The multi-arena outdoor festival promises a fantastic day full of disco, drum n bass, DJs and plenty of dancing.
Say goodbye to summer the right way: with an immersive experience, live musicians and a miniature funfair at Better Days Festival.
After kicking off the festival season with a bang back in May, creators Fresh2Death and Good Life thought it only right to bid summer a farewell in the exact same way, only this time with a brand new indoor stage which is sure to take Better Days to the next level.
Returning to the iconic Leeds venue Beaver Works on Saturday 17 September 2022, they'll be hosting an all day outdoor extravaganza of live music, entertainment, street food & dancing.
Image: Better Days Festival
Promoting diversity, inclusivity, positivity and good vibes, everyone is welcome alongside whatever dance moves they wish to whack out on the dance floor.
An eclectic mix of music genres will be taking over the multiple stages, ranging from Tech House and UK Garage to House and Disco.
And it's not just music that's on offer, there'll be plenty of spaces for you to chill out, relax and catch up with friends as well as street food vendors serving up a range of delicious food for you to chow down on.
Image: Better Days Festival
For the adrenaline seekers out there, there's an entire funfair for you to explore and a bouncy castle to hop on till you drop. Glitter artists will cover you in sparkles and walkabout performers will ensure that there's never a dull moment.
Doors open at 3:00pm with the party continuing until the early hours of the morning. Tickets start from £12.00 each, plus a booking fee.
Image: Better Days Festival
Get tickets for Better Days Festival Chapter 3: Summer Closing on Saturday 17 September 2022 here.
US pop star Conan Gray and BRIT award winner Jacob Alon join the line-up for Lewis Capaldi's headline date at Roundhay Festival.
Leeds' Roundhay Park is welcoming back live music to its grounds this summer for two outdoor gigs headlined by Lewis Capaldi and Pitbull titled Roundhay Festival, with special guests slowly being announced.
Gray is recognised for standout tracks like 'Heather' and 'Maniac' while Alon has built a cult following of fans around their indie tunes like 'Fairy in a Bottle' as well as 'Liquid Gold 25'.
Jacob Alon has been showing off their artistry within the indie music scene thanks to their 2025 LP In Limerence catching the attention of many in the process.
This album has gone onto attract widespread love from music listeners and even industry professionals bagging themselves their first-ever BRIT award nomination and win - The Critics' Choice award.
Conan Gray AND Jacob Alon join Lewis Capaldi's Roundhay Festival line-up / Credit: Supplied via Press Shots
Conan Gray started out covering other artists hits before creating some of his own and releasing debut studio album Kid Krow back in 2020.
The project has production credits shared between Gray and Dan Nigro, Grammy-winning producer who has worked with Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde and more.
It's always exciting hearing updates like these, but this one is even more impressive as it's not just one stellar act joining the Roundhay Festival line-up but two, with further acts to be announced.
The almost 70,000 crowd who are heading down to Roundhay Festival when Lewis Capaldi makes his way to Leeds next summer are going to be blessed with some phenomenal live music.
This year marks American Express Presents Roundhay Festival first year with two star-studded dates fronted by powerhouse performers with the second show fronted by Pitbull and special guest Kesha.
These events have been organised with Leeds City Council and are expected to bring benefits to the local area by employing local suppliers, staff and boost spending on accommodation, food and entertainment.
Conan Gray and Jacob Alon will play alongside Lewis Capaldi at Roundhay Festival in Leeds on Saturday 4 July 2026 with tickets available HERE.
Headlong Theatre casts a dark spell on a Shakespearian comedy at Leeds Playhouse
Declan Kelly
Winter replaces summer in this unsettling Midsummer Night.
A night of dark magic swarmed Leeds Playhouse last night as Headlong Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe brought a strikingly dark reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, transforming Shakespeare’s most effervescent comedy into something far more psychologically raw.
For those who don’t know who Headlong Theatre Company are, they are known for their bold reimaginings of classics and for commissioning powerful contemporary plays that provoke fresh ways of seeing familiar texts, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream was their next task, directed by Holly Race Roughan.
Gone was the warmth and floral abundance traditionally associated with the play, a play which is fixated on fairies and magic and all things whimsical. Instead, this production unfolded in a stark, wintry landscape.
Image: Supplied
The eerie white setting with pale tones and biting chill created an atmosphere that felt closer to a nightmare than a fantasy. From the outset, there was a sense that this dream would not offer escapism but confrontation.
In this production, the quartet of lovers Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius and Helena played by Tiwa Lade, David Olaniregun, Lou Jackson and Tara Tijani, rendered a complex love story not as the bright, mischievous romantics of summer light, but as figures caught in a corrosive and bruising emotional spiral.
Image: Supplied
The love potion, rather than a whimsical device, became a symbol of manipulation and control.
Whilst the show did have its comedic parts throughout, laughter was present but not like we’d expect a Shakespearean comedy to be. A standout performance throughout was Danny Kirrane’s portrayal of Bottom. Rather than serving solely as comic relief, Kirrane emerged as unexpectedly poignant.
The play-within-a-play still delivered moments of levity, but even here the humour seemed edged with fragility, as though the comedy might fracture at any moment.
Sergo Vares gives a strikingly original and unforgettable portrayal of Puck, transforming Shakespeare’s playful trickster into a darker, more unsettling figure. Ditching the usual impish charm, Vares appears in a peculiar combination of tutu and dinner jacket, his face painted white and movements measured and haunting, commanding the stage with an eerie intensity.
Image: Supplied
Small, seemingly inconsequential actions, like silently eating a banana, become disquieting, while his prowling presence turns mischief into something deliberate and menacing. Surprising entrances and exits keep both characters and audience on edge, and his closing address to the audience carries a sharp, ironic bite that lingers long after the play’s ending.
What distinguished this production was its commitment to exposing the brutality that pulses beneath Shakespeare’s text. Love was presented not as a harmless folly but as a force capable of humiliation, control and harm. The final moments resisted the usual buoyant reconciliation; instead, the ending felt ambiguous, leaving the audience reflective rather than reassured. This was not a dream bathed in moonlight and romance as we would have expected.
The production took on a colder, more introspective tone, serving as a striking reminder that even Shakespeare’s lightest comedies contain threads of darkness. Whether audiences find this approach exhilarating or simply a departure from the familiar, it is undeniably thought-provoking, prompting reflection on what kind of “dream” they have truly witnessed.
Overall, reimagining Shakespearean texts like this is an exciting venture, offering fresh opportunities to explore themes that might otherwise remain hidden and Roughan accomplishes this with remarkable ease and insight.
Headlong Theatre Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is on at Leeds Playhouse until 28 February 2026 and you can get your tickets here.
Clementine Hall -
11th August 2022 
