The Ticket Stub: 2027 starts taking shape

The clocks have gone back, but Leeds promoters are already looking at next summer. In the past few weeks we’ve had one festival line-up, one set of festival dates, a 20th birthday on the way, a rebuilt warehouse and enough Roundhay speculation to keep the forums busy until spring. Here’s where things stand.

Slam Dunk returns to Temple Newsam

Slam Dunk North is back at Temple Newsam on Saturday 29 May 2027, the day before its southern twin at Hatfield Park. The first wave is a pop-punk time capsule, with Bowling For Soup and Simple Plan at the top of the bill and Killswitch Engage bringing the heavier end.

There’s more under the headliners than usual. Reel Big Fish are returning for a UK-exclusive reunion appearance, their first since going on hiatus in 2019, and Killswitch Engage are making their Slam Dunk debut. Bowling For Soup are marking 25 years of Drunk Enough To Dance, and Simple Plan are celebrating a quarter of a century since their debut album.

Further down the poster: Less Than Jake, The Interrupters, Beartooth, Sleeping With Sirens, The Used, The Maine, The Amity Affliction, Four Year Strong, The Front Bottoms, Hot Milk and more, with further names to come. Tickets are on sale now.

Mint Festival sets its 2027 dates

Mint Festival is back at Newsam Green Farm over the May Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 May 2027. Rather than artists, the first announcement is about who’s hosting the stages: ROSSI.HOME//GRXWN., Bass Jamz, Heavy House Society, What The Duke?, UNFUSSY and Leeds underground regulars system., with three of those new to Mint and a brand-new stage concept also on the way.

The 2026 edition sold out, so if past form is anything to go by, it’s worth getting tickets before the artist names land.

Live at Leeds gets ready for 20

After taking 2026 off, Live at Leeds is gearing up for its return. Organisers have said they’re committed to coming back for the festival’s 20th anniversary in 2027, and their media team has been in touch to let us know something is coming. Watch this space.

A festival that gave early stages to Ed Sheeran, Royal Blood and Catfish And The Bottlemen marking two decades is worth watching. We’ll bring you the details as soon as they’re official.

Roundhay: the rumour mill

After a first year with Pitbull and Lewis Capaldi headlining, Roundhay Festival has yet to confirm anything for 2027, and that silence has done what silence does. Fan forums have been busy with wish lists and guesses, with the names floated ranging from the plausible to the very ambitious.

Until AEG announces anything, that’s all it is: guesswork. What we do know is that Roundhay Park has a licence for close to 70,000 and a long history of very big nights, from the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson to Ed Sheeran. We’ll be watching.

TESTBED is back, and twice the size

Hunslet’s TESTBED reopened on 3 October with a 10-hour party led by Annie Mac, Horse Meat Disco, Shee, Marcia Carr and Leeds’ own Junior Simba. The warehouse has more than doubled in size, from 10,000 to 23,000 sq ft, with a total capacity of 2,500 and a 1,500-capacity standing space for live shows.

It’s now the only venue in Leeds with a custom L-Acoustics L2 sound system, there’s a new mezzanine overlooking the main floor, and a second room is planned for 2027. Founders Laura Wellington and James Abbott-Donnelly are still running things, now with backing from AMAAD, the team behind Junction 2, and live bookings from Ghostwriter. Community station alto radio still broadcasts from the building.

Big nights at first direct bank arena

Closer to home and closer in time, the first direct bank arena has a busy run up to Christmas:

• The Script, 10 November
• Don Toliver, 18 November
• Jungle, 21 November
• UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, 8 December
• The Darkness, with Brothers Osborne in support, 9 December
• Culture Club, 12 December
• Morrissey, 19 December

The Darkness are on their biggest headline tour in 20 years, and Leeds is the second night.

That’s The Ticket Stub for now. With Slam Dunk, Mint and Live at Leeds all in the diary and Roundhay still to show its hand, 2027 is already looking like a good year to live here.