What’s on in Leeds in June 2025

As we head towards summer, June is all about experiences. From Chilean wine tasting to inflatable 5Ks, there’s something to suit every taste and budget this month. And of course, Leeds doesn’t slow down on the festival front, with Leeds’ annual festival of words and imagination, Leeds Lit Fest, returning for its seventh year. What are you waiting for? It’s time to fill your diary…

Festivals

This year’s Northern Man Festival, a series of events that puts men’s health and wellbeing issues centre stage, runs from Saturday, June 7, to Sunday, June 15. Aligned with Men’s Health Week (9 to 15 June), you’re invited to ‘Connect and Celebrate’ through various events such as health runs, men’s MOTs, football, snooker and dominoes tournaments and a Dadtastic day. It’s free, and all are welcome.

Leeds’ annual festival of words and imagination, Leeds Lit Fest, is back between 14 and 22 June. Bringing together writers, poets and performers from the UK and beyond across the city’s diverse spaces, Leeds Lit Fest aims to encourage conversation about all things bookish. 

There’s plenty to explore; from part-reading, part-gig, part-conversation with Boff Whalley from the anarcho-punk band Chumbawumba on 20 June at Mill Hill Chapel to Zineophilia, a creative zine-making session on 16 June at Hyde Park Book Club. Check out all the interesting events on offer here.

Visit Harewood House for an unforgettable evening of live music as Proms in the Park brings all its pomp and circumstance to Yorkshire for the very first time on from 6 pm on Saturday 21 June. Watch the full UK Proms Orchestra, soloists, dancers, and support acts while indulging in tasty street food and drinks – or bring a picnic – the choice is yours. Just make sure you dress for the weather, it’s an outdoor event.

Just one week later, at Harewood, on Saturday, 28 June, Goodlife Festival makes its debut from 1 pm. Featuring music from Happy Mondays, Soul II Soul, David Morales and more, it’s a feel-good experience of world-class music and gourmet street food that’s not to be missed. The stunning Harewood landscape provides the perfect backdrop for a celebration of great taste – don’t forget to upgrade to VIP for that extra luxe experience.

Fairs and Expos

Leeds Tattoo Expo will take over First Direct Arena for the 10th year this 7 and 8 June. Around 200 top artists will showcase some of the best in local and international tattooing. There’ll also be 70 boutique traders and entertainment across the weekend, including tattoo artists’ competitions. And, this year, for the first time, Leeds Tattoo Expo will collaborate with The Card Expo…

The Card Expo is a brand new event featuring 60 stands of trading cards, plushies, ornaments and more. Bring your collection to the dedicated trade area on June 7 and 8 and organise, play, trade and connect to your heart’s content. There’ll also be a retro gaming experience provided by NA64, plus loads of kids’ activities.

Now in its eighth year, Leeds Record Fair is a standout monthly event for record collectors. Vinyl is the main focus with rare LPs and collectable 45s, but you’ll also find CDs. Located in Leeds Kirkgate Market, the fair has two halls to explore (the 1976 Hall and the 1981 Hall) and takes place every second Saturday of the month, with this month’s event on 14 June.

Feeling bookish? Drop into Hyde Park Book Club for the Summer Solstice Book Fair between 11 am and 3 pm on Saturday, 21 June. Find the latest books from the North’s best indie publishers and from 3:45 pm onwards, settle in for author readings followed by networking drinks with publishers such as Stairwell Books, Comma Press, Dead Ink, Confingo, Northodox Press, Carcanet and Saraband.

Due to popular demand, SEND Next Choices, the event that helps young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get ready for adult life, will return to Leeds First Direct Arena on Tuesday, 24 June.

Young people and their parents, carers, support workers, and teachers are welcome to learn more about everything from jobs and apprenticeships to finance and benefits. Get free advice from over 70 organisations. Just book a timeslot between 10 am and 6 pm to get started.

