LEEDS 2023: Don’t just visit our city, experience it too

LEEDS 2023 will deliver a transformational year of creative experiences that visitors can enjoy to immerse themselves in local life. The planned programme will celebrate and transform the city’s identity locally, nationally, and internationally – creating a lasting legacy of economic and social impact.

 

The delegate experience offering in Leeds will see a huge boost because of the year-long event. From dance to design, art to architecture, poetry to pop, sculpture to sport, grassroots community theatre to performance in the city’s varied venues, Leeds is set to be centre stage in the UK’s cultural scene.

 

Conference organisers can ensure that delegates don’t just visit the city of Leeds, but experience it too with an exciting line-up of events throughout the year starting with The Awakening on January 7th, an unmissable opening ceremony which will see Headingley Stadium graced by the likes of Corinne Bailey-Rae, Simon Armitage, Kadeena Cox OBE, Inder Goldfinger and Graft for an evening of variety and entertainment. Hosted by Gabby Logan and former Leeds United player and broadcaster Sanchez Payne, the event aims to celebrate Leeds’ past, present and future, and will kickstart the whole year of culture with a bang.

 

Events that follow The Awakening include ‘1001 stories’ in April, which has been developed by Leeds Playhouse and The Performance Ensemble and puts the voices of older people centre-stage telling stories of love, life, youth, and joy. A programme inspired by Leeds-born, world-renowned engineer and astronomer John Smeaton, ‘Smeaton 300’ tours the city from June to December, and allows people to explore the art of engineering, while ‘All That Lives’, a reimagined celebration of Day of the Dead, masterminded by Leeds artist Ellie Harrison and Mexican artists Zion Art Studio, will take place in November at Leeds Playhouse and Leeds City College.

 

The delegate experiences on offer in Leeds’ have already helped the city secure its place as one of the most popular conference destinations in the UK, and the vast series of events next year are sure to cement its position as a leading global conference destination. Conference organisers are encouraged to explore the range of events and celebrations being delivered as part of LEEDS 2023 to enhance their conference offerings and ensure their delegates are left with a lasting impression of their time in the city.

 

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “LEEDS 2023 is an exciting year of culture that will show the world everything this fantastic city has to offer. We know that our creative talent rivals anywhere in the country, and LEEDS 2023 will give people a fantastic opportunity to express themselves, all while boosting our local economy.”

 

Claire Heap, Head of Conference Leeds, commented: “We are thrilled with the number of experiences on offer as part of LEEDS 2023. The cultural experiences that are on offer in Leeds already attract a huge number of conference and business events, but the line-up announced for LEEDS 2023 is a fantastic display of what this year-long celebration of culture will bring.”

 

“The timetable of events will give delegates even more of an opportunity to apply their learnings and expand their thinking through creative and thought-provoking events and activities, and we would encourage conference organisers to contact the Conference Leeds team to align their conferences to ensure their delegates experience exceptional.”

 

Conference Leeds, the conferencing bureau for the city of Leeds, offers a free and impartial service to assist delegates in experiencing the exceptional. To explore your options ahead of your next conference, visit: www.conferenceleeds.co.uk/enquire/ and to find out more about LEEDS 2023 visit: www.leeds2023.co.uk