Leeds International Festival of Ideas has announced its full festival lineup, and it's combining some of the UK's most influential speakers with some of the most important questions of our time.
Taking place this September inside new venue Leeds Playhouse, this is set to be LIFI's biggest year to date.
Announcing the full lineup last night, festival organisers have revealed that the likes of Davina McCall, Dame Prue Leith and Will Young, will be taking to the stage alongside huge names from the world of entertainment, politics and business, including Yorkshire's Michelin starred chef Tommy Banks, Matt Baker MBE, Jay Blades MBE, Gemma Whelan, Amber Rudd, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Rob Rinder, Sir Jon Cuncliffe, and many more.
These exciting names will be joining TV personality Bimini, who will be talking about 'a world beyond the binary'; author and comedian Ruby Wax OBE will be bringing 'my journey to mindfulness' to life with a key note speaker show whilst 'a new generation of entrepreneurism' will be covered by Diary of a CEO's Steven Bartlett.
Working in partnership with LeedsBID, The Hoot Leeds and Weightmans, the idea of the festival is to bring conversations to the surface, using a combination of panels, fireside chats and speeches to inspire, provoke and encourage discussions.
Questions vary from 'what’s our obsession with true crime?' to 'who does our political system benefit?' and 'how do we talk about grief?' - and this year's lineup is perfectly certainly won't be shying away from the hard questions.
Will Young, appearing at LIFI23 says: “I’m excited to be part of a festival exploring many of the things that make us human. It’s so important not only to ask these questions of each other, but to spend time listening when we don’t have all the answers. What a fantastic line up!”
Leeds International Festival of Idas Full Lineup
The full programme schedule is as followed:
Wednesday 27 September 2023
Davina McCall will be on the panel for 'when will women's health be taken seriously'. / Image: Chapter 81
Panel: When will women's health be taken seriously? with Davina McCall, Dr Christine Ekechi and Lauren Mahon, plus more names to be announced
Fireside chat: A New Generation Of Entrepreneurism with Steven Bartlett
Tickets cost from £10 - £15 each for subsidised tickets, and this year there's more seats than ever before (moving to the Playhouse has increased seating capacity by 40%).
Leeds Playhouse, Artistic Director and CEO James Brining said: “It is so exciting to see the range of artists and speakers attending Leeds International Festival 2023. All are individuals at the top of their game and using their platforms to amplify the voices of others as well as exploring issues of importance and significance for contemporary society.
"At Leeds Playhouse, our aim is to open up our theatre, with its flexible conference spaces and three auditoria, welcoming local, national and international artists to the region, facilitating conversations and sharing stories that reflect the world we live in. We also aim to celebrate Leeds as a culture rich, vibrant city and hosting LIFI in 2023 certainly helps us achieve that goal.”
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The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey – musical reunion of the decade?
When bands reunite, it's usually pretty easy to guess what the motive is. A looming tax bill, an incoming divorce, a tanking solo career, for example.
But with The Maccabees, those scenarios feel a long way removed.
This is a band that called it a day at the top of their game - and then have returned even stronger, and seemingly because they just missed being on stage together.
Addressing the near-decade apart while on stage at Kirkstall Abbey, The Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks sums it up simply: "For a long time we were a band, and then we weren't a band for a bit, and now we're a band again."
He's as softly-spoken a frontman as they come, but then The Maccabees never have leaned entirely on their frontman for their live energy - not when he's flanked by the White brothers.
Felix White spends half the gig sporting an ear-splitting grin, and the other half screaming words of encouragement at the audience like a crazed Top of the Pops presenter. The organised-fun patter might grate if he weren't so phenomenal the moment the music starts again.
Then brother Hugo is a brooding, powerful figure, usually standing with his legs so wide apart I'm surprised he doesn't split his trousers. His stage presence is so cool, so confident, it's hard to take your eyes off him.