Entertainment: Music, theatre and comedy

The legendary Rock N Roll musical (and let’s face it, guaranteed party), Rocky Horror Show, will land at Leeds Grand between 2 and 7 Jun, starring Jason Donovan as the iconic Frank-N-Furter. Get ready for fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity…and, of course, the inevitable ‘jump to the left’. Dress code, dress up? Of course.

Catch a screening of the Tennessee Williams classic, directed by Benedict Andrews and starring Gillian Anderson (Sex Education), Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) and Ben Foster (Lone Survivor). Filmed during a sold-out run at the Young Vic Theatre in 2014, A Streetcar Named Desire is a timeless tale worth revisiting again and again. This one-off opportunity is at City Varieties Music Hall on 14 Jun.

Following the 40th anniversary of his landmark album ‘Suddenly’, Billy Ocean will embark on a massive UK tour, stopping off at Leeds First Direct Arena on 21 June. Expect all the greatest hits from Love Really Hurts Without You to When the Going Gets Tough and Get Outta My Dreams from the man who’s sold over 30 million worldwide.

Musical icon and global superstar Diana Ross is set to dazzle Leeds with a unique orchestral performance at the First Direct Arena on 28 June. Hear chart-topping classics like Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’m Coming Out and Endless Love first-hand, as Diana celebrates her legacy as one of the most influential and stylish artists in music history.

In June, Leeds is a-glut with big-name comedians. Join everyone’s favourite deadpan funnyman, Jack Dee, at Leeds Grand Theatre on 19 June for Small World, his new stand-up tour. Also at Leeds Grand on 21 June is Ireland’s finest Dara O Briain, with a brand new live show, Re:Creation.

Over at First Direct Arena, the incomparable singer-songwriter, pianist and comedian, Tim Minchin, celebrates 20 years of hardcore rock N’ roll nerding with Songs the World Will Never Hear – a look back on how Perth cabaret artists ended up building one of the most eclectic careers in entertainment.

Last, but by no means least, Ricky Gervais returns to the First Direct Arena on 26 June for his highly anticipated new stand-up show, Mortality. In Ricky’s words, “We’re all gonna die. May as well have a laugh about it. Mortality looks at the absurdities of life and death. Bring it on.”. 

Have a laugh and help the planet – a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to charity – £1.91 million was donated to worldwide animal charities at the end of his Armageddon tour in 2023.

Events

Brazilian steakhouse, Fazenda, will join forces with Maquis, one of Chile’s most esteemed family-owned wineries, on Wednesday, 11 June for an evening of food, wine and discovery. Enjoy a specially curated four-course meal full of South American flavours paired with exciting wines from the Colchagua Valley.  Tickets are limited – book here to avoid missing out.

On the same evening, Spanish-inspired tapas restaurant Ambiente will host a Catalan Tasting Experience, a five-course journey through the wild and elegant wines of Bodegas Abadal, guided by export manager Cédric Morvan. Buy tickets for this one here.

For free drinks, nibbles, and the chance to test your vocal cords, why not venture over to All Hallows Church in Hyde Park for the Pop N Rock ‘Pride Choir launch night on Thursday, 12 June, between 7:30 and 9 pm? Open to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and friends (of any vocal ability), pro singers Gamini Khurana and Sophia Thevathasan will lead this and regular sessions (usually priced at £8.50, running 7:30 – 9:30 pm during Thursday term times).

Are you ready to experience the most exhilarating experience of the year? The Inflatable 5K is back and bigger and bouncier than ever! Get ready to jump, bounce, slide and swing over 15, 30, 60 or 90 obstacles alongside fellow competitors on Saturday, 14 June, at Harewood House. If three new obstacles and five pumping music zones don’t motivate you to sign up, we don’t know what will – maybe watching last year’s video? Everyone 5+ is welcome to join in.

If beer’s your tipple of choice, check out Craft Brew Festival, the UK’s wildest touring craft beer festival, at Project House, Armley, on Saturday, 21 June. Tickets include 5 hours of bottomless craft beer, cider and prosecco with the chance to try over 50 beers from over ten breweries, quizzes, giveaways, games, confetti cannons and a few other surprises.