What’s on this summer in Leeds?

Leeds is a city bursting with culture, energy and unforgettable experiences for delegates.

Taking pride in its vibrant art scenes, rich sporting heritage and worldly mix of restaurants, bars and clubs, the city always has something for delegates to immerse themselves in, come day or night. The city comes alive in the summer time, and the true nature of the walkable city comes into its own when the sun shines. Not only this, but the transport links out of the city are second to none, and you can hop on a bus or a train with ease and open up a new world of experiences out of the centre.

If you want to explore the city in between your conference this summer, then look no further! Here are top 5 experiences in Leeds to enjoy.

1. Yorkshire Sculpture International.
The UK’s largest dedicated sculpture festival comes to Leeds this summer, and runs until the end of September. Yorkshire Sculpture International will see a series of exhibitions, international commissions, events and learning programmes not seen on a scale anywhere else – with sculpture in its broadest forms on display across four major galleries.

If you find yourself in Leeds for a few days then it is the perfect reason to explore the city. Start off with the massive Damien Hirst piece in the middle of Briggate (he’s hard to miss!) and go from there on the hunt to see more of the collection. Should the good old British summer sun fail you, Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute both house large collections of the sculptures. Once you’ve seen all there is to see in Leeds, you can use our excellent transport links to hop on a bus or train, which will take you to our neighbouring city of Wakefield where you can see the rest of the collection.

2. The Symphonic Sounds of Back to Basics
If you’ve got an evening spare in Leeds around the end of July then fingers crossed it’s this one. On July the 27th, the Symphonic Sounds of Back to Basics returns to Leeds for another year, and it’s set to be an unmissable event! This performance of original guest vocalists, such as Heather Small from the M People, Janice Robinson, Rowetta and Rachel McFarlane, includes a full 60-piece symphony orchestra and an excellent set list curated with legendary Leeds club Back to Basics. This symphony is the perfect way to spend a summer evening celebrating the city’s cultural diversity! DJ sets start at 6.45 and with it being right in the city centre there’s no excuse to miss Millennium Square coming alive for the night.

3. Join in with Leeds’ Pride Parade
Leeds as a city is known for its diverse and multicultural communities, and each year these communities across the city come together to celebrate PRIDE. Leeds’ Pride festival is the biggest of its kind in the UK which still remains a free event, and over 40,000 people expected to attend over the course of the weekend. With a series of acts taking to the stage, including Izzy Thomas, the Rock Choir, PearlNatasha, Channy and Ellie Dibben, there’s always something happening at Pride for you to see and do! Taking place on Sunday the 4th August this year, the Pride Parade will gather at 11am in Millennium Square will move down to Lower Briggate and Call Lane, where the festivities will really begin!

4. Enjoy a roof terrace
Sometimes, after an excellent round of summer conferencing, all you want to do is sit in the sun and soak it all up, and Leeds can offer a variety of places where you can do just that! No matter what kind of atmosphere you’re looking for, there is a roof terrace to suit your needs in Leeds.

From Belgrave Music Hall and Headrow House, with their craft beers and G&T offers, through to East 59th and Angelicas for a range of other cocktails and beverages, all you have to do is a little bit of hunting to find a great terrace in the sun where you can easily spend an early evening. All of these venues offer an excellent range of food too, so you can easily make a night of it, watching the sun go down over the city and basking in the beautiful skyline views.

5. Explore Harewood House
Jumping on the number 36 bus from Leeds train station will get you to Harewood House; a stunning historic Stately Home which was built in the 18th century and has an array of fabulous art collections that can rival some of the finest in the country. Situated amongst over 100 acres of fantastic, award-winning gardens and grounds, the House is surrounded by a range of exotic and beautiful plants that make taking a walk around the land a beautiful way to spend an afternoon this summer.

If you want to take in all the beauty of the gardens but don’t want to walk across all 100 acres, visitors can also take a boat named The Capability across the lake in the grounds, giving you the full picture of one of the finest Treasure Houses of England and surrounding landscape. What’s more, for those with an interest in wildlife, Harewood House is also home to a Bird Garden which features an array of different birds from all over the world including flamingos, penguins, owls and parrots.