Leeds Lowdown: What’s on in March 2026

Winter? What winter? March in Leeds is all about colour and creativity. From print festivals and photography to big-name gigs, family favourites and city-wide celebrations, there’s plenty happening as the days start to stretch out and we start looking forward to spring. Here’s a highlight-packed lowdown of what’s on in Leeds this March.

Festivals

Sunny Bank Mills hosts its annual celebration of printmaking, bookmaking and zines on 7 and 8 March. The Sunny Bank Mills Print Festival. brings together around 60 printmakers, studios, artists and collectives across the historic mill site, with stalls, exhibitions and plenty of opportunities to chat directly with the makers. With entry just £3.50 on the door, it’s an accessible and inspiring way to spend a spring weekend, whether you’re a seasoned collector or just curious about print.

Get ready to get vibrant! Leeds Holi Festival is at Beaver Works in Hunslet on 7 March, bringing one of the most joyful celebrations of the year to the city. Expect colourful sky painting, high-energy Bollywood beats from top DJs, funfair rides and a wide selection of street food, all packed into seven fun-filled hours. Holi is all about bringing people together across cultures and music scenes. It’s for over 18s only, so don’t forget your ID.

If you’re more into painting the walls than the sky, Design Festival North takes over the Royal Armouries on 11 March. A must for commercial interior designers, architects and creatives, the festival showcases the latest products, materials and innovations shaping the built environment. It’s a rare chance to see, touch, sit in, and experience work from leading interiors suppliers all under one roof.

Running from 3 to 13 March across Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, the West Yorkshire Innovation Festival brings together businesses, entrepreneurs and industry experts to share ideas, build collaborations and explore future-focused thinking. Leeds events include Rest Connect North on 3 March, with a focus on sustainable growth, and the GreenTech Gathering on 5 March, a more informal event centred on sustainability and green innovation.

As part of Leeds Storytelling Festival, best-selling author Kate Pankhurst heads to Leeds Art Gallery on 8 March for a special 10th anniversary celebration of her Great Women series. Young readers are invited to explore the lives of inspirational women who helped shape the world, from Frida Kahlo and Rosa Parks to Marie Curie, Malala Yousafzai and Taylor Swift. A brilliant event for curious kids and families.

Photo North Festival returns to the Carriageworks for its seventh edition from 13 to 15 March. Celebrating documentary photography and film, the festival shines a light on real stories that challenge perspectives and spark conversation, while championing underrepresented voices. Students and emerging artists can take advantage of a free portfolio review on the Friday, but you don’t need to know your aperture from your ISO to enjoy the powerful work on display.

Events 

International Women’s Day: Music Leeds Us

Celebrate International Women’s Day at Leeds City Museum on 8 March from 12 pm to 4 pm with Music Leeds Us, a free afternoon of music, creativity and connection. As part of the Music Leeds Us exhibition, the event features live performances by local musicians and hands-on workshops led by community music worker Nicky Bray and the Yorkshire Women Sound Network.

Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea 

Treat your mum to a classic Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at Temple Newsam House between Friday 13 and Sunday 15 March. If the weather behaves, tea will be served on the South Terrace; if not, you’ll be seated in the grand surroundings of the Great Hall. Either way, expect a quintessentially British experience in a truly beautiful setting. Prices start from £30 per person.

Other ways to indulge your mum on her special day include: 

• A Mother’s Day Floral Workshop at Nova Bakehouse, 6:30 pm to 8: 30 pm on 12 March, priced at £54.88

• A Sip and Paint Night at the Caballero Lounge, 5 pm to 7 pm on 8 March, priced at £27.80

•A Mother’s Day Beauty Brunch at Harvey Nichols’ Fourth Floor Brasserie with an expert masterclass from the Charlotte Tilbury team, priced at £44.04.

