the course of two days - kicking things off on Friday 6 August.
Local breweries confirmed to attend include Kirkstall, Northern Monk (of course), and Bundobust with a huge amount of UK breweries turning up across the weekend.
UK brews appearing over the duration of the festival will come from the likes of Bonzoko, Newtown Park, Future State, Neon Raptor, Deya, Mash Gang, Alpha Delta, Floc, North, Pipeline, Vicington, Polly's, Wylam, Beak, Track, Buxton, Zafato, Overtone, Pomona Island, Verdant, Boxcar, Mikkeller and Amity.
Beer lovers are completely spoilt for choice - and that's not all, as there's going to be some great street food and music going down here too.
Parmogeddon will be rocking up to Hop City this weekend / Image: Parmogeddon
There'll be four different food caterers rocking up over the weekend, including the legendary Parmogeddon and Manchester's Kong's Chicken Shop with their must-try fried chicken sandwiches - which incorporate an extra layer of chicken skin 'crackling' for extra texture and flavour.
Kong's are also known for their tater tots and fried chicken wings, which can be ordered either wet or dry depending how you like them.
And on the music front, across two days we'll see the likes of DJ Food, DJ Format, DJ Cheeba and FIngathing take to the decks as well as enjoying some live music from Leeds' exciting forward-thinking jazz-punk band Vipertime on Friday.
Vipertime will be making an appearance on Friday, 6 August / Image: Viper Time
Manchester's Jermain Peterson, meanwhile, will be bringing the soothing soul sounds on Saturday afternoon, followed by a closing DJ set from Dave Stone of Wylam Brewery fame.
It looks set to be a mega weekend, with free-flowing beer, an eclectic music line-up and some mouthwatering food traders all lined up for the weekend.
Further breweries set to attend include Other Half, Aslin, Tripping Animals, The Answer, Vitamin Sea, Great Notion, Equilibrium, Suds and Soda, Sierra Navada.
For the full list, head to Hop City's Instagram page here.
News
Leeds Pride 2026 announces dates and first wave of acts for 20th anniversary celebration this summer
Leeds Pride has confirmed the dates for its 2026 festival, which will mark the event’s 20th anniversary this summer.
And you bet that organisers are pulling out all the stops.
The city-wide celebration champions local LGBTQ+ talent alongside world-class headline acts, and this year for the first time ever, celebrations will be held across two days on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July 2026.
Headlining the main stage will be Strictly Come Dancing Icon and RuPaul’s Drag Race Star La Voix, Charlie XCX tribute performer Rachel Fuller and International Eurodance act Livin Joy.
Image: Supplied
Joining them will be The Harry Styles Show and UK dance act Sweet Female Attitude. More acts and performers are due to be revealed in the coming months.
The announcement was made at the official Leeds Pride pre-festival campaign launch, held at Crowdedhouse and attended by Emmerdale’s Bradley Riches, sports star Keegan Hirst, council leaders and supporters of the annual event.
Leeds Pride will also feature a full weekend of diverse events, including the Leeds Pride Drag Brunch Fest, street parties across the city and of course the iconic Pride parade, which is set to be even bigger and better than ever before.
A Leeds Pride spokesperson said: "We're incredibly excited to celebrate 20 years of Leeds Pride. This milestone anniversary represents two decades of bringing our community together, championing LGBTQ+ voices and creating unforgettable moments.
Images: Supplied
“Leeds Pride is growing and stronger than ever and we're committed to giving Northern LGBTQ+ performers a platform to shine. This 20th anniversary festival will be our biggest and best yet, but as we expand, we need public and sponsor support more than ever to make our vision a reality. We're calling on businesses and individuals to get behind Leeds Pride and help us deliver an incredible celebration that our community deserves.
“Expanding to two days for the first time shows just how far we've come, and we can't wait to welcome everyone back to Leeds this summer for what will be our most spectacular Pride yet."
More details will be announced soon and you can find out more here on the Leeds Pride website.
Five of the best new openings to come out of Leeds so far this year
Clementine Hall
It's been a very busy start to 2026 so far this year in Leeds, and we're definitely not complaining.
It's safe to say our city is thriving, we've welcomed everything from shops and Italian cafes to tequila bars in just two months.
In case you've missed any of them, allow us to give you the lowdown of what's new in the city.
So, without further ado...
Salon Madre
Wellington Street, Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Leeds welcomed its newest late-night destination last Friday, and it’s going down as smoothly as its tequila. Salon Madre is a Mexican-inspired bar with a dedicated margarita menu, fabulous food, and an atmosphere that’ll make you want to get up dancing almost immediately. And if you fancy unleashing your competitive side, then there’s plenty of pool tables ready and waiting to be played.
A slice of Puglia has landed over in Pudsey with this fabulous Italian cafe. Nodding to his hometown of Puglia, Fabio has created the Italian experience right here in Leeds, inviting people to swing by for Italian coffee, homemade pizza slices, as well as gelato by the cone (or tub) full.
Topshop
John Lewis in Victoria Gate, Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
One for the girlies… because Topshop is officially BACK in Leeds. The iconic high-street favourite has returned, taking over a dedicated space inside John Lewis inside Victoria Gate and yes, we’re already planning the outfit rotations. After Topshop and Topman disappeared from the high street back in 2021, it’s safe to say we’ve all felt the gap in our wardrobes. And of course… Joni jeans, we’ve missed you dearly.
Pollini's Pizza
Lands Lane, Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
These guys are known for dishing out huge New York-style pizza slices for less than £4 in Leeds Kirkgate Market since 2022. And now with a second site in Leeds, the big boy slices are making their way across the city, from classic margaritas to meat feasts.
And you best believe we were the first people down to grab it, because we can’t resist a slice from Pollini's.
Pop Mart
Briggate, Leeds city centre
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Pop Mart officially opened on Briggate in January, and Leeds turned out in full force with queues stretching all the way down Thornton’s Arcade. With endless blind boxes to choose from, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re a Labubu girlie or obsessed with the Crybaby series, you can now get your favourites right here in Leeds.
Georgina Pellant -
6th August 2021 
