From cinemas and parklands to Leeds biggest pub crawl, Headingley is home to so much more than students and a stadium.
It’s a student hangout favourite, home of the Leeds Rhinos, seemingly unlimited places to eat and drink, as well as hosting some of the best games of international cricket in history (dare we say it), so it’s safe to say there’s always something exciting going on in the little neighbourhood just north of Leeds.
For students it's a welcoming place where you're never far from your peers.
Sandwiched between the two largest universities in Leeds, there’s new events on each and every night in this tiny suburb: from all-night student raves to the quieter, more sophisticated afternoon art workshops or brunch menus from Leeds’ independent bakeries.
Make sure to look up on your walk across the suburb and you’ll see Kevin Sinfield on the walls as you wander onto the high street where you’ll find plenty of places to eat and drink – and we can almost guarantee you’ll bump into at least one group of people in fancy dress (believe it or not the Otley Run can run any day of the week).
Things to do
Catch a game at Headingley Stadium
Image: Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Home of Yorkshire Country Cricket Club and Leeds Rhinos, Headingley stadium is the main reason that this little suburb is known worldwide. In the winter, Leeds Rhinos season will keep you entertained, whilst the summer usually sees international test matches on the pitch.
This is the ultimate crowd-pleasing event for anyone interested in sports, and for those that aren't- there's plenty of food, drink and activity options within walking distance instead.
Leeds Street Gallery have created a huge mural of the Leeds Rhinos player in Headingley above the 24 hour store, located between pubs Headingley Taps and Manahatta. The mural pays tribute to the sports personality and the lasting impression he has left on Leeds, even after leaving the club.
Led by avid Leeds Rhinos fan Dan Whitley, the group of fans have raised all the costs for the mural and have enlisted the skills of Leeds Street Gallery and James Archer (JA Murals) to bring their concept to life.
Home of pre-loved books that are still in good condition, Oxfam Books is where books find a new home and all the proceeds go to charity. It’s the recycling eco-friendly bookstore that actually has a decent selection of new and old favourites.
The selection here is far from your average charity shop shelf, there’s aisle upon aisle of fiction, including vintage Penguin classics, as well as shelves of University-level textbooks, cookery books and niche topics like politics, history and languages piled high.
This is Leeds oldest and only, truly, independent cinema, so you can bet this is old picture house has bags of character. Heading into here is like travelling back in time: capturing all of the charm of an 80s theatre, the cinema only shows two different movies per week- a mixture of indie up-and-coming cinematic films, 'live by satellite' screenings and classic mainstream movies.
The Cottage Road Cinema is tucked down a side road in the Far Headingley area and remains our favourite spot on a rainy day.
Buy Nowt LS6 believe we can all make an environmental difference by borrowing instead of buying.
So the idea is you can share resources, meet people in your local community and borrow stuff with a pay-as-you-feel donation. Not only does this lower carbon emissions but it helps your back pocket too. In their first eight weeks ago, they have loaned over 155 items over 16 days in total. This equates to saving over £3000 in the local community and approximately 3 tonnes of carbon.
It’s not just foodie items you can borrow either: the lending library has everything from Otley Run costumes to hedge trimmers. There are hundreds of items to choose from, all loaned on a pay-as-you-feel basis. One happy customer has turned their hand to tidying gardens for winter, another made their own ravioli.
The Otley Run is infamous in Leeds and all over the country as one of the best bar crawls around.
It is a true rite of passage to any students who find themselves in Leeds during their studies and a firm favourite for societies and clubs from the various student unions across the city.
Starting at Woodies, the route takes you through fourteen boozers from Far Headingley, into Headingley itself, then towards Hyde Park before heading right into the centre of town – if you get that far.
Pick a theme, find a hilarious costume, get all your friends together, and let’s take a stroll (or a bus) down the entire Otley Run route.
Residence opened just a few months ago but is quickly becoming a popular brunch spot – and there’s everything from a full English to pancakes on the menu. By night this place serves burgers, small plates and cocktails too.
And for a hangover cure that's already become an institution nursing students back to health after a big night out, Munch's big breakfasts are fifteen years in the making.
If it’s a chippy you’re after, head over to St Michael’s Fisheries on St Michael’s Lane or POCO Sicilian offers Italian treats to takeaway on Otley Road. Pho 37 is a Vietnamese cafe with quick service and is ideal for those looking to grab and go between innings.
And if you’re staying in the area and after a sit down dinner, Salvo’s is the family-run Italian restaurant that truly transports you overseas, with a huge menu of pastas, pizzas and wine. Other popular dining options include Zaap Thai, Heaney & Mill and Kuala Lumpur Cafe – and are all within five minutes of each other.
POCO. / Images: The Hoot Leeds
Residence.
Pubs and drinks
Pubwise you’re truly spoilt – besides the infamous Otley Run that covers 15 different pubs starting in Far Headingley, eight of which are right here in Headingley - those wanting to grab a pint in the sunshine hae plenty of choices. Most notably, BOX’s new rooftop terrace has just added an extra 100 seats to one of the suburb’s busiest sports bars.
The Original Oak’s impressive beer garden and huge TV screens also make it the perfect watering hole to catch the cricket over the weekend if you want all the atmosphere of Headingley on match day but didn’t manage to bag yourself a ticket.
The Original Oak. / Images: The Hoot Leeds
BOX Headingley Heights.
