Halloween and Bonfire Night have been and gone… so you know what that means? The festive season is well and truly upon us.
Yes that's right, the city is slowly becoming illuminated by twinkling Christmas lights and with it come a host of festivities to get us really in the spirit.
Santa himself will be touching down at White Rose centre and a whole host of exciting new openings will be popping up in the city centre.
Keep reading to see what you can get up to this week.
Leeds International Film Festival
Friday 3 November – Sunday 19 November 2023 | Various locations
Image: Leeds International Film Festival
The longest ever LIFF is taking place this month and after three years of missing out, Hyde Park Picture House is returning as a key venue for 2023. There’s a huge selection of indie movies to check out this year, with around 200 different films being shown across the seventeen-day festival.
Monday 6 November - Wednesday 31 January | Roundhay Park
Image: The English Art Co
Nothing says Christmas than getting wrapped up and strolling leisurely round a market.
And it’s not just the city centre that will be filled with stalls and visitors this year, as Roundhay Park is getting in on the action with a brand new Christmas Market and art exhibition. Art Roundhay Park will showcase new original artwork inspired by the astonishing beauty of Yorkshire’s landscapes, coastlines and wildlife.
The exciting new opening will also feature a Christmas Market where visitors can shop gifts perfect for the big day. It’s the perfect opportunity to get something extra special which you won’t find anywhere else.
Santa lands at White Rose
From Saturday 11 November 2023, 10am – 6pm | White Rose Shopping Centre
Images: White Rose Shopping Centre
Santa’s Grotto is landing at White Rose Shopping Centre again this year and staying right up until Christmas. You’ll find both Santa and his elves located at the main shopping centre and we’ve even had a tip off that he’s bringing presents for anyone who pays him a visit too.
Popular Leeds brewery Northern Monk has taken over the old Assembly Underground site, and it is a must visit now it enters into its first week of opening.
‘The Northern Market’ – a brand new city centre venture from the famous brewery will feature a bustling food market, beer hall and of course a fully stocked bar pouring the freshest Northern Monk beers from 10 tap lines and on-site beer tanks.
Food vendors so far include Falafel Guys, Big Buns and Six Slice Pizza with more set to be announced over the next few weeks.
Opening Monday 6 October 2023 | Boar Lane, Leeds City Centre
The London-born pizzeria is expanding, and Leeds is lucky enough to be its next stop. Think fluffy ‘bready’ bases, slightly charred for that authentic Neapolitan taste, dusted off with fresh tomato marinara sauce and mozzarella – each paired with a different combination of toppings.
Whilst there’s no opening date announced just yet, Pizza Pilgrims has confirmed it will be opening on Boar Lane in Leeds City Centre, with signs going up earlier this week inside the former Beer Hawk site, advertising free pizzas ‘and other goodies’.
In case you missed it, JLS are getting the band back together and heading out on a massive UK tour this year. And of course, they're stopping off in Leeds at the First Direct Arena.
After finishing runners-up on reality singing competition X Factor, JLS broke through in 2009 when their debut single ‘Beat Again’ shot straight to number one on the UK Top 40, before their follow-up singles ‘Everybody In Love’, ‘The Club Is Alive’, ‘Love You More’, and ‘She Makes Me Wanna’ also enjoyed chart success.
For all the JLS lovers out there, we are sure it's going to be a night to remember.
Leeds
Yorkshire veterans Shed Seven set for 10th anniversary of Shedcember shows
Yorkshire-born group, Shed Seven, are set to bring a very special edition of their 'Shedcember' live shows to the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, and more as they celebrate 10 years of the now annual tour.
The beloved British band and alternative rock veterans have been around for more than three and a half decades at this point, and for nearly a third of those, these lads have been putting on regular winter gigs for their loyal fan base.
Having developed a fervent cult following during that time, Shed Seven's dedicated run of November and December dates has become a bit of a phenomenon, and since 2025 was one of their most significant 18-month periods ever, they're toasting recent success at the end of this calendar year.
If you're 'Shed Ed', you'll already know all about this event; if not, get to know...
Announcing this year's 10th anniversary tour - fittingly dubbed 'Shedcember X - alongside a new short film/teaser written and directed by long-serving guitarist, Paul Banks, those who have been listening since the start
Equally, thanks to this would-be trailer, even those who've never been to one of the shows or are yet to fully dive into their discography have had their attention caught.
Focusing on their die-hard crowds who now make sure to attend each Shedcember night, if not every single one of their gigs whenever they come to town, the mini social media movie captures just how passionate their audiences are even after all this time.
Part of the reason that the York-founded outfit has been enjoying somewhat of a resurgence of late is as a result of back-to-back number one albums
Notching the top spot for their A Matter Of Time in January 2024, a whole 29 years on from their maiden release (the longest gap between a debut and a no.1 record in UK history), they then did it again with Liquid Gold, which saw some of their biggest hits remastered and reimagined with orchestral backing.
These two massive and long-overdue moments of recognition arguably deserve a tour all of their own, but we will absolutely take Shedcember X, which will feature a number of shows across the region.
Announcing an extensive run of performances for the de facto festival, the 10th anniversary edition of Shed Seven's - we've also highlighted all of the Northern dates for you.
The North Leeds Food Festival returns for 2026 and special anniversary edition
Danny Jones
The much-loved North Leeds Food Festival is back for 2026, and its spring return marks a very special anniversary.
We're getting hungry just thinking about it.
Taking place in less than a fortnight, North Leeds Food Fest marks its 10th birthday early next month, with this year's programme set to be one of the biggest yet.
We're lucky enough to see a lot of wonderful things within Roundhay Park every single year, but this might just be one of our absolute favourites.
Not to speak for all of you, but we're sure plenty of West Yorkshire would agree.
Held on the expansive Soldiers' Field section of the stunning outdoor space, more than a full decade on from the very first iteration of the festival, punters can expect free-flowing drinks, music rolling across the park, and LOTS of food to be enjoyed.
Both dog and family-friendly, too, it's already shaping up to be one of the best fun-for-all-ages weekends of the entire year.
Writing in a teaser on socials, the organisers said: "We’ve been working away behind the scenes to bring a fresh look and feel for 2026, so you can expect some surprises for our big birthday."
Consider our interest piqued and our tummies already rumbling...
The same spotlights will be shining on native independents serving up some of the region's best street food, and you can expect some top-notch drinks from Leeds locals, too.
It's pretty hard to believe it's been 10 whole years since this first started and how far it's come. Here's a longer look at how the last edition went down:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqSxSj-dQsA&t=2s
Some of the indie enjoyment being teased includes wood-fired pizza, crispy fried chicken, fresh cocktails and a full 'Ale House' pouring from start to finish, as well as "vibrant curries and desserts worth saving space for".
There'll also be artisan markets, a live cookery theatre hosted by Yorkshire chef, consultant and Great British Menu star, Stephanie Moon, lots of live tunes, a whole host of kids' activities, stand-up comedy and tonnes more.
Scheduled for Saturday, 9 May 2026 from 10am and wrapping up on the following (10 May) around 7pm, the doors will be open from 10am on the first day, so you'd better make the most of the celebrations.
Clementine Hall -
6th November 2023 
