Attractions in Leeds

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

There are lots of attractions in Leeds with the city cultivating a reputation thanks to its increasingly popular arts scene. There are numerous theatres, music venues and galleries which, as well as traditional offerings, aim to inspire and challenge audiences with their content. The interior in the city art gallery’s tiled hall is particularly striking and the West Yorkshire Playhouse is must for theatre lovers. If history is more your thing, be sure to check out the Royal Armouries’ collection of arms and armour which has been gathered across continents and generations. Just one of Leeds’ dynamic museums which provide a fun day out for families and curious individuals alike. Leeds is also home to several parks and green spaces that are a joy to explore all year round as many include a stately home. Once you scratch the surface of this northern destination there are plenty of places to see and explore.

Our top picks

The Tetley

The Tetley, Hunslet Road, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS10 1JQ - Visit now

Housed in the 1931 art deco headquarters of the Joshua Tetley & Son brewery, The Tetley opened in 2013 and has sat at the very epicentre of the Leeds art scene ever since.

Leeds Playhouse

Leeds Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds, Yorkshire, LS2 7UP - Visit now

West Yorkshire Playhouse offers two performance spaces and hosts a wide range of high-quality productions.

Production at Leeds Playhouse

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, 74 The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AH

Founded by Henry Moore himself, who claimed “there wasn’t a single piece of sculpture in my home town” (Castleton) while “Leeds Art Gallery had nothing of any value”, today the institute boasts one of the strongest public collections of sculpture in Britain, and leads an ambitious programme of exhibitions and research designed to ‘make a significant impact on the future of art history’.

Henry Moore Institute
Courtesy of Henry Moore Institute

Belgrave Music Hall

Belgrave Music Hall, 1-1A Cross Belgrave Street, Leeds, LS2 8JP - Visit now

This music hall and canteen recently opened in the former site of Leeds Children’s Palace – a three-storey recreation hall and nursery school. As well as multiple bars, kitchens and a roof terrace, its 300-capacity event space plays hosts to the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Broken Social Scene and A Certain Ratio – plus plenty of rising stars.

Belgrave music hall Leeds
Creative Tourist

Kirkstall Abbey

Kirkstall Abbey, Abbey Road, Leeds, LS5 3EH - Visit now

Founded in 1152, Kirkstall Abbey on the bank of the River Aire is one of the most complete examples of a medieval Cistercian monastery in Britain. Its dramatic ruins have inspired artists such as JMW Turner over the centuries, and provided the perfect setting for Yorkshire’s Gothic Film Festival in 2013

Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds

Where to go in Leeds

The Gallery at 164, Leeds
Leeds
Gallery
The Gallery
at 164

The Gallery at 164 is an independent gallery in Leeds City Centre, exhibiting an eclectic mix of styles and media from both established and emerging talents.

Sunny Bank Mills Gallery
Leeds
Gallery
Sunny Bank Mills Gallery

Sunny Bank Mills Gallery is a light and airy art gallery inside a former cloth warehouse, in the heart of Farsley village.

Leeds
Gallery
Bowery

A welcoming space to create and be inspired, the Bowery provides a home for West Yorkshire’s artistic community.

Henry Moore Institute
Leeds
Gallery
The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds

The Henry Moore Institute boasts one of Britain’s strongest public collections of sculpture, and ‘makes a significant impact on the future of art history’.

OPEN/CLOSED — lewdjaw, courtesy of Serf, art galleries in Leeds
Leeds
Gallery
Serf in Leeds

Underpinned by an open, inclusive and communal ethos, Serf facilitates a brilliantly eclectic, ‘non-curated’ programme of exhibitions.

Assembly House, art galleries in Leeds
Leeds
Gallery
Assembly House in Leeds

An artist-led organisation founded in 2013 by university graduates, Assembly House runs a monthly programme of exhibitions and events across both of its two sites.

34 Boar Lane
Leeds
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34 Boar Lane

An immersive pop up space for artists and makers from East Street Arts, part of the transformation of 34 Boar Lane (a project by LJ Real Estate).

Leeds
Gallery
East Street Arts

East Street Arts in Leeds showcases of parts of the city that many people don’t even know exist, inviting visitors to participate and engage with artists on an entirely different level.

Leeds
Gallery
Leeds Art Gallery

The city centre Leeds Art Gallery is blessed with a fine historic collection and a changing series of contemporary exhibitions.

Leeds Visitor Guides

impressions
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Science and Media Museum
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The Alhambra
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Nightrain
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20 Stories eat outside in Manchester
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Winnie the Pooh at Manchester Opera House
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