With the longer and sunnier days fast approaching, there's no better place to spend your summer than the iconic Castle Howard.
Castle Howard in York is a fantastic day out for all the family.
The fascinating 300-year-old stately home is situated in a beautiful 9,000-acre estate, making it the perfect place to explore in the glorious sunshine this summer.
Whether you're looking to connect with nature, enjoy some delicious food with friends or absorb yourself in art and culture - Castle Howard are putting on a whole host of events for you to take part in.
Keep reading to find out what you can get up to.
Culture, history and art
People We Love
Friday 19 May - Sunday 15 October 2023
Image: Castle Howard
'Experience a special Castle Howard edition of international artwork ‘People We Love’ by KMA. Multiple high-definition screens set in Castle Howard’s beautiful Chapel will show portraits of local residents gazing at a picture of someone they love.'
'This contemplative and thought- provoking art installation, which celebrates the local Ryedale community, is a contemporary contrastto the beautiful, historic portraits on display in the House. A must-see for art lovers, and people interested in seeing Castle Howard’s Chapel brought to life in a new, unique way.'
This exhibition is free however pre-booking is advised, book your spot here.
If Walls Could Talk
Friday 22 September 2023
'Join the Curator of Collections and Archives, Eleanor Brooke-Peat, and travel back in time to the 1880s to discover Castle Howard’s 19th century interiors, including historic textiles and wallpapers comprised from long-lost samples recently rediscovered in the estate.'
'The talk will explore the newly launched Castle Howard Indienne Collection, a bespoke collection of designs developed in partnership with Watts 1874, which was inspired by a vast redecoration project lasting more than twenty years, led by Rosalind Howard, 9th Countess of Carlisle.'
Tickets range from £10 - £47 and can be purchased here.
Guided Tours and Behind The Scenes
Between April - October
Image: Castle Howard
'Discover over 300 years of history with our Guided Tours and behind the scenes events, which invite you beyond the crimson ropes to typically unseen parts of our House, follies and monuments.'
'Choose between four different tours: a guided house tour after hours; go behind. closed doors with our Curators; journey across the Estate to discover famous monuments or visit the spectacular 18th century Mausoleum, described as one of the finest buildings of its kind in northern Europe.'
'Skelf Island, Castle Howard’s legendary Adventure Playground, is named after the historic site Castle Howard sits on, Henderskelfe. Set on an island and reachable by a rope bridge, the Playground is a web of ingenious treetop nests in the woodland canopy connected by slides, nets, and climbing equipment, allowing young visitors to go on an adventure like no other.'
Entry to the playground is free with a Gardens ticket or a House and Gardens ticket.
Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta
Friday 25 - Monday 28 August 2023
Image: Castle Howard
'Yorkshire’s iconic Balloon Fiesta is landing at Castle Howard for the very first time with a family-friendly line-up of music and entertainment, including: Ella Henderson, Sam Ryder, Sister Sledge, Blue, Rak Su, Toploader, Raver Tots, Dick & Dom, Mr Motivator, Symphonic Ibiza, Ministry of Sound Disco and more to be announced, plus hot air balloons in the beautiful Yorkshire sky.'
'Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s big wildlife census is back for the fourth year running! Join us for a whole weekend of wild activities - from mini beasting and storytelling to bird watching and guided walks with wildlife experts - and help us to discover, count and record the creatures that live in our walled garden.'
'Join Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for this evening experience and take a walk on the wild side as we search for our fascinating, flying friends! Learn more about the brilliant world of bats and how to use bat detectors. As sun sets across the estate from 9pm, we’ll head out and identify different species of bat through their echolocation frequencies.'
Tickets cost £15 for an adult and £10 for a child, get yours here.
Summer events
Castle Howard Multisport Event
Saturday 22 - Sunday 23 July
Image: Castle Howard
'Swim through Castle Howard’s Great Lake, cycle through the Howardian Hills, run through the undulating countryside of the estate before a sprint finish tops everything off in style right in front of the main doors of the house. Throughout the weekend, athletes and spectators will be able to enjoy a fun-packed festival village featuring live music, shopping, food and drink, children’s entertainment, yoga and more.'
'Enjoy a film screening like no other in Castle Howard’s Grounds, with a fantastic line-up of open-air films hosted by Adventure Cinema including Elvis, Matilda the Musical, Grease, TheGreatest Showman Sing-A-Long and Top Gun: Maverick.'
'Castle Howard has partnered with Jolly Allotment, experts in fire-cooking, gut-health and wellness, for a beautiful series of events in June. Eat amazing suppers in the Walled Garden, forage on the Castle Howard Estate, relax with yoga, try out herbal-tea making – and more, all in celebration of wellbeing for people and planet. Meet new people, eat some amazing food, and relax in our beautiful surroundings.'
Former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson is heading out on a UK tour, visiting First Direct Arena for his biggest Leeds solo show to date.
Ten years since launching his solo career with debut single 'Just Hold On', Tomlinson is hitting the road again for his tour, which shares its title with the name of his latest LP - How Did I Get Here?
