Not only is the one and only Elton John coming to Leeds for the very last time this month, but Leeds has also got a whole host of names big and small visiting before festival season takes over - including Jack Whitehall and Lewis Capaldi.
Over in Halifax, there's plenty going on at The Piece Hall - including Queens of the Stone Age and Rag 'n' Bone Man, whilst Sheffield is holding the South Yorkshire music scene with performances from Aussie favourite Dean Lewis and a very special homecoming gig from the Arctic Monkeys.
And that's just the beginning!
Keep reading to find our top twelve picks for gigs this months across Yorkshire...
Dean Lewis
Thursday 1 June 2023 | O2 Academy Sheffield
Image: Spotify
What: Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis knows a thing or two about heartbreak and since his best known 2016 single Waves blew up, he's spent plenty of time exploring love, loss and everything in between through song.
Where: O2 Academy Sheffield, 37-43 Arundel Gate, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 2PN
Tickets: Cost £30.30 each for standard tickets and are available via See Tickets here.
Additional Yorkshire dates: Dean Lewis will also be in Leeds at the O2 Academy on Sunday 4 June. Tickets are still available here.
Requiem
Thursday 1 - Sunday 4 June 2023 | Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds
Image: Tristram Kenton via Opera North
Leeds’ own Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre have collaborated with South African partners Jazzart Dance Theatre and Cape Town Opera on Requiem, a powerful double bill of contemporary dance performed to choral and orchestral music. Conceived during the pandemic and brought to the stage for LEEDS2023, Opera North’s Requiem pairs Mozart’s mysterious, timeless work with a brand-new composition from South African composer Neo Muyanga.
What: Grace Carter started writing music as a way of expressing emotions as a teenager, and was first signed at just 17. Now with years in the industry under her belt, Carter continues to bring audiences together with fusions of R&B, reggae and soul.
Where: The Wardrobe, St Peter's Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH
What: Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour is finally set to arrive in town this summer after being rescheduled for health reasons, with just one night at Leeds’ First Direct Arena. It’s set to be his last-ever tour and has around 300 dates – so you can imagine what the demand for tickets has been like…
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds, LS2 8BY
Tickets: Priced between £51 and £899 (that is not a typo), tickets are very much sold out, but you might be able to get some resale tickets. Keep an eye on Ticketmaster here.
Inhaler
Tuesday 6 June 2023 | The Leadmill, Sheffield
Image: The Hoot Leeds
What: Consisting of Elijah Hewson, son of the U2 star Bono, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon, Inhaler rose to fame after releasing their first EP It Won’t Always Be Like This when the four-piece came fifth in the BBC’s Sound Of… poll, an annual survey that asks critics and industry figures who is the most promising new talent.
Where: The Leadmill, 6 Leadmill Road, Sheffield S1 4SE
Tickets: Currently sold out but See Tickets has a waitlist going for any available tickets here
Additional Yorkshire Dates: For those that missed out on a night of non-stop dance anthems and heavy guitar riffs, Inhaler will be back for summer, performing atLeeds Festivalover the bank holiday weekend in Leeds.
Friday 9 – Saturday 10 June 2023 | Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
Arctic Monkeys. Credit: Zackery Michael 2022
What: Often touted as one of the best live bands on the planet, Arctic Monkeys will be stopping off on home turf at Hillsborough Stadium for two massive outdoors summer gigs. They last played here way back in 2007. Support will come from The Hives and The Mysterines.
What: Award winning comedian, actor and writer Jack Whitehall has said that this will be his most “personal” tour to date, and after three sell-out arena tours he is keen to get back on the road. Upon announcing, Jack Whitehall said: “This is my most personal show yet, with plenty of material about the big changes that have happened in my life. It’s about my struggle to settle down gracefully.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds, LS2 8BY
Tickets: For a limited time only, the tickets are selling for just £25 each on Ticketmaster so act fast and grab yourself a bargain here.
Pete Tong presents Ibiza Classics
Sunday 18 June 2023 | Temple Newsam, Leeds
Image: Gigantic
What: Legendary DJ Pete Tong will be taking to the decks once more to bring a taste of Ibiza to Leeds. Grab a drink and dance as the sun goes down to true summer anthems .
Tickets: Still available via See Tickets, priced at £51.75 each and available here
Queens of the Stone Age
Tuesday 20 June 2023 | The Piece Hall, Halifax
Image: Wikicommons
What: The American rock band are still going strong after almost 30 years together. Only a few weeks ago the band's first single since 2017 Emotion Sickness was released, along with an official announcement of the album In Times New Roman…so this tour comes with high hopes of tunes new and old
Where: The Piece Hall, Blackledge, Halifax HX1 1RE
Tickets: £49.50 for standing and £88 for balcony seats, both are still available via Ticketmaster
Summer Solstice: Asian Music Festival
Wednesday 21 June – Thursday 22 June | Leeds Corn Exchange, Leeds
Image: Wikicommons
Image: Qais Essar
Lunchtime recitals, Indo-Jazz tunes to wash away the day, and as night falls, the Corn Exchange will celebrate the Summer Solstice with sweet melodies. Whether you come to see award-winning musician Qais Essar playing on 2,500-year-old instrument or just popping in for a cuppa and staying for an hour to listen to the music, it promises to be a day to remember.
