Leeds Lowdown: What’s on in April 2026

Spring has officially arrived in Leeds, and the city is celebrating in style. April brings longer days, (hopefully) warmer weather, and a packed calendar that covers every taste and budget. We’ve got world-class music, laugh-out-loud comedy, inspiring theatre, Easter adventures for the whole family, and enough festivals to fill every weekend between now and May. Here’s everything you need to know.

Festivals

Leeds Young Film Festival

Leeds Young Film Festival (LYFF) runs this Easter holiday from 28 March to 19 April, bringing affordable family films, immersive VR experiences, creative activities, and behind-the-scenes filmmaking workshops (ages 8+) to venues across the city,  including Hyde Park Picture House, Carriageworks Theatre, Howard Assembly Room, and Leeds City Museum. From Peter Rabbit to Mary Poppins, with loads of brilliant new stuff in between, there’s something for every budding storyteller in the family.

North Leeds Charity Beer Festival

If you like a low-key pint or few, this is the beer festival for you. Join Roundhay Rotary Club for the 14th annual North Leeds Charity Beer Festival on 10 and 11 April. locally produced beers from micro and independent breweries, Mrs Singh’s legendary samosas, and Setchfield Butchers pork pie and peas. Families and dogs are very much welcome, and all proceeds go to local projects. Good beer, good causes. Easy.

Leeds Song Festival

Dates throughout April, Leeds Song Festival is one of the UK’s leading celebrations of the art of song, bringing together artists and audiences from across the globe for a world-class programme of performance and composition in multiple languages. Whether you’re a classical music devotee or just curious, it’s one not to miss. Tickets are priced per performance at venues including Leeds Conservatoire, the Howard Assembly Room at Opera North, and the University of Leeds, so there are plenty of ways in.

Strangeforms Festival

Strangeforms, the Brudenell Social Club’s annual weekend of math-rock, post-rock, post-metal, post-hardcore and alternative music returns on 18 and 19 April. This year’s lineup includes avant-garde punk producer Meryl Streek, Kowloon Walled City, Knives, and Sugar Horse. Weekend tickets are £37, available from Brudenell, Jumbo Records, and Crash Records.

R&B Lovers Festival

Get out the glitter, the confetti, and the most glam outfit you own. This indoor R&B Lovers festival at The Warehouse serves up six hours of old school anthems from the likes of Destiny’s Child, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Lauryn Hill, TLC, and many, many more, plus live performers and hosts keeping the party flowing all night. Group tickets from £18 per person.

Events

Spring Mini Market

Looking for a sweet way to kick off spring? Head to the Spring Mini Market, a curated independent makers market featuring 11 businesses with goods for foodies, dog lovers, and homeware enthusiasts, plus a special café menu and free bunny biscuits. Entry is free. Grab a coffee, have a browse, and find something lovely this April 1st.

Leeds Dock Photography Walk

Grab your camera (or smartphone – no judgement) and join the Leeds Dock Photography Walk on 16 April to explore how heritage and modern development coexist across one of the city’s most photogenic stretches. Organised by Leeds Civic Trust, this two-hour, 1.5-mile walk takes in The Calls, Leeds Dock, the River Aire waterfront, and the Leeds–Liverpool Canal, starting at Leeds Corn Exchange. Tickets are £9 for non-members. All welcome.

Sakura in Bloom

Can’t make it to Japan for cherry blossom season? Leeds has you covered. Sakura in Bloom on 18 and 19 April is a spring-themed cultural market at Leeds Corn Exchange celebrating creativity, community, and East Asian culture. Expect Japanese and Korean themed stalls, artisan and handmade goods, cultural workshops and experiences — and, of course, cherry blossom everywhere you look.

Exhibitions

Thinking with plants: Ecofeminism and contemporary art

On 16 April, Thinking with plants: Ecofeminism and contemporary art, a lunchtime talk at Leeds Art Gallery explores how artists engage with plant life to reimagine human–plant relationships in the context of ecological crisis, displacement, and environmental injustice, drawing on works from Plant Dreaming, the gallery’s current exhibition on plants and their real and imagined histories. Thought-provoking stuff. To book your place, email art.gallery@leeds.gov.uk. Plant Dreaming itself runs until 19 April, so why not make a day of it?

