The iconic Leeds attraction is back for its 31st year, and it's set to get everyone feeling all loved-up.
That's right, the most romantic day of the year is just around the corner and if you're not feeling the love just yet then we have the perfect event for you.
The Leeds Valentine's funfair is an iconic event which having returned last year for the first time since the pandemic, is now in its 31st year.
And we're here to tell you all you need to know about it.
Taking place from Friday 9 - Sunday 18 February 2024, get ready for a weekend of rides, games and attractions that are perfect for the whole family to partake in.
Image: Leeds Valentines Fair
We're talking a whopping 360° spinning ride The Superstar, the 40m-high Booster Ride, huge swinging pendulum The Devil Rock, dodgems, and, of course, Leeds' Wheel of Light.
The fair will be taking place in Victoria Gardens, on Cookridge Street and at Millennium Square.
Admission is completely free, with individual charges for each ride and attraction.
The Leeds Valentine's Funfair will be open from 12-10pm every day apart from Friday where it will open at 4pm and Sunday where it will close at 9:30pm.
Image: Leeds Valentine's Fair
There will also be a selection of food stalls on site serving traditional favourites including hot dogs, churros, donuts, candy floss as well as coffees and hot chocolate.
Roger Tuby of International Funfairs commented: “We are so proud to not only have been involved in the first ever Valentine’s Fair in the UK but to be able to bring it back to its original home. The last two years have been fantastic to be back in the city centre where the fair originated, and we are so grateful to Leeds City Council for helping to make this happen. Plus, the advantage of being in the city centre is that it is so accessible to everyone with lots of fantastic transport links and car parking options.
"The fair has always been well supported and this year we have brought together a fantastic selection of rides, attractions and games together with a selection of hot food & drink and sweet treats for all the family, friends and our visitors to enjoy.”
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 -
18th January 2024 