What: With a deep baritone voice and heartfelt lyrics, Rag 'n' Bone Man has been capturing the nation's attention for a good decade now. His album Life by Misadventure debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and became the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021.
Where: The Piece Hall, Blackledge, Halifax HX1 1RE
Tickets: Ranging from £47.80 - £95.60 depending on if you want general admission or a balcony ticket. There's also VIP tickets left at £204.50 - all of which are available via Ticketmaster here.
Iron Maiden
Wednesday 28 June 2023 | First Direct Arena, Leeds
What: Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden will bring The Future Past Tour to the AO Arena, featuring songs from Senjutsu and a focus on the iconic 1986 Somewhere In Time.
Where: First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds, LS2 8BY
Tickets: They started from £64 on Ticketmaster but are currently all sold out.
West Yorkshire's very own Jane McDonald is coming to First Direct Arena in Leeds for a hometown show that's set to be spellbinding.
Making her British TV screen debut nearly 30 years ago on The Cruise, before joining the Loose Women panel and going on to present a whole host of travel shows including Cruising with Jane McDonald, now this Wakefield legend returns to First Direct Arena.
This latest tour titled after her 2026 LP Living The Dream, will see Jane singing hits from both past and present including a couple covers too.
Earlier this year, Jane's Mighty Hoopla performance went viral online after she commanded the stage in a red leather jacket, donning a singular rainbow hair extension while belting out RAYE's 'Where Is My Husband!'
Audio North even got the opportunity to interview this legendary lady when she visited her hometown HMV store in Wakefield for an exclusive album signing - Oh look, it's me!
The Wakefield wonder-woman's latest album Living The Dream was released in March and considering the tour is named after this impressive LP, we're sure fans can expect to hear quite a few tracks from this album.
Living The Dream
I'll Not Be Beaten
You Don't Know What You Got
Don't Mind If I Do
The Hand That Leads Me
Ain't Gonna Beg
I Will Always Love You
Islands in the Stream
Jolene
9 to 5
You're My World
Where Is My Husband!
Let the Light In
Cake by the Ocean
Jai Ho!
APT.
Right Where I Belong
How Do I Move On
Beautiful Soul
All By Myself
You Still Lead Me
Of course, Jane also loves to cover a tune or two, and we'll never forget her renditions of 'Cake By The Ocean', 'Jai Ho' or 'APT.'.
What are the stage times for Jane McDonald in Leeds?
The doors for Jane McDonald's Living The Dream Tour in Leeds are set for 6pm with the event set to start at 7.30pm.
First Direct Arena has a curfew of 11pm meaning you have enough time to dash home and eat 'Cake by the (Sofa)' before ringing in the new day.
How to get to First Direct Arena
Bus Station
Located on Dyer Street next to Leeds City Bus Station and approx. 15min walk from first direct arena and is wheelchair friendly.
Support and help for any persons with a disability is available as the station is a registered ‘Safe place’ to come into and ask for assistance.
Nearest Bus Stops
Clay Pit Lane
Wade Lane/Lovell Park Road
Woodhouse Lane
Nearest Train Station
Leeds City Station on New Station Street is around a 15min walk from first direct arena and a major hub on the national, regional and local rail network providing connections to a wide variety of destinations.
Parking
There are over 7,500 car parking spaces within a 15-minute walk of the arena. The arena doesn’t have it’s own car park however there are lots of options nearby. To receive 5% off Q Park when attending a show at first direct arena click here
The nearest Car Park with EV charging is located on Albion Street click here.
None of the above car parks are operated by the arena so for questions, queries or comments we ask that you contact the companies directly.
Hiring Bikes in Leeds
If you’re looking to hire a bike in Leeds, here are some of the best options you can try:
Beryl bikes – you’ll find the ‘Leeds City Bikes’ from Beryl stationed throughout the city. These are all e-bikes, and they’re available to hire on a pay-as-you-go basis. It costs £1 to unlock the bikes, and then 16p per minute to use them. We’d say these are great for zipping around the city and getting from A to B.
Talio – for a wider selection of electric bikes to choose from, Talio based at Buslinthorpe Green is a great option. From this company, you can hire cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and cargo bikes. Prices start from £20 per day for rental, but if you’re hiring for a month or longer you’ll get a good discount.
James Blunt announces huge European tour, kicking off in Leeds
Daisy Jackson
Singer-songwriter James Blunt is heading back out on tour next year, kicking off a run of arena dates here in Leeds.
The singer, perhaps best-known for his iconic 2005 pop ballad 'You're Beautiful', is hitting the road again in 2027.
The newly-announced European tour is in celebration of his new album Airplane Mode, which is set for release this autumn.
James Blunt will kick off his tour here in Leeds next spring, with a massive show at the First Direct Arena.
Then he'll head to more cities including Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and London.
His new album, Airplane Mode, is being released on 6 November and will, according to his press release, be 'exhilarating'.
James has already released the first single, 'Tastes Like Summer', and 'Weight Of It All', with 10 more songs to come on the record.
Airplane Mode was recorded with James’ brilliant long-standing live band, who'll be back on tour with him next year.
Speaking of the new album, and recording in Pig Music Studios, he said: "Somewhere back there, I lost my way, but found it again in a studio in Banbury."
James Blunt will be at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 26 March, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am on 9 September.