St Patricks’s Day Parade

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with the St Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, 15 March. Starting at Millennium Square, the parade winds through the city centre, filling the streets with music, dancers, floats and community groups. Afterwards, head to one of Leeds’ many Irish pubs for live music, Guinness and Irish food. O’Neills has a full week of parties planned, including Cheltenham Festival coverage and the final Six Nations match.

Secret Society of Leeds

If you enjoyed MONOPOLY Leeds Takeover or Wonderland Awaits, the Secret Society of Leeds is another immersive city-centre experience to try. Running until November 2026, this self-guided detective adventure starts at Millennium Square and takes you through streets, murals and landmarks as you solve puzzles to uncover a fictional secret society. It’s family-friendly, starts from £8 per device, and all you need is a smartphone.

Disney on Ice: Into the Magic

Disney On Ice: Into the Magic skates into first direct bank arena from 5 to 8 March. Join characters including Belle, Moana and Elsa on an adventure filled with courage, love and spectacular ice-skating. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser for Disney fans of all ages. Tickets from £25.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow-N-Fire

Also at first direct bank arena, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow-N-Fire rolls in on 28 and 29 March. Expect massive trucks, glowing effects, special kids’ pricing and optional pre-show and backstage experiences. From selfies with the new truck Rhinomite to driver autographs, it’s high-octane family fun from just £16.

Exhibitions

Botanically Beautiful: Art and design inspired by nature

From garden to gallery, Lotherton’s new Botanically Beautiful exhibition features remarkable objects inspired by flowers, fruit, leaves, and trees. You’ll see original William Morris wallpapers from the Sanderson Archive alongside glorious ceramics and silver, intricate Spitalfields silks and innovative furniture by Voysey and Pugin. All while keeping warm and dry! From 1 March to 18 October.

Portrayals of Women

Visit the diverse new display Portrayals of Women, highlighting the many voices, experiences and stories told through images of women at Leeds Art Gallery from 29 March to 5 April. Now’s your chance to get up close to a wide range of works, including historic pieces by Ottavio Leoni and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, to recent acquisitions by contemporary artists Skye Davies and Sumuyya Khader.

Elsewhere, experience Charlotte Verity’s quietly radical The Season Following at Harewood until 7 June. Read more about the exhibition in our In the Frame article.

Music

A Country Night In Nashville

Prepare to be transported straight to a buzzing honkytonk in downtown Nashville on 6 March with A Country Night in Nashville, featuring music from Johnny Cash to Alan Jackson, Dolly to The Chicks, Willie Nelson to Kacey Musgraves. This celebration of the very best of country music comes direct to City Varieties Music Hall from The Royal Albert Hall, promising an evening that captures the energy and atmosphere of this popular musical genre. Prices from £33.50.

City Varieties continues its strong run this month with American country soul band The Delines on 6 March, Grammy-nominated blues singer Eric Bibb on 16 March, and Liverpool soul-pop favourites The Christians on 18 March. There are plenty of soulful sounds to choose from.

Gorillaz

March’s biggest arena show comes from the English virtual band Gorillaz, who bring The Mountain Tour to first direct bank arena on 25 March. Following sold-out shows and the acclaimed House of Kong exhibition, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s virtual band promise an immersive night of genre-defying music and striking visuals.

Smoove and Turrell

Newcastle duo Smoove and Turrell bring their unmistakable Northern Funk to Brudenell Social Club on Friday 13 March. Expect soulful vocals, dancefloor-ready grooves and serious live energy. Tickets are £20 in advance. Also at the Brudenell this month are American guitarist Buck Meek on 21 March and indie folk artist Joan Shelley on 22 March.

TINA: The Tina Turner Musical

The West End smash-hit TINA: The Tina Turner Musical arrives at Leeds Grand Theatre from 17 March to 4 April as part of its first-ever UK and Ireland tour. Experience Tina’s inspiring story like never before to powerful performances of her most iconic hits, including The Best, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, Private Dancer and River Deep, Mountain High. It’s simply the best! Prices start from £32.

