Feature

The best things to do in and around Leeds this week | 10 – 16 July 2023

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Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 10th July 2023

July is really in full swing across Leeds now, and there’s absolutely no shortage of exciting things happening.

If the region’s events calendar wasn’t already exciting enough as it is all year round, summer brings with it everything from outdoor music gigs, highly anticipated venue openings, cultural art festivals and so much more for everyone to be getting involved with.

As usual we have cherry-picked a few of the best bits taking place in the city this weekend.

Keep reading to find out what you could be getting up to...

Leeds Bear Hunt

Begins Saturday 1 July 2023 | Various locations around Leeds

Image: Leeds Bear Hunt

Leeds Bear Hunt is an exciting new trail popping up around Leeds city centre all summer long. Raising money for Leeds Hospital Charity, there will be 35 different giant beat sculptures to find hidden in plain sight, and taking inspiration from the Michael Rosen classic children’s book, you can go on a bear hunt to find them all.

To find out the locations and collect rewards for your bear hunt efforts, you need to download the app on your phone.

Find out more here.

Leeds International African Arts Festival

Monday 10 July – Saturday 15 July 2023 | Various locations

three people dancing.
Image: LEEDS2023

The debut week-long festival celebrates dance, artwork, poetry, film and above all, rich heritage and culture, brought to life through art. Featuring a Jollof Cook Off and Cinema Africa at Hyde Park Picture House, there’s something to get involved in every night of the week.

Events are held at Leeds Trinity University, Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds City College, Reginald Centre Library, and Leeds Beckett University throughout the week

Sounds of the City: Morrissey

Wednesday 12 July | Millenium Square, Leeds

Morrissey.

Image: Supplied

British singer-songwriter Morrissey will be playing a major outdoor show at Leeds Millennium Square this week. Supporting Morrissey at this huge outdoor gig will be The Slow Readers Club and The Lottery Winners.

Tickets are available via See Tickets here.

Sounds of the City: Bastille

Thursday 13 July | Millenium Square, Leeds

Project House opening

Friday 15 July 2023 | Armley Road, Leeds

Brudenell, Belgrave Music Hall and Welcome, Project House have joined forces to bring the city a brand new gig spot. The 1,000 person capacity venue is set to bring together far more than just a new space to jam out on a Friday night.

Named Project House, expect a multi-purpose venue that combines music, markets, parties, even adding in a new restaurant concept and exhibition and conference space.

British indie-rock group Bombay Bicycle Club have already been confirmed to play at the new un-named venue, as well as fast rising jazz virtuoso saxophonist Nubya Garcia, and award-winning Canadian jazz outfit BADBADNOTGOOD.

Find out more here.

Streat North

Friday 14 July - Sunday 16 July | Springwell

Loaded fries from Little Bao Boy.
Image: The Hoot Leeds

Streat North is the ever-changing street food weekender that takes place every Friday – Sunday over at North Brewing Co’s taproom and brewery. Every week you can taste test a new indie food truck and watch the sunset with pints of North Brewing Co‘s signature to wash it all down with.

Read more: The summer-long street food festival inside a brewery in Leeds

Tamatanga Bottomless Brunch

Saturday 15 July | The Headrow

Cocktails from Tamatanga in Leeds.
Image: The Hoot Leeds

New Leeds restaurant Tamatanga has already proved a huge hit amongst foodies, and now they are hosting a bottomless brunch not to be missed. Every Saturday until 2pm, Tamatanga are bringing the party with their ‘Bangin Bottomless Brunch’.

Enjoy 90 minutes of unlimited drinks alongside a delicious brunch dish of your choice, and trust us when we say that the menu is simply mouthwatering.

Read all about it here.

Featured images - The Hoot Leeds / Leeds Bear Hunt / The Hoot Leeds

Feature

The 42-year-old Kirkgate Market stall serving freshly shucked oysters for £1.90 a pop

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Tucked away in Leeds Kirkgate Market you'll find a wonderful seafood stall selling freshly shucked oysters for £1.90 each.

It's places like these that remind us why we love Leeds so much.

Established in 1880, Hayes Seafood is widely regarded as the oldest trader within the historic Kirkgate Market.

For the past 42 years, it has been run by Cliff and Michelle, the loveliest couple who welcome every customer with open arms.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

The menu here is small but perfectly formed, focusing on fresh, ready-to-eat seafood that you can enjoy with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise at most.

Delivered fresh every morning, there's pre-cracked crab shells, brown and white crab meat, cockles, crawfish tails - all perfectly prepared for you to eat at their bar or high tables opposite.

But, it's the oysters that you'll see people queueing for. And rightly so.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Everything here is prepared to order right in front of you, and for no extra fee. You can choose from two types of oysters: super salty Lindisfarne oysters or the slightly sweeter English Loch Fyne.

We recommend having a couple of each, pulling up a stool right by the counter and getting stuck in. If you ask Cliff nicely, he might tell you a bit about the history of the place - but you may have to order a couple more oysters for that.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

You're left to dress them yourself, whether you prefer dash of fiery tabasco or a few pickled shallots. But to be honest, they're delicious just as they come.

This spot is a real piece of Leeds history, and the queues at lunchtime as well as the repeat regular customers proves just how special it is.

All it's missing is a champagne stall next to it...now wouldn't that be perfect?

Read more: Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Feature

Yorkshire-set Christmas film by Leeds director starring Richard E. Grant set to hit UK cinemas next month

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

A brand-new Christmas film is hitting cinemas nationwide next month - and it’s a proper Leeds success story.

Jack Spring directed his first feature film at just 19 years old and has spent the last decade carving out a career in independent film, as well as co-founding Leeds-based production company Shush Films.

His first movie, Destination: Dewsbury, was shot just down the road in - you guessed it - Dewsbury. And after moving to Leeds from Grimsby, Jack became determined to build his business from the city, putting down roots and growing his production company here.

Image: Supplied

Now, after years of working on independent projects, Jack has taken his biggest leap yet with a brand-new Christmas film, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint.

Set in Yorkshire, Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint follows Aubrey Flint, a reclusive model soldier painter with a lifelong hatred of Christmas, who is sentenced to community service at Willow Lodge - a retirement home on the brink of closure.

Roped into helping with a chaotic production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Aubrey clashes with its interesting set of residents...

And the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, featuring Richard E. Grant, John Bradley, Celia Imrie, Adjoa Andoh, Sophia Di Martino, Adrian Rawlins and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.

Image: Supplied

The heartwarming festive comedy will hit cinemas nationwide on Friday 6 November - a huge milestone for a Leeds-based director and production company, taking a homegrown Yorkshire story to audiences across the country.

You just can't beat a proper wholesome British Christmas film, so you can best believe we'll be watching in the cinema, popcorn in hand.

Read more from The Hoot Leeds:

Featured images - Supplied


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