Leeds

Peter Kay to play two huge shows in Leeds on first stand-up tour in 12 years

This might just be the best news ever.

The Hoot The Hoot - 7th November 2022

Peter Kay has announced that he is to play two Leeds shows as he makes a huge return to live comedy on his first stand-up tour in 12 years.

It’s fair to say this has been a very long time coming, and it has been heavily rumoured for many years on end now, but it’s finally a reality – Peter Kay is embarking on a stand-up tour of the UK for the first time in over a decade, reports The Manc.

Reports began circulating earlier this year that the legendary Bolton-born comedian could finally be making his long-awaited return with a huge “comeback tour” in 2023, but it’s now been announced that the 49-year-old will be doing two massive shows at the First Direct Arena on Friday 20 January & Friday 19 May 2023.

After Kay was forced to cancel his last stand-up arena tour – which had sold out across all 100 scheduled gigs – back in 2017 due to what were said to be “unforeseen family circumstances”, he has largely remained out of the spotlight since and has left many fans questioning when he would be stepping on the stage again.

He had made a few notable stage appearances in recent years, including two Q&A sessions for the Doing it for Laura charity back in August – which were fundraisers organised for University of Manchester student Laura Nuttall, who was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme in October 2018.

In recent months, Kay had also taken to the stage for his hugely-successful ‘Dance For Life’ tour – which raises money for Cancer Research UK.

But now, the star of Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road to Nowhere, and Peter Kay’s Car Share is officially back doing what he does best, and heading out on tour and gearing up to entertain over 1.2 million people.

Peter Kay tour poster.
Image: Supplied

Kay’s 2010 tour still officially ranks with the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest selling comedy tour of all time.

“It’s good to get back to what I love doing best,” Kay said ahead of his return.

“If there’s ever a time people need a laugh it’s now. And with the cost of living at an all-time high, ticket prices are starting from £35, which is the same price they were on my previous tour in 2010.”

Tickets for Peter Kay’s nationwide tour start from £35, and will officially go on sale on Saturday 12 November at 10am.

You can get them from Ticketmaster or Gigs and Tours.

Peter Kay Live 2022/23 Tour Dates

Friday 2 December 2022            Manchester AO Arena
Saturday 3 December 2022        Manchester AO Arena
Saturday 17 December 2022       Birmingham Utilita Arena               
Saturday 7 January 2023             Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Friday 20 January 2023               Leeds First Direct Arena
Friday 17 February 2023             Sheffield Utilita Arena
Thursday 23 February 2023       Belfast SSE Arena
Friday 24 February 2023             Belfast SSE Arena
Thursday 9 March 2023              Newcastle Utilita Arena
Friday 10 March 2023                  Newcastle Utilita Arena
Thursday 23 March 2023            Birmingham Resorts World Arena
Thursday 6 April 2023                 Dublin 3Arena
Friday 7 April 2023                     Dublin 3Arena
Friday 05 May 2023                     Glasgow OVO Hydro
Saturday 06 May 2023                Glasgow OVO Hydro
Friday 19 May 2023                      Leeds First Direct Arena
Friday 16 June 2023                    Cardiff International Arena
Saturday 17 June 2023               Cardiff International Arena
Friday 14 July 2023                      Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Saturday 15 July 2023                 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Friday 11 August 2023                 Sheffield Utilita Arena

Read more: Everything you need to know about Chow Down Winter Village 2022 – including how to get free tickets

Feature image - BBC

Leeds

No Greek Tragedy, just indie bangers – The Wombats set Leeds’ First Direct Arena alight

Declan Kelly Declan Kelly

The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.

The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.

From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.

They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.

Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.

Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.

Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a
rollercoaster - in the best way possible.

Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.

Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?

Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.

Read more: Mumford & Sons add new Leeds show at the First Direct Arena to sell out UK tour

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Leeds

Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky

Danny Jones Danny Jones

She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.

A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.

They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.

And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.

We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…

Images: Get Baked

Yes—scratch that; HELL YES! Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.

Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?

Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.

With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.

Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”

In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:

@the.manc @GET BAKED® are giving away 1000 slices of Bertha right now at their new store in Northern Quarter and Manchester, you turned up 👏 #themanc #manchester #getbaked #giveaway #newopening #bakery #queue #manchesterfood #manchestereats #cake ♬ original sound - The Manc

Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”

Read more: The Swine That Dines announces the official opening date of its brand new restaurant

Featured image - Get Baked

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