What's on near First Direct Arena
Leeds is a city best explored on foot. With a local guide leading the way, this 90-minute walking tour offers an engaging introduction to a city.
From £12.00
Opening this April at Leeds Playhouse, Christy Lefteri’s international best-seller novel The Beekeeper of Aleppo.
From £16.50
Northern Monk, one of Leeds’ best breweries, is kicking off the weekend with a brewery tour to kick start your Saturday afternoon.
From £20.00
Take a journey through 300 years of pub and brewing history in Leeds, with a heritage Pub and brewery tour.
From £35.00
Fantasy meets punk with a Teesside twist. A joyfully chaotic celebration of youth expression and identity at The Warehouse.
From £0.00
The guided tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the brewhouse and state-of-the-art packaging plant, giving visitors a full sense of what “real Yorkshire beer” means today.
From £15.00
Discover Rochdale’s rich history on this guided tour, featuring the newly restored Town Hall, St Chad’s Church, and the Pioneers Museum.
From £20.00
Foundational British synth-pop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark play in Rochdale, with support from Peter Hook and the Light and A Certain Ratio.
From £55.00Where to go near First Direct Arena
Oriental dining, live music and private karaoke, the upmarket Chinese restaurant Blue Pavilion is bringing the party to Leeds.
ibis Leeds City Centre Arena is a hotel that’s Yorkshire through and through. Brewed with the very best of Leeds and Yorkshire, this hotel’s bustling and modern like the city.
An independent bookshop specialising in literature across the LGBTIQA+ spectrum.
This music hall and canteen recently opened in the former site of Leeds Children’s Palace – a three-storey recreation hall and nursery school.
Jumbo Records is Leeds’ number one independent record store, with these large premises occasionally featuring in-store events with a bountiful record collection and coffee.
With a great mix of retailers over two levels including fashion, gifts and food, plus its own secure car park, St Johns Centre makes shopping in Leeds easy
The Brunswick offers great food, shabby chic decor and a whole range of real ales and craft beers on tap.
Surfing the nouvelle vague.
The Leeds branch of the O2 Academy chain.
Vintage Tearoom’s customers are treated to a diverse range of speciality teas and cold refreshments, all served with fresh-baked scones and cakes.
Culture Guides
Our latest music picks spotlight a new underground Manchester scene gaining national attention, alongside jazz, contemporary classical and more.
Theatre’s getting political this spring, with a run of new plays tracing how conflict plays out in individual lives.
Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.
We’ve got five new Manchester exhibitions this month, from thought-provoking photography to environmental art and community-led projects.
Spring is here, so sign yourself up for some much-missed al fresco dining at these highly recommended (and mostly new) Manchester restaurants.
There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.
Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.