To mark 70 years on the throne, street parties, bank holidays, a live concert and more will be thrown in Her Majesty's honour.
Buckingham Palace has announced plans to mark the Queen's Jubilee with 10 days of huge celebrations between January and July.
The 95-year-old monarch is set to open up her private estate to visitors, musicians and artists to perform, as well as inviting members of the public to design a special Queen Elizabeth II pudding.
Whilst there will be more details to follow in the lead-up to the Jubilee in June, here is every event announced so far:
January
As of today, the Platinum Pudding Competition will begin its search for a winner. It was announced this morning that Buckingham Palace is searching for the perfect pudding to celebrate the platinum celebration. Entries will be judged by the likes of culinary legend and national treasure, Dame Mary Berry.
Dame Mary Berry will judge and find a Platinum Pudding worthy for the Queen. / Image: Eden Project Communities
The competition will follow in the footsteps of the British staple of coronation chicken, a dish created by Le Cordon Bleu to celebrate the Queen's coronation banquet in 1953.
May
Between the 12 and 15 May, the Platinum Jubilee Celebration will commence, where over 1,000 performers and an additional 500 horses will take part in a 90-minute show in honour of Her Majesty. The performance will take the audience through the Queen's reign as well as looking back on year's gone by- right from Elizabeth I to the present day.
Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 during her royal tour in Ottawa. / Image: Rosemary Gilliat Eaton / Library and Archives Canada (Flickr)
June
Both Sandringham and Balmoral will be open for residents and visitors to enjoy the Queen's birthday celebrations across the Bank Holiday and on Thursday 2 June, The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) will consist of over 1,200 officers from the Household Division. The colour will trooped on Horse Guards Parade by the 1st Battalion and Irish Guards.
The Queen's Coronation in 1953. / Image: Canada. Department of National Defence. Library and Archives Canada (Flickr)
On Friday 3 June, a Service of Thanksgiving will be held at St Paul's Cathedral to honour the Queen's reign, and the UK will join other UK territories, Channel Islands and more to light a beacon to mark the occasion. In London, the Principal Beacon will be lit in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
On Saturday 4 June, the Big Jubilee Lunch will be held. Street parties are already being planned across the UK and neighbours are expected to come together to mark the occasion.
Street Parties will be held in Her Majesty's honour. / Image: Royal UK
There will be performanced in London to tell the story of the Queen's reign through a pageant that will include a 'River of Hope', a section that will see over 200 silk flags flow through The Mall to replicate a moving river.
Both Thursday 2 June and Friday 3 June will be classed as bank holidays to give the public chance to celebrate the jubilee with Queen and the rest of the country.
July
During the month of July, there will be three displays to mark the Queen's accession to the throne, the Coronation and Jubilees will be displayed at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.
The Queen usually celebrates the anniversary in private, so this string of celebrations will be quite the change a quiet celebration at Sandringham. However, at present it is not clear which events Her Majesty will attend or participate in after missing out on multiple public events in the past year due to doctors orders.
The supernatural thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story arrived at Leeds Grand Theatre as part of its UK tour, bringing Danny Robins’s hit production to a packed audience.
Since its West End debut in 2021, the play has become known less as a straight horror and more as a gripping psychological debate wrapped in a ghost story.
At the centre of the story is one key question: do ghosts actually exist? Set during a dinner party between two couples, the drama unfolds as Jenny becomes increasingly convinced their home is haunted, claiming she hears strange noises every night at exactly 2:22am.
Her husband Sam dismisses her fears as irrational, while friends Lauren and Ben challenge both sides, turning the evening into a lively clash of belief and scepticism. What begins as a conversation gradually becomes something far more tense, as personal fears and buried tensions rise to the surface.
Image: Supplied
Rather than relying on traditional horror, the production focuses on atmosphere and psychological tension. The script builds unease through sharp dialogue, awkward silences and shifting power dynamics between the characters. Instead of delivering constant shocks, it keeps the audience questioning what is real and what might simply be a coincidence or imagination.
That said, the play does use theatrical jump scares effectively. Sudden loud noises, abrupt lighting changes and eerie sound cues interrupt the dialogue at key moments, creating jolts of tension without ever fully tipping into outright horror. These moments are brief but impactful, designed more to unsettle than to terrify.
Image: Supplied
The cast works strongly together to maintain this balance. Shvorne Marks brings emotional intensity to Jenny’s growing fear, while James Bye plays Sam with grounded scepticism that slowly begins to crack. Natalie Casey adds sharp humour and bite as Lauren, and Grant Kilburn provides openness and curiosity as Ben, keeping the debate lively and unpredictable.
The production design is another standout element. The modern, stylish home feels realistic and lived-in, but subtly shifts in tone as the story progresses. Careful lighting and precise sound design ensure the space never feels entirely safe, even in silence, reinforcing the idea that something might be just out of sight.
Image: Supplied
As the final moments unfold, the play returns to its central idea: the waiting. The quiet anticipation of night, the smallest unexplained sounds, and the creeping awareness of time passing.
Ultimately, 2:22 A Ghost Story succeeds because it is not really trying to scare its audience traditionally. Instead, it plays with uncertainty, asking viewers to decide what they believe and how far they trust their own senses. And let’s be honest, you might find yourself thinking what might happen if you were still awake when the clock strikes 2:22.
Running until 16 May at the Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House - tickets available here.
A Caribbean street food restaurant famed for its jerk chicken is opening in Leeds this week
Clementine Hall
Get ready to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean as Jerk Junction is coming to Leeds.
The street food favourite has made waves in the foodie scene over in Manchester and Liverpool, so it's only right that its making its way into Trinity Kitchen.
Jerk Junction specialises in authentic Caribbean flavours, from dumplings and jerk chicken to curried goat and rice and peas, it's all flame-grilled and packed with island spices.
Gosh, we're suddenly feeling very hungry.
Image: The Manc Group
Jerk Junction will officially be opening to the public from 12pm on Tuesday 12 May 2026, and you can bet we'll be first in line to get our hands on a big tray of jerk chicken and rice.
Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “There’s been a lot of interest in the upcoming arrival of Jerk Junction since it was announced. Bringing a taste of the Caribbean to Trinity Kitchen, it’ll be the place to be when it opens its doors next week.”
Jake Shaffi, founder at Jerk Junction, said: “We’re all about good vibes and creating dishes that help bring people together. We’re looking forward to bringing the Jerk Junction spirit to Trinity Kitchen. The brand already holds a special place within the communities in Manchester and Liverpool – and we’re sure the people of Leeds will embrace it in the same way.”
The latest announcement follows the recent launches of schuh and LEGO at Trinity Leeds, which will also welcome the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling brand, Lane7, and Footasylum later this year.
Sophie Smith -
10th January 2022 