Orlando's otherworldly voice is really allowed to shine through with songs like Spit It Out, when the stage reduces to a single spotlight and the other band members actually squat down to minimise the distractions.
The tempo shifts of Marks to Prove It, the urgency of X-Ray and the layered beauty of Wall of Arms all underline just how tightly the band play together.
There will be new music on the way, eventually, and they give us a glimpse into that with The Ballad of So Long, a swooping epic that suggests they still have somewhere new to go.
It's hard to complain that they don't have much more to show us yet - not when the alternative is a greatest hits, belt-every-word live show.
By the end of the night, as The Maccabees wrap up their show at Kirkstall Abbey, there's a quiet confidence about them. They know this comeback works, and we'll be lapping it up for as long as they'll stick around.
Judging by the reaction inside Kirkstall Abbey, everyone else does too.
Loyle Carner at Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds – tickets, times, setlist and more
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Everyone's favourite hip-hop and chilled rap artist is coming to Leeds for one night and one night only, make sure you don’t miss out.
That’s right, Loyle Carner is set to headline for ‘Above All Else,’ a brand-new event set up by local promoters ‘Futuresound,’ joined by the extremely talented Jordan Rakei, KOKOROKO, Kofi Stone and Bricknasty - what a treat.
As one of the UK’s most influential and inspiring young writers, producers and musicians, Loyle has recently been nominated for a bunch of awards in the past year, including the MOBO and BRIT awards, following the release of his most recent full album ‘Hopefully!’ which has become his highest-charting release to date.
He has also been in the media for being a fantastic role model for younger generations, using his platform to champion emotional vulnerability through his emotive lyrics. As well as utilising his platform to discuss mental health awareness, toxic masculinity, neurodiversity, and generational healing - what a good egg he is.
The gig is set to take place this Saturday 1 August, and will be an all-day outdoor celebration, with gates opening at 4pm and performances blending into the evening.
Gig guide | Loyle Carner at Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds – all you need to know
Are there still tickets for Loyle Carner in Leeds?
Yes, there are currently still tickets available to see Loyle Carner but hurry.
General admission and accessible tickets are priced at £67.20, with premium admission standing priced at £100.20.
ou can see the latest availability and grab your tickets HERE.
Stage times
Gates Open: 4:00 PM
Bricknasty: 4:45 PM – 5:15 PM
Kofi Stone: 5:40 PM – 6:10 PM
Kokoroko: 6:40 PM – 7:25 PM
Jordan Rakei: 7:55 PM – 8:40 PM
Loyle Carner: 9:15 PM – 10:30 PM
Loyle Carner expected setlist
We are unsure on the exact set list for the concert but many are expecting a lot from Loyle’s most recent album ‘Hopefully!’ which centres around topics of family relations, with thought provoking and emotional lyrics, in true Loyle fashion.
Fans have also been eagerly awaiting to see whether Loyle will bring out Joe James to promote his newest collaboration on the single Ignorance Was Never Bliss.
What does a Premium ticket get you?
If you're thinking of making your night a little fancier, there's a Premium area in Kirkstall Abbey that includes all of this:
Premium Entrance (please note this opens at the same time as all gates)
Premium Hang Out Area located in the Historic Abbey’s Cloister with Private bar and toilets.
Premium food vendors.
Live at Kirkstall Abbey map
Getting to Kirkstall Abbey
You can pre-book parking for only £11, which will open at 3.30pm. However, it’s important to note that no overnight parking is allowed and vehicles left overnight will be towed - don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Entry to Kirkstall Abbey Car park is located next to Abbey House Museum on Abbey Walk in Kirkstall (LS5 3EJ).
Fans are urged to use public transport or travel on foot wherever possible.
Kirkstall Abbey has two local train stations nearby; Kirkstall Forge is located approximately 1.3 miles from Kirkstall Abbey and Headingley Station is approximately 0.7 miles.
There are several bus stops near Kirkstall Abbey too, for more information visit here.
Sophie Smith -
5th April 2023 