Up North! Beauty in the ordinary, everyday scenes

Left Bank hosts Up North! Beauty in the ordinary, everyday scenes, a new exhibition by artist Elizabeth Nast, with a launch night on Wednesday 22 April from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Working in watercolour, acrylics, pastels, and coloured pencils, Elizabeth captures the quiet charm of ordinary life and has a knack for making you see it differently. Pop in and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Music

Fresh from joining Oasis on their record-breaking tour, two-time Ivor Novello winner Richard Ashcroft brings his anthemic sound to first direct bank arena on 2 April. Expect new music from his upcoming album Lovin’ You — including the single Lover — alongside his signature blend of indie-rock, soul, and acoustic brilliance.

First direct bank arena is busy all month: James (4 April), YUNGBLUD (17 April), Rick Astley (18 April), The Prodigy (11 April), Louis Tomlinson (28 April) and NE-YO and AKON (30 April) all head to Leeds this April. Quite the lineup!

Over at City Varieties, 80s icons, T’Pau, are back with their first full UK tour in a decade, previewing their forthcoming album,  Be Wonderful, on 10 April. Carol Decker, Ronnie Rogers, and co. will be delivering mega hits Heart and Soul, China in Your Hand, alongside fresh material. A proper treat for fans.

If you enjoy Huey on BBC Radio 6 Music, you’ll love him live. His solo tour, Huey Morgan: The Fun Lovin’ Criminal, mixes music with live chat; part gig, part conversation, all Huey. Catch him at City Varieties Music Hall on 14 April for an evening with the charismatic frontman who brought Scooby Snacks into the nation’s consciousness. Authentic, infectious, and a genuine one-off.

Explosive performances of the biggest K-pop hits from Blackpink, NewJeans, Katseye, and BTS, plus spectacular numbers inspired by the smash-hit film K-Pop Demon Hunters. Expect stadium-shaking anthems, breathtaking choreography, and a sea of glowing lightsticks when K-Pop All Stars hits Leeds Grand Theatre on 20 April. Seoul comes to Leeds for one night only.

A one-off special concert at Leeds City Museum on 26 April, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its royal charter. The West Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra will dust off music first performed at the 300th anniversary concert a century ago, including the overture The Golden Wedding and The Highland Express. It’s a chance to reflect on the generations of Leodensians who’ve shaped this city’s remarkable musical life, as the music drifts atmospherically through the museum galleries.

Comedy

Ruby Wax: Absolutely Famous

On 8 April at City Varieties Music Hall, Ruby Wax and lifelong friend and producer Clive Tulloh revisit clips from Ruby Wax Meets and Full Wax, with never-before-heard tales from encounters with Donald Trump, OJ Simpson, Pamela Anderson, and Madonna. Provocative and abrasive in the best possible way. Classic Ruby.

Al Murray: All You Need is Guv

The Pub Landlord is back with a brand-new show for 2026, fresh from a sell-out 138-date tour. All You Need is Guv hits Leeds Grand on 12 April, with common-sense hot takes and a much-needed truth tonic for these troubled times. Permission granted to forget it all and have a proper laugh. Those booking the Splash Zone: wear the poncho. Seriously.

Also at Leeds Grand this month: Josh Widdicombe’s Not My Cup of Tea (20 April) and  Judi Love: All About the Love (26 April).

Comedy Club 4 KidsA comedy club. For kids. On 17 April,  Comedy Club 4 Kids presents the best stand-up and sketch acts from the international circuit, minus the rude bits. It’s a proper comedy club on the day when kids are allowed in. A higher-than-average chance of heckling? We think so.

Theatre

Speak to the Streets: Battle for Yorkshire

Leeds’ original and highly respected Speak to the Streets presents the first-ever Battle for Yorkshire Youth Breakin’ Event at Howard Assembly Room on 3 April. A family-friendly celebration of hip hop that’s searching for the next generation of raw B-boys and B-girls. Good vibes only.

