Chow Down have announced that Winter Village will return later this year and that they will no longer be charging entrance fees.
If you live in Leeds, then you will definitely know about Chow Down in Temple Arches.
It's the ultimate weekend activity, think delicious food from a variety of different street food vendors, incredible drinks, live DJ's and an unbeatable, party atmosphere.
After a successful summer season spanning across twenty one electric weekends, the venue is temporarily closing it's gates to get ready for it's next upcoming events.
First up is Oktoberfest, the legendary event full of bratwurst and beer will be taking place over the course of two consecutive weekends.
Image: Oktoberfest Leeds
On the 23 - 24 September and 30th September - 1st October, the site will be filled with oompah dancing and stein swilling and it's set to be one for the memory books.
Last year saw palm trees being swapped for pine trees and sun terraces being transformed into cosy tipis. It was the perfect place to enjoy a mulled wine with friends whilst cosying up round a roaring fire, and we are delighted that it's coming back.
Open from 10 November til 31 December, Temple Arches will resemble a fairytale winter wonderland and is sure to get everybody into the festive spirit.
Yesterday 14 September 2022, Chow Down released a statement on their social media explaining that they will no longer be charging entrance fees for any of their customers.
The statement read "Ever since we opened in Leeds, we've listened to your feedback and strived to keep developing Chow Down to ensure it's the best possible place to experience amazing independent food, drink and entertainment in this great city we call home."
"We understand that rising costs are making times uncertain for many households. With that and your feedback in mind, entry to the venue will now be free of charge for the vast majority of the time at Winter Village."
The lovely people at Chow Down still encourage booking in advance to avoid disappointment and you can find out more about this here.
Thanks to Chow Down, the end-of-summer blues are no more as we look forward to the exciting events ahead.
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 -
15th September 2022 
