What's On in Leeds

The Music Box 5 Year Celebration — Five years of championing live music deserves a proper party, and The Wardrobe is just the right room to throw one. From 12:30pm, expect a jubilant afternoon of performances that reflect everything The Music Box has stood for — grassroots talent, big sound, and a community that genuinely shows up. At just £10, this is an absolute steal for what promises to be a warm and celebratory slice of Leeds music history in the making.

The Smyths (Matinee Show) — If you have ever wanted to lose yourself in the melancholy and majesty of The Smiths without the time-travel, The Smyths are your best possible option — and a 3:30pm matinee at Brudenell Social Club is frankly a perfect Sunday afternoon arrangement. Brudenell is one of the most beloved grassroots venues in the country, with acoustics and atmosphere that suit this music down to the ground. Check the website for tickets, and do not leave it too long.

Talia Mar — The R&B-pop star who built a fanbase through sheer personality and undeniable hooks brings her live show to Headrow House at 7:00pm, and this one will be electric. Headrow House is a brilliant mid-size venue that manages to feel both grand and intimate all at once, making it the ideal setting for an artist who connects so directly with her audience. Check the website for tickets and expect a room full of people who know every single word.

Mark Thomas: 40 In Stand-Up Years — Four decades on stage and Mark Thomas is still one of the sharpest, most politically charged voices in British comedy — and he is marking the milestone at the magnificent City Varieties Music Hall from 8:00pm. This is not just a greatest-hits retrospective; it is a comedian interrogating his own career with the same forensic wit he turns on everyone else. If you appreciate stand-up that makes you think as hard as it makes you laugh, do not miss this one.

LUU Welcome Week '26: The Big Freshers Arrival Party! — It is the night that officially kicks off a new chapter for thousands of students descending on Leeds, and Leeds University Union is pulling out all the stops from 9:00pm. There is an unmistakable energy to a freshers arrival party — that heady mix of nerves, excitement, and the dawning realisation that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Check the website for tickets and get ready to make the kind of memories that take years to properly appreciate.

Intrinsic 001 — Something new is born tonight — Intrinsic launches its very first event at The Backroom from 11:00pm, and there is nothing quite like being there for the beginning of something. Priced at just £5–£10, this is grassroots nightlife at its most exciting: a tight room, a focused crowd, and the sense that the people behind the decks have something to prove. If you like your Sunday nights to end somewhere unexpected and genuinely alive, follow the noise to The Backroom.