Comedian Jack Whitehall has announced he will be touring the UK with a brand new show this summer, and Leeds is lucky enough to have two dates booked.
The Bad Education and Fresh Meat actor has said that this will be his most "personal" tour to date, sharing with Comedy.com that "Jack Whitehall says that theres: "plenty of material about the big changes that have happened in my life.
"It's about my struggle to settle down gracefully. I've got a long-term partner, a ridiculous dog and am now hurtling towards middle aged without a clue. It's about a foppish man-child's cack-handed attempt at adulting!"
More recently starring in the Netflix hit Travels With My Father, Whitehall has sold out three arena tours across the UK and Ireland as well as in New Zealand and Australia.
The full tour dates are as followed:
Tuesday 13 June: Brighton, Brighton Centre Wednesday 14 June: Brighton, Brighton Centre Thursday 15 June: Brighton, Brighton Centre Friday 16 June: Bournemouth, BIC Saturday 17 June: Leeds, First Direct Arena Sunday 18 June: Leeds, First Direct Arena Monday 19 June: Glasgow, Hydro Tuesday 20 June: Sheffield, Utilita Arena Wednesday 21 June: Manchester, AO Arena Thursday 22 June: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Friday 23 June: Newcastle, Utilita Arena Saturday 24 June: Manchester, AO Arena Sunday 25 June: Liverpool, M & S Bank Arena
Tuesday 4 July: Cardiff, International Arena Wednesday 5 July: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Friday 7 July: Birmingham, Utilita Arena Saturday 8 July: Birmingham, Utilita Arena Sunday 9 July: Cardiff, International Arena Monday 10 July: Cardiff, International Arena Friday 14 July: London, The O2 Saturday 15 July: London, The O2 Sunday 16 July: London, The O2
This news makes Jack Whitehall the second comedian to announce a stop at the First Direct Arena this week. Ricky Gervais, as well as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Busted and Interpol both announced earlier this week they would be coming to Leeds this summer.
A new grassroots music space is opening in Headingley with a mission to make DJing, vinyl and music culture more accessible.
Meanhood Studios, founded by long-time LS6 residents Jim and Katie Young, will combine a professional DJ rehearsal studio, record shop, performance space and tuition hub all under one roof.
Their aim is simple, "to level the playing field in a scene that has often felt exclusive and gatekept.”
Meanhood started as a guerrilla pop-up record shop in lockdown when Jim started selling records from his personal collection.
Built solely on quality and word-of-mouth reputation, the venture quickly grew into a respected local record spot known for its carefully curated vinyl selection.
Images: Supplied
Jim’s roots trace back to Manchester’s late-90s free party scene, he began DJing at 17 and from Hyde Park house parties to residencies at legendary clubs, he went on to host nights featuring artists who would later become major names in UK dance music.
Katie grew up in rural Cumbria, discovering music through pirate radio, library tapes and out-of-town raves. After moving to Leeds for university, she built a 20-year corporate career while supporting events, fly-posting for club nights and working behind the scenes.
“DJing is so much more than pushing buttons,” says Jim. “You’ve got to love it when no one’s watching. We want to share that knowledge and remove some of the barriers we experienced.”
Meanhood Studios will open on Friday 13 March and will offer access to equipment, rehearsal space, vinyl records and tuition for aspiring DJs and music lovers.
It's more important now than ever to support grassroots music venues, and we can't wait to check out this new space.
The Kooks, Miles Kane and Milburn to open Rock n Roll Circus as the festival expands to four days
Clementine Hall
Just when it you thought that the Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield line-up was complete, organisers have confirmed a major expansion for 2026.
That's right, the festival will now open a day earlier on Thursday 27 August.
The brand-new opening night will be led by The Kooks, Milburn and Miles Kane - this is going to be a bank holiday weekend you'll never forget.
Further artists for Thursday 27 August - and across the entire four-day weekend - will be announced in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.
It's a welcome addition to what was already shaping up to be one of the standout festival weekends of the summer.
Image: Supplied
Friday will see The Streets headline with a special performance of A Grand Don’t Come For Free in full. Saturday will be led by one of the UK’s most exciting modern guitar bands, Wunderhorse, supported by Baxter Dury, Mercury Prize winners English Teacher, and London favourites Fat Dog, whilst Sunday will be closed by the one and only Richard Ashcroft.
Festival Director Ali O’Reilly said:“Opening the weekend with The Kooks performing Inside In / Inside Out in full, Milburn returning home and Miles Kane joining the bill feels like a statement night for Sheffield.
“What makes Rock N Roll Circus special is that we can celebrate iconic albums and artists that shaped a generation, while also giving space to the next wave of talent coming through. That mix of heritage and hometown pride is exactly what this festival is about.
“Sheffield has always brought an incredible atmosphere to Don Valley Bowl, and expanding the programme this way gives us even more room to create something memorable for the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Rock N Roll Circus Sheffield takes place at Don Valley Bowl from Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 August 2026, and you can get your tickets here.
Sophie Smith -
31st March 2023 
