The live music programme for this year's Ilkley Food and Drink Festival has been released, featuring ABBA and Bruce Springsteen tribute acts, plus loads more entertainment.
The festival will be returning to the riverside setting this summer, with a brand-new arena also unveiled that will host free family challenges and interactive contests.
The weekend will be a celebration of great food and local talent, featuring street food, independent bars, live chef demos, live music, and an artisan market.
And now festival organisers have announced who'll be taking to the stages to soundtrack the weekend too.
There'll be a variety of local soloists, community groups, and bands, with a special tribute performance each evening.
On Saturday, that'll be Planet ABBA, one of the UK's leading ABBA tribute acts; while on Sunday headliners will be The Boss and The Beeston Street Band, a renowned Yorkshire-based tribute to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
The new arena - the Sizzling Showdown Arena - will host an eclectic schedule of family competitions, like a family dog show, a chilli challenge eating competition, and the 'foodie olympics'.
There'll also be a new inflatable 'banana jousting' ring, where friends and family can take part in silly inflatable duels against one another.
Ilkley Food and Drink Festival returns this summer
Festival director Michael Johnston spoke on their aims to create a fresh experience for both new and returning visitors, saying: "Heading into our seventh year, we expect to welcome plenty of new faces as well as several returning visitors.
"We want to create an exciting experience for every single person who walks through our doors, which means constantly looking for new ways to enhance what we offer.
"Several ideas that have been in the works for a while are finally coming to life."
Ilkley Food and Drink Festival takes place on 13 and 14 June, you can find out more HERE.
The Merrion Centre is set to welcome one of the UK’s fastest-growing specialist music retailers.
K-pop fans, you're going to love this one.
Soft launching on Friday 22 May, K-pop Korner Leeds will open initially as a pop-up store, becoming the brand’s fourth UK location and its first in the north of England.
Recognised as the UK’s leading dedicated K-pop retailer, K-pop Korner stocks official K-pop albums, signed albums, light sticks and rare collectibles imported directly from Korea.
Not only that, but the brand has developed a strong national following through fan events, trading days, concerts and exclusive product launches.
The Leeds opening follows the success of K-pop Korner’s existing stores in London Waterloo, London Euston and Nottingham, with growing demand from fans across Yorkshire and the north driving the expansion.
Anastasia Tsappis, Director of K-pop Korner, said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring K-pop Korner to Leeds and finally create a dedicated space for fans in Yorkshire and the North of England. Community has always been at the heart of what we do and we’re looking forward to building a welcoming environment where fans can meet, discover new merchandise, celebrate their favourite artists and enjoy special events together.
“Our community has been asking for a more accessible location outside London and the Midlands for a long time, so Leeds felt like the natural next step. The Merrion Centre stood out because of its vibrant atmosphere, fantastic city-centre location and strong connection to entertainment and youth culture.
“We want the opening to feel like more than just a store launch. It’s about celebrating K-pop fandom and creating memorable experiences for the local community. We’re especially excited to see fans come together for our opening events and experience the energy and excitement that makes K-pop culture so special.”
Inside Pardon Me – Leeds’ newest neighbourhood record bar inspired by Japan
Clementine Hall
Farsley is now home to an ultra-cool record bar with coffee, cocktails and an unbeatable sound system.
Tucked away in the beautiful Sunny Bank Mills, Pardon Me is a record bar built around 'music, atmosphere, and detail'.
It's been launched by Scott Rapson, who grew up in the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with music around the time of the arrival of hip hop in the early 80s.
He then spent time travelling for raves, and visiting venues like Glasgow’s Sub Club and London’s Plastic People, giving Scott an appreciation for how 'music can shape a room, not just fill it'.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Scott and his partner Laurie have then spent the past three years travelling, visiting listening bars across Europe to shape the foundations of Pardon Me.
Listening bars, also known as hi-fi bars, originated in 1920s Japan - and you can really see the Japanese influence within the space and it's super cool interiors.
Images: The Hoot Leeeds
Bartenders here create a small but perfectly formed menu of cocktails and pour natural wines from Wayward Wines in front of a wall of vinyl, while a collection of Scott's records play as a soundtrack to your evening.
The sound system Scott claims is one of the "best in the North East", which he says has a "real sense of depth and balance to it" with a "coverage that stays incredibly consistent across the room".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Whether it's for coffee during the day, or drinks into the evening, they want Pardon Me to be a place to spend time, looking out across Sunny Bank Mills.
Pardon Me is open Thursday - Sunday, and you can find out more about this wonderful new opening here.
Daisy Jackson -
20th April 2026 