If you’re looking for something to follow a night on the town, check out late-night DJ sets and club nights at venues like Belgrave Music Hall, Headrow House and Project House…

Comedy

Riona O Connor & Olga Thompson: This Is All Too Much

On 7 March at The Glee Club, Riona O’Connor and Olga Thompson team up for This Is All Too Much, a candid, laugh-out-loud night tackling perimenopause, panic, and everything that comes with being firmly over 40. Expect belter comedy songs, sharp observations and the comforting feeling that you’re very much not alone. It’s two shows in one, and a night that’s as cathartic as it is funny. Tickets from £20.

Also at The Glee Club, award-winning comedian Tom Lucy brings his Golden Boy tour to Leeds on 11 March. Known for his high-energy delivery and effortlessly relatable stories, this is Lucy’s biggest solo tour to date and a great chance to catch one of the UK circuit’s fastest-rising stars in an intimate setting.

Thomas Green: Brainstorm

Australian comedian Thomas Green brings his Brainstorm tour to City Varieties Music Hall on 7 March. Seen on ITV and heard on BBC radio, Green’s fast-paced, chaotic style takes audiences on a journey through impulsive thoughts, self-discovery and the wonderfully stupid corners of the human brain. A big personality perfectly suited to the grandeur of City Varieties. Tickets from £20.

Greg Davies: Full Fat Legend

Greg Davies returns to first direct bank arena on 22 March with Full Fat Legend, his biggest live tour yet. The Taskmaster host and Inbetweeners star is on formidable form, delivering towering observations, brutally honest storytelling and plenty of moments that are not for the faint-hearted. If you like your comedy bold, loud and unapologetically full-fat, this one’s unmissable. Tickets from £59.

Garth Marenghi: This Bursted Earth Book Tour

From the fevered imagination of horror fiction’s Grand Frightener comes Garth Marenghi: This Bursted Earth, landing at City Varieties Music Hall on 30 March. Combining readings, ramblings and trademark absurdity, Marenghi delves into his latest rancid tales and teases whether this really could be the final chapter in his literary saga. Expect cult humour, uncomfortable laughs and plenty of nonsense. Tickets from £24.

Theatre

Gentleman Jack 

Ready to see the extraordinary story of Yorkshirewoman, Anne Lister, as you’ve never seen it told before? Step on over to the Leeds Grand Theatre between 7 and 14 March for the world premiere of Gentleman Jack, a Northern Ballet and Finnish National Opera and Ballet co-production choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa to new live music. Tickets from £23.

An Evening with Sir David Jason

On 1 March, David Jason joins Mike Bushell at Leeds Grand Theatre for an An Evening with David Jason, an evening of anecdotes, reflections and behind-the-scenes stories from a career that brought us Del Boy, Inspector Frost and even Danger Mouse. What a treat for TV fans and comedy lovers alike!

Other ‘evening with’ events on completely different topics this March are Natalie Cassidy: Live with Nat on 22 March at The Wardrobe (from £17.25), where the EastEnders favourite brings her podcast to life, and An Evening With Adam Frost on 9 March at City Varieties Music Hall (from £28), in which the popular Gardener’s World presenter talks all things green fingered.

War of the Worlds

Buckle up for an epic road movie constructed before your eyes. Using miniature environments, model worlds, camera tricks, and projection, imitating the dog mix the live and the recorded, the animate and the inanimate to create a thrilling, audacious retelling of H.G. Wells’s classic novel, War of the Worlds. At Leeds Playhouse, prices start from £16.50 from 25 to 28 March.

The Snow Queen

Want to take your kids on a spellbinding adventure through what’s left of winter? Leeds Children’s Theatre presents The Snow Queen by Ron Nicol, based on the classic story by Hans Christian Andersen. Step into a world of magic, mystery, and adventure in this enchanting theatrical experience that celebrates love, bravery, and the power of friendship. At Carriageworks Theatre between 26 and 29 March. Tickets from £14.50.

For younger children, the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler classic Zog will roar and soar into the Carriageworks from 16-21 March.