The sun has finally got his hat on so it's the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy what our vibrant city has to offer.
August has already been a jam-packed month, but Leeds is certainly not showing any signs of slowing down.
As we edge closer to the highly anticipated Bank Holiday Weekend, we've got some great exhibitions popping up in the city, a music festival by the sea and some epic foodie deals to be taken advantage of.
As usual, we've handpicked some of the best things that you can get up to in and around Leeds.
So what your diary out, and get reading...
Projecting Grief Exhibition
Friday 18 – Sunday 27 August | Victoria Gate
Image: Supplied
Projecting Grief is the profound work of photographer Jo Ritchie and writer Laura McDonagh. Collaborating with Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2023, they are presenting an inspiring exhibition focusing on the complexities of loss and how art can be a useful medium for grieving.
Viewers can fully immerse themselves in real-life stories of grief and will also have the opportunity to take part in creative workshops covering textile art, writing and paper flower making.
Monday 14 - Sunday 20 August | Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Fizzy cola bottles, strawberry bon bons, flying saucers…there really is nothing better than a delicious bag of pick ‘n’ mix. And now to our delight, Trinity Leeds shopping centre will be dishing out free sweets as part of their ‘Pick Your Mix’ installation on the top floor.
Every day of the week, ‘Pick Your Mix’ will feature super-size DJ decks being installed underneath the main atrium, where guests can listen to top summer tunes and fill up free goody bags with sweet treats to take home.
This Feeling By The Sea Festival
Friday 18 – Saturday 19 August 2023 | Bridlington Spa, South Marine Dr
Some huge names will be playing by the sea this weekend and it's going to be a great one. Liverpool rockers Red Rum Club will get the ground shaking and Manchester band the Lottery Winners are sure to give a performance to remember.
Tickets are just £50 and you can get yours via Skiddle here.
Negroni Month at Friends of Ham
Monday 14 – Sunday 20 August | New Station St, Leeds and Brook Street, Ilkley
Yes, you read that correctly. For the entire month of August, Friends of Ham will be serving £5 negronis in both their Ilkley and Leeds locations.
It’s the perfect opportunity to get together with mates, sink a few negronis and indulge on the delicious cheese and charcuterie that Friends of Ham have to offer. You’d be a fool not to get involved in this absolute bargain.
Now we all love a bottomless brunch don't we? And this Italian-themed extravaganza is not one to miss. All Gusto diners will be treated to two delicious Italian courses alongside 90 minutes of non-stop cocktails and Prosecco - mega.
We're talking decadent pasta dishes, juicy burgers, and enough Italian aperitifs to sink a ship. So get your mates together get involved in this unmissable bottomless brunch, you won't regret it.
City Beach Summer Sessions
All of August | The Light Leeds, Cookridge Street
Image: The Light Leeds
Following its huge success in 2021 and 2022, The City Beach invites anyone and everyone to take part in fun beach activities throughout the summer.
The Light will be transformed into a huge sandpit to make you feel like you’re on holiday. The City Beach this year will also host a series of exciting events named ‘Summer Sessions’ for families and cocktail lovers alike, throughout the month of August.
From live music nights to evenings dedicated to Aperol Spritz, there’s a fun event for everyone to get involved in at The Light this summer.
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.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
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:
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.”
Clementine Hall -
11th August 2023 