How to get to Headingley
Headingley is two miles north of Leeds City Centre from the train station, and takes between 45 minutes and an hour to walk up. For those taking public transport, here's how to access Headingley by bus, train or driving...
Bus: Catch the number 1, 6, 8 or 28 from Leeds and get off at St Michael’s Church or Headingley Arndale
Train: Catch the train from Leeds Train Station and get off at Burley Park for a short 5-10 minute walk up Cardigan Road, or get off at the next stop in Headingley for a slightly further but (usually) less cramped walk back to Otley Road.
Driving: Whilst there's plenty of residential parking spots for locals, you'll find that gridlock and traffic jams do often occur around busy match days around Headingley Stadium.
You’ve spent over three years studying and now it’s time to say celebrate so we’ve rounded up some of the best places in Leeds for you to do so.
Those all-nighters in the library are now a distant memory.
It’s time to celebrate all the hard work you’ve put in over the years and what better way to spend it than eating delicious food and raising a toast to yourself.
Whether you’re celebrating with family, friends or a loved one. We’ve sorted you some of the best deals on offer, from free glasses of beer Prosecco, to 2 for 1 cocktails and discounted set menus.
Tattu
29 E Parade, LS1 5PS
Images: The Manc Group
The ‘Power of Wisdom’ set menus are available for £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner, with graduates receiving an ‘Elixir of Life cocktail’, or a complimentary glass of Prosecco.
Enjoy three courses with a glass of Prosecco on arrival for £55; you can even upgrade to the proper stuff and pay an extra tenner for Moët & Chandon Champagne for each person.
Fancy Italian? Freshly crowned graduates dining from the special set menu can enjoy a bonus Bellini to toast their success.
Flight Club
1-2 S Parade, LS1 5QL
Image: The Hoot Leeds
As a congratulations to the city’s graduating students, Flight Club has lined up a treat for the class of 2026. Any guest with a valid student ID or graduation certificate can raise a toast to the celebrations with a complimentary bottle of prosecco for the group when they book a game of Social Darts.
CrowdedHouse
Level 5 & 6, Trinity Centre, 70 Boar Ln, LS1 6HW
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Enjoy your celebrations whilst taking in jaw dropping panoramic views of the city at Leeds' newest rooftop hangout. Their set menu offering two courses for £26 or three courses for £30 is not one to be missed.
Book a table at one of Leeds' most celebrated restaurants and enjoy a free glass of prosecco as a cheers to you. Available until Sunday 16 July and you must mention graduation when booking.
Uyare
Victoria Gate 3rd Floor, Rooftop, George St, LS2 7AU
Image: The Hoot Leeds
As a graduate, you can enjoy 15% off your bill when you book with the code 'GRADUATESOF26'. Plus, you'll receive a complimentary glass of prosecco to toast the occasion.
Banksia
2 Lower Briggate, LS1 4AE
Images: The Hoot Leeds
At this Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, graduates will eat for free - now that is an offer. Enjoy the special graduate set menu priced at £39 for three courses, with graduates eating for free with two paying customers.
Enjoy Blackhouse Gastrobar's fabulous steaks and seasonal dishes with a free glass of prosecco for every graduate, plus if you're a table of six you'll get an entire bottle on the house. We'll cheers to that.
Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American rock band Kings of Leon are making their way to Leeds for a visit to First Direct Arena as part of their current EU/UK tour.
Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared, plus their cousin Matthew Followill, the rock band has gone on to achieve nine top 40 singles and six UK number one albums.
The rockers have two singles in Spotify’s Billions Club, including their standout hit ‘Sex on Fire’, which has amassed over 2 billion streams and ‘Use Somebody’ with 1.2 billion – two tracks that helped skyrocket them from cult favourites here in Britain to global superstars.
This four-piece’s latest LP, Can We Please Have Fun, dropped mid-2024 and knowing how energetic Northern crowds can be, it’s safe to say we’ve got this covered.
Last time they travelled over the pond, they let the Manchester crowd know the England score in real-time (read our full review).
Gig guide – Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena, Leeds
Kings of Leon UK tour dates
Fri 3 July – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Sat 4 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 6 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Are there any tickets left for Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena?
If you’re wondering where you’ll ‘Find Me’ on Monday 6 July, it is probably watching these four relatives play their two decades’ worth of hits at First Direct Arena.
Don’t ‘Waste a Moment’ as there’s only a limited number of tickets left if you’re after catching a glimpse of Kings of Leon live – get yours HERE.
Kings of Leon are gearing up for their Leeds gig at First Direct this July (Credit: Press shot)
Kings of Leon setlist for 2026 UK tour
These American rockers have been performing all across Europe, switching up a couple of songs at each show; however, the hits below have featured at most of their appearances.
Slow Night, So Long
Waste a Moment
Find Me
On Call
Radioactive
The Bucket
Revelry
Manhattan
Use Somebody
Wait For M
Split Screen
Closer
Molly’s Chambers
Razz
MyParty
Supersoaker
Fans
Back Down South
Seen
Pyro
Black Thumbnail
To Space
Knocked Up
Sex on Fire
What are the stage times for Kings of Leon in Leeds?
Doors for Kings of Leon at First Direct Arena in Leeds are set to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 7.30pm from a huge indie rock band.
Supporting the US rockers is a band who have received comparisons to Kings of Leon, the loud-and-proud Scottish stars The Snuts, known for their tracks like ‘Glasgow’, ‘Elephants’ and ‘Maybe California'.
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
Sophie Smith -
12th September 2023 