Tomlinson's last visit to Leeds saw him play an intimate show at The Wardrobe back in 2020 and is set to perform to 13,500 - he has definitely made sure to 'Jump the Gun' in terms of crowd size.
Now, the Doncaster-born musician is visiting one of Leeds biggest indoor live music venues First Direct Arena and it's sure to be a jam-packed night of live music.
Gig guide | Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Arena, Leeds - all you need to know
Are there tickets left for Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Arena?
Louis Tomlinson is bringing the How Did I Get Here? tour to Leeds on 28 April / Credit: Flickr via Javie Rosh / Wikimedia Commons via Kurt Kulac (Supplied)
Well if you've made it this far through, it's safe to say the fact you're after Louis Tomlinson tickets is 'Written All Over Your Face'.
If you're wanting to 'Face The Music' or 'Jump the Gun' you can do so as there's tickets to his Leeds show at First Direct Arena HERE.
Standing tickets are still available priced at £55.85, while seated tickets remaining are priced between £55.85 and £83.35 each.
Louis Tomlinson setlist for 2026 tour
The How Did I Get Here? Tour officially kicked off in Europe and it prioritises songs from his latest LP.
Here is the set list:
Lemonade
On Fire
Written All Over Your Face
Out Of My System
Bigger Than Me
Saturdays
Angels Fly
Dark to Light
Broken Bones
Defenceless
Just Hold On
Lazy
Sunflowers
Lucid
Jump the Gun
Imposter
Sanity
Kill My Mind
Face the Music
Silver Tounges
The Observer
The Answer
Miss You
Palaces
Wristbands and queue system
To manage crowds and ensure a 'fair and comfortable' experience for fans, a randomly allocated wristband system will be in place for standing ticket holders.
This is how it works:
Arrive at the arena between 11am and 2pm on the day of the show, Tuesday 28 April 2026.
Wristbands will be given out in batches at random to standing ticket holders, while availability lasts
Once you have your wristband, you will be asked to leave the area surrounding the venue and return between 4.30pm and 5.30pm
Upon your return to the arena, you will be asked to join a dedicated queue related to the number or colour on your wristband as guided by the dedicated venue team.
Doors open to the show at 6pm for general admission.
Stage times for Louis Tomlinson at First Direct Arena, Leeds
First Direct Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm meaning you can get home before having to watch the sky turn from 'Dark to Light'.
Anyone attending this show is in luck as the North has been well and truly represented in the form of Manc-based rock group Pale Waves and Doncaster talent ADMT.
Alex Spencer, another Northern act from Manchester is also joining the bill, but he's only playing at select Europe dates of the tour.
These are the expected stage times for Louis Tomlinson in Leeds tonight, based on his other shows so far:
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.
Featured Images - Press shot / Flickr via Javie Rosh / Wikimedia Commons via Kurt Kulac (Supplied)
Guides
Alex Warren at First Direct Arena, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Singer-songwriter and social media star Alex Warren is visiting First Direct Arena, Leeds, for two nights of out of the 'Ordinary' live music.
One of the founding members of the TikTok group, Hype House, which also included fellow pop performer Addison Rae, Warren has gone on to receive global recognition for his contributions to music.
Born in California, it's no surprise his music has managed to catapult into the mainstream as he's been mastering content creation since he was 10 on YouTube.
His music journey began back in 2021, when he released music as an independent artist in 2021 before signing a record deal one year later, dropping the chart-topping 'Ordinary' in 2025.
Now, Alex Warren prepares for his biggest UK tour to date, and he's playing two shows right here in Leeds at the 13,500 seater First Direct Arena in April and May.
Gig guide | Alex Warren at First Direct Arena, Leeds - all the info
Alex Warren is visiting Leeds at First Direct Arena on 29 April / Credit: Press Shots (supplied)
Alex Warren UK tour dates
Fri 24 April - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena
Sun 26 April - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro
Mon 27 April - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
Wed 29 April - Leeds, UK - First Direct Arena
Thu 30 April - Nottingham, UK - Motorpoint Arena
Sat 2 May - Belfast, UK - SSE Arena
Mon 4 May - Manchester, UK - Co-op Live
Wed 6 May - Dublin, IE - 3Arena
Thu 7 May - Dublin, IE - 3Arena
Are there tickets left for Alex Warren at First Direct Arena?
If you're looking for somebody to 'Save You a Seat', look no further as you can get tickets to Alex Warren's 29 April at First Direct Arena in Leeds HERE.
Stage times for Alex Warren at First Direct Arena, Leeds
Warren has built a cult following thanks to chart-topping hits like 'Ordinary'/ Credit: Press Shots (supplied)
First Direct Arena has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can get home without having to start ‘Chasing Shadows’.
Supporting Alex Warren on the night will be Claire Rosinkranz, a singer-songwriter from California with tracks like 'Frankenstein' and 'Backyard Boy'.
How to get to first direct arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approximately a 15min walk from the arena, it's also 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 its own car park; however, there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct, click HERE.
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street, click HERE.
None of the above car parks is operated by the arena, so for questions, queries or comments, we'd recommend contacting 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 them, and then 16p per minute to use. 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. 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.
Clementine Hall -
20th June 2023 