Too Much Too Young: The Music of 2 Tone and Beyond

Ready for the UK’s smash hit ska theatre experience? Too Much Too Young: The Music of 2 Tone and Beyond is a high-octane, feel-good ride through the ska sound that shaped generations, live at City Varieties Music Hall on 4 April. Hits from Madness, The Specials, The Beat, Bad Manners, The Selecter, The Bodysnatchers, and more. You will be dancing. There’s no alternative.

The Constant Wife 

A star-studded new production of Somerset Maugham’s The Constant Wife starring Kara Tointon (Mr Selfridge, Strictly winner) and featuring original music by multi-award-winning jazz artist Jamie Cullum plays Leeds Grand between 14 and 18 April. Sharp, sophisticated, and extremely funny, this RSC production is well worth your time. Tickets from £22.

Shrek: The Musical

For the kids (and honestly, for everyone), Shrek: The Musical is at Leeds Grand from 7 to 11 April. Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and the full fairy-tale gang on a heart-warming, hilarious journey through the swamp,  with I’m a Believer and Freak Flag along for the ride. A feel-good family event in every sense.

Other family-friendly theatrical experiences this April include Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo’s Child (10-11 April) at The Carriageworks and the brand-new, amazing educational show Exciting Science (12 April)l at City Varieties. 

Sport

Leeds Running Festival

Runners, assemble. Leeds Running Festival on Sunday 5 April takes in the stunning surroundings of Roundhay Park, one of Europe’s biggest city parks, across junior, 5K, 10K, and half-marathon routes, all raising money for St Gemma’s Hospice. There’ll be plenty of supporters cheering you on, and a medal, water, and post-race goodies waiting at the finish. Lace up and get going.

NORTH Wrestling: Let the Cannons Fly 7

Get up close to the ring at NORTH Wrestling’s Let the Cannons Fly 7 at Project House on Saturday, 11 April. Expect a raucous atmosphere and an entertaining blend of Japanese Strong Style, Mexican Lucha Libre, British/European grappling, and USA-style sports entertainment. Ringside tickets from £25.31. A gripping night guaranteed.

The Extra Mile: An audience with Kevin Sinfield

In Leeds, Kevin Sinfield needs little introduction. One of rugby league’s greatest ever players, his extraordinary fundraising efforts for motor neurone disease, and his deeply moving friendship with the late Rob Burrow,  have made him one of the most inspiring figures this city has produced. Catch The Extra Mile: An audience with Kevin Sinfield on 21 April at Leeds Grand Theatre. Bring tissues.

Half-term Easter events

Aardman: Morph Making Workshop

Hyde Park Picture House teams up with the legendary Aardman Studios for a  Morph Making Workshop on 7 April. Get creative with clay and take your very own Morph home. Sessions are led by an expert model maker who’s worked on some of Aardman’s most beloved productions. It’s a brilliant glimpse into the Aardman world for little ones.

Big Fish Little Fish Family Rave

Get ready to rave – the whole family. Big Fish Little Fish’s Family Rave hits Belgrave Music Hall on Saturday 19 April from 1 to 3 pm, with bubbles, dazzling light effects, giant balloons, confetti blasts, and a parachute dance finale. Six-time winner of Best Family Event at the Arts Council Family Arts Festival Awards and described as “reliably excellent” by the Guardian. It’s one not to miss.

Made with Music

A mini-gig for families at the Brudenell Social Club on Sunday 19 April from 12 to 3 pm. Showcasing local talent and open to kids of all ages (babies under six months go free), Made with Music is a brilliant way to introduce the little ones to Leeds’ music scene,  in one of the city’s most iconic venues, no less.

Traditional Easter fun

For a more traditional Easter, Stockeld Park: The Easter Adventure (28 Mar-19 Apr), has live-action Easter bunnies, a themed trail, giant eggs and woodland activities. Harewood House offers an Easter Estate Adventure, including a trailer tour of the farmland and a Golden Egg Heist Easter Trail.

You’ll also find Easter Bunny fun at Abbey House Museum, Silly Sheep at Kirkstall Abbey, a Felted Egg Hunt at Leeds Industrial Museum, and plenty of other Easter-themed activities at Leeds museums and galleries across the city.