WELCOME TO THE NIGHT

THE NIGHTLIFE IN LEEDS IS THRIVING, PACKED WITH CLUBS, PUBS, BARS AND LIVE MUSIC VENUES

Whether you’re in the mood for craft beers or artisan cocktails, a local gig or late-night dancing, there’s no need to sleep on a visit to Leeds! This vibrant northern city comes alive after dark, promising a whirlwind of night-time attractions. Call Lane and Merrion Street are particularly popular areas for bar-hopping. However, it’s wise to expect the unexpected – Leeds’ nightlife contains a few surprises too.

The city’s buzzing social scene never compromises on quality. From secret speakeasies to big-name DJ sets, there’s ample opportunity to drink deep and let your hair down.

Kick off your evening at The Maven cocktail lounge, which brings prohibition-era glamour to the city. Stylish and serious about cocktails, the carefully curated drinks menu is of the utmost quality. In fact, ask nicely and their expert mixologists might whip you up a special something off-menu. No speakeasy is ever simple to find and The Maven is no exception. Look for the unmarked staircase on Call Lane.

Call Lane is a what’s-what of great watering holes. Jake’s Bar has been here for over 15 years and the cocktails on offer feature home-made liqueurs distilled in the bar’s very own copper still.

Not only does Roland’s do a mean cocktail, it has a hidden courtyard lit by twinkling fairy-lights and does rooftop BBQs come summer. Don’t be put off by the name of Power, Corruption and Lies – the 40-foot bar serves Japanese-style cocktails and irresistible bar snacks to boot.

Arena District

The opening of First Direct Arena in 2013 kickstarted the growth of the city’s ‘Arena District’. Manahatta on Merrion Street is Leeds’ own swish slice of the Big Apple. Immediately opposite, MOJO is all about fuss-free fun. The cocktails are plentiful, the music is loud and dancing is always encouraged. Two doors down, Mean Eyed Cat Bar is a good-time dive bar with American-inspired cocktails and free pizza before 9pm.

There are many reasons why Greek Street is one of the best places for a night out in Leeds. Here are three of them: The Alchemist (delicious cocktails and all-day dining), Neighbourhood (neon-lit bar with creative concoctions to match) and The Lost & Found Leeds Club (sultry Mad Men vibes and a menu of classic cocktails).

Just around the corner on South Parade, Below Stairs excels at imaginative cocktails inspired by the senses, while a short stroll further on Wellington Street, newbie Green Room is home to largest rooftop terrace bar in Leeds, with live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.

You’ll find low lighting, speakeasy vibes and even more cocktails at the Blind Tyger on Cross Belgrave Street. It gets bonus points for being located next to Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen – the perfect excuse to catch a show.

Leeds has a proud history of beer-making. Tetley’s Brewery was founded here in 1822 and its grand Art Deco headquarters remain open with an art gallery and contemporary bar serving, you guessed it, Tetley brews.

More hoppy happiness awaits at Kirkstall Brewery on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Don’t miss North Brewing Company’s Springwell taproom which opens every weekend for street food and fresh-from-the-tank beers.

Another opportunity to taste North Brewing Company’s bevvies can be found in their original venue: North Bar on New Briggate. First opened in 1997, this cosy wedge of a watering hole also features an ever-changing selection of craft favourites from around the world. Leeds Brewery Beers are best supped from their flagship pub, The Midnight Bell.

In the city centre, take your pick from The Brewery Tap on New Station Street, The Lamb and Flag on Church Row and Wapentake on Kirkgate – a Yorkshire themed café and bar that champions local breweries such as Roosters, North Riding and Nomadic Beers.

At 300 years old and nestled down a dinky alley off Briggate, Whitelock’s Ale House is the oldest pub in Leeds and has held firm to its period charm. You can also step back in time at The Adelphi on Hunslet Road, a Grade 2-listed pub with opulent Victorian interior.

Any Leeds regular is familiar with the Otley Run – the big daddy of pub crawls along the length of Otley Road. This boozy trail takes in 15 venues, including Woodies Craft Ale House, The New Inn and The Box, before finishing at the pub-on-a-boat, The Dry Dock. Along with its pubs, the city showcases its love of real ale at the Leeds International Beer Festival every September.

Make it a night out to remember in some of Leeds’ quirkiest bars. At Junkyard Golf Club, three neon-lit mini golf courses are the perfect place to test out your putting skills with a drink in hand. From the bonafide ferris wheel to the candy-inspired cocktails, you’ve never teed off like this before.

Flight Club on South Parade, meanwhile, delivers darts with a difference. Private booths and table service allow you to enjoy beers with your bulls eyes.

Beer Pong

Even more games are afoot at Roxy Ball Room, which has venues on Merrion Street, Boar Lane and The Headrow. Ping pong, beer pong, pool and shuffleboard are available to play with your friends. To fuel your friendly competition is a menu of American diner-style food and extensive drinks.

If you fancy watching live sport, head for new kid on the block Pinnacle Beer & Gin Hall on Bond Street, where you can catch the footy on one of 14 large-screen TVs or have a game on one of their seven pool tables.

On Call Lane, the colourful Cuckoo bar is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only do you get free six-inch pizzas with your drink before 9pm on weekdays, but the toilets are tucked behind a wardrobe and you have to walk through a potting shed to reach the rooftop terrace!

If you’re keen to bring a little culture to your late-night escapades, Leeds is the place to do it. The city boasts theatres, comedy nights and a cracking live music scene to keep you dancing ’til dawn.

Leeds often welcomes the hottest artists on their international tours. First Direct Arena maintains a stellar schedule of household names, while O2 Academy Leeds dips its toes into comedy and club nights too. Both are easily accessible within the centre of Leeds.

The city’s two universities, Leeds and Leeds Beckett, also attract big names for their live music nights. Far from student-exclusive, visitors of all ages are equally welcome.

Brudenell Social Club in Burley is at the forefront of Leeds’ music scene and champions old-school gig-going at its finest. If live music is your bag, there’s nowhere better to be. Oporto has been a key player among Call Lane’s bars since the late 1990s and continues to grow in popularity. Good beer, vegan junk food and regular live bands are central to its success. The clue’s in the name at Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen.

There’s gigs, in-house ‘pizza slingers’ and even a trendy roof terrace on the venue’s top floor. Headrow House is another one-stop-shop of entertainment. A varied line-up of musical acts can be enjoyed alongside a Beer Hall, split-level rooftop and, for your pre-gig munchies, an award-winning restaurant called Ox Club.

For toe-tapping of a more intimate kind, seek out Domino Club. It may be hidden at the back of a barber shop in the Grand Arcade but once you’ve descended down the secret staircase, an enchanting speakeasy complete with live jazz awaits.

Theatregoers have an assortment of performing arts venues to choose from in Leeds. Be sure to check the calendars of Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Playhouse for touring productions spanning theatre, comedy, opera and dance. The 19th-century City Varieties Music Hall is the oldest working theatre in Leeds and makes for another stunning night out on the town.

Forward-thinking Carriageworks Theatre keeps one eye firmly on fresh talent. Fairly priced family and comedy shows get served up night after night. Regular comedy nights are also a fixture at Otley Courthouse Arts Centre with acts like Stephen K Amos and Geoff Norcott appearing on the bill. More laugh-out-loud moments are in store thanks to comedy nights at Verve on Merrion Street, The HiFi Club on Central Road and Pryzm on Woodhouse Lane.

Comedy Clubs

However, the leading light on Leeds’ comedy scene is The House of Fun Comedy Club, which hosts regular events at The Wardrobe on St Peter’s Square and The Original Oak in Headingley.

The LGBTQ+ community forms an important part of Leeds’ cultural identity. Viaduct Showbar on Lower Briggate hosts outstanding drag artists and cabaret acts every week. Their annual Drag Battles are the stuff of legend. Still on Lower Briggate, Queens Court has great happy hours for you to make the most of the lengthy drinks list, plus lip-syncing competitions to rival Ru Paul’s. There are regular raucous club nights, live music nights and karaoke battles at much-loved Blayds Bar on Blayds Yard. The New Penny on Call Lane is the city’s original gay bar and a Leeds institution.

When only an epic blowout will do, Leeds’ clubs keep the good times rolling long into the night. The HiFi Club on Central Road is an award-winning, floor-filling gem of a nightclub with regular funk, hip-hop and reggae nights. Its sister club, Wire on Call Lane, attracts big-name DJs into its subterranean clutches. It may be small, but the atmosphere is unbeatable when the crowd gets going.

Café by day, Sheaf Street transforms into an after-dark dynamo. With regular residencies and one-off specials, there’s always a party to get stuck into. The Old Red Bus Station on Vicar Lane may sound like a children’s playground but trust us, its License to Jungle club nights are perfect for adults with a penchant for electronic music.

The intimate surroundings of Distrikt Bar on Duncan Street make it a hit with party-loving locals and DJs alike. By contrast, Mint Warehouse is a whopper of a club with three rooms, a banging sound system and hypnotising LED ceiling.

Another mega-club to lose your mates in is Pryzm on Woodhouse Lane. With five floors and an admirable policy to mix in as many musical genres as possible, you don’t have to look hard for a dancefloor with your name on it.

House music reigns supreme at the four-storey Bar Fibre on Lower Briggate. However, for more sultry escapades, you may prefer to schmooze along to funk, soul and blues tunes at Smokestack. This New Orleans-inspired joint opens ’til 3am every night of the week. Its finest qualities are the huge range of cocktails, carefree dancing and crowd of like-minded folk.

Leeds is a city of innovation and its nightlife scene is no exception. The city’s bars, clubs and theatres set the standard for unrivalled revelry, with a rip-roaring night out to suit all tastes. After all, sleep can wait, right?