The World's Most Extreme Sound Bath: Sunn O))) Live in Leeds
How do you prepare yourself for seeing sunn O))) live other than making sure you have the best earplugs imaginable? Walking up to the venue, I'd never seen so many people on the way to a gig carrying ear defenders, and once inside, the person in front of me put earplugs in, then a set of ear defenders over the top.
Selby Young Writer Wins Gold In National Competition
Lewis Capaldi Graces Roundhay Festival
Following in the footsteps of The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Genesis, U2, Robbie Williams and Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi arrived at Roundhay Park as the Saturday night headliner at the newly inaugurated Roundhay Festival.
Lepers, Book Of Job And A Festival That Isn't Afraid To Show Its Workings
A scratch performance about medieval lepers was just one of hundreds of events at this year's Ripon Theatre Festival—but as an opening statement, it was a bold one. It is a good sign, and an increasingly rare one, to see a theatre festival so thoroughly supported: excellent productions, wonderful venues, a well-curated programme and, above all, outstanding commun…
Doncaster Sheffield Airport Hosts World-First Runway Art Project
Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s vast runway has become the setting for a major art installation featuring thousands of large-scale portraits of people from across the city. More than 1,000 black-and-white portrait images of children and young people have been pasted onto and unveiled across the runway as part of the global Inside Out Project.
Stroke Of Genius, Jagged Little Thrill: Lytham Festival Opens In Style
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Lytham Festival, the north west's largest live music event, returned to the Lancashire coast this week for five nights, marking its fifteenth anniversary with a run of contrasting but equally compelling headline shows.
Albums: Embrace - Avalanche
Yorkshire band Embrace, currently celebrating their thirtieth anniversary, release their new album, Avalanche, with a set of ten tracks that do not disappoint.
Now You See It, Now You Don’t: GRQ By Steven Bernstein
A change is as good as a rest they say and this novella is certainly a change. If you need waking up, this is the book for you, with its short chapters and fast pace. Despite the narrator’s protestations, it is not an advice manual, not a manual of good advice, at least.
Classical Music: Messe Modale: Upper Voices Music For Mass
The singing itself is the chief pleasure here. Just fifteen sopranos and altos produce a remarkably well-blended sound under Searles' direction, the tone consistently lovely and the diction unusually clean for a choir working in such a resonant space. Phrasing throughout is intelligent and unforced.
Classic Music: Saxophobia - Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920s
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I defy anyone not to start moving their legs in Charleston fashion with this seductive celebration of 1920s glamour. Nostalgia and a hearkening back to an age of nightclubs, novelty and no small amount of nerve.
There is a moment, early in the opening track, Sax-O-Trix, when you realise Chad Smith is not so much playing the saxophone as interrogating it. The virtuosity is immediate and slightly alarming — watch him perform, and you may find yourself short of breath on his behalf.
Albums: Madonna Confessions II
Reuniting with Stuart Price proves to be the masterstroke. Their chemistry remains extraordinary, creating a seamless collection of club music that feels both classic and contemporary. House, disco, electro and synth-pop flow effortlessly into one another, with every transition designed to keep the energy moving. It's a record built to be experienced as a whole rather than dissected into individual streaming moments—a rarity in modern pop.
Albums: Sienna Spiro The Visitor
Few debut artists arrive with as much goodwill as Sienna Spiro. Ever since her powerhouse covers began circulating online, comparisons to Adele and Amy Winehouse have followed her at every turn. While those labels always felt premature, they were understandable: Spiro possesses one of the most naturally commanding voices to emerge from British pop in years. The Visitor confirms that beyond any doubt. What it doesn't quite confirm is whether she has the songs to match.
Calendar Girls: The Musical
July may well prove to be the standout month in this year's theatrical calendar, as the ever-popular Calendar Girls: The Musical arrives at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre. With its unique blend of Yorkshire humour, heartfelt emotion and unforgettably dramatic moments, this latest production is a must-see theatrical treat.
Sir Stephen Hough To Lead Leeds Piano Competition Into Radical New Era
Applications have opened for the 2027 Leeds International Piano Competition, and with them came the most sweeping set of reforms in the event's 64-year history. Sir Stephen Hough, one of the most admired pianists of his generation, has been appointed Artistic Director and Chair of the Jury — and he has used the role to tear up the rulebook.
Stairwell To Heaven: York’s Most Passionate Indie Publisher Turns Twenty One This Year
Since its birth in a stairwell in Connecticut, it’s been quite a ride! Stairwell Books founders Rose Drew and Alan Gillott reflect on how it all began… ‘It was 1994 and I was a single mum living in a house in Connecticut, about 45 minutes from New York City,’ remembers Rose Drew, the editorial half of the team.
Former Young Carer Returns As Filmmaker To Tell Story Of Yorkshire Dales Youth Project
A former young carer from Leeds who found freedom and confidence in the Yorkshire Dales is premiering a new documentary about the power of nature, friendship and time away from screens.
V&A's Bowie Archive Begins Historic Tour Of The North
Highlights from the V&A's landmark David Bowie archive are to tour the North of England for the first time, with major venues in Scotland, Lancashire, County Durham and Yorkshire all hosting the collection before it moves further south. David Bowie: On Tour will open at V&A Dundee in November 2026, before arriving at Blackpool's Showtown from 30 June to 26 September 2027.
Curtain Up: Yorkshire Throws Open The Doors On Its Own Fringe
A county-wide fringe festival is landing in Yorkshire this July — unfunded, unincorporated, and already boasting more shows than Edinburgh managed in its first year. Tyler Pickles, one of the seven volunteers behind it, talks us through how you build a fringe from nothing but an email and a room full of mind maps.
A Vintage Tale Of True Yorkshire Grit
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It’s 30 years ago since the iconic film Brassed Off first hit the cinema screens, and two years later Mark Herman’s screenplay was adapted for the stage as a play with music by Paul Allen. Now this Yorkshire ‘classic’ has been reimagined, refreshed and given a new sense of purpose by director Amy Leach.
In Conversation With Bella Cutts
Your new single Curious is about modern dating. Is the song written from personal experience? Yes, absolutely. However, it would be incorrect to say the song is written about one particular person but more a series of experiences. We've all experienced relationships, romantic or otherwise, that feel very one-sided.
In Conversation: Velazquez
With his upcoming single Space Invaders, Velazquez looks poised to make the leap from rising talent to mainstream contender. Blending infectious hooks, bold creativity and a sound that feels both contemporary and distinctive, he has been steadily building momentum and attracting attention beyond his core fanbase.
Foo Fighters Score High At Anfield
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When Bruce Springsteen played a three-hour set at Liverpool FC last year, he set the bar high for others to follow. The American rock band Foo Fighters picked up the gauntlet admirably on the second night at Anfield on what was their only British date on a short European tour where the band were at their bulldozing best.
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical
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Hot, hot, hot is the only way to describe this show! Based on the 1994 cult classic film, this musical is a jukebox joyride and a surprisingly tender road story. We are introduced to two drag queens and a trans woman who, for reasons that later become apparent, trek across the Australian desert to perform at a small-town holiday resort.
Curtain Rises On Milestone Fifth Ripon Theatre Festival With Two Powerful New Plays
The countdown is on for Ripon's fabulous Theatre Festival, which opens its milestone fifth season this coming weekend and runs until July 12 — and this year's programme promises something for everyone, from folklore on the riverbank to a thought-provoking journey into the past.
Acclaimed Cumbrian Musician Collaborating With The CBSO
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Amateur musicians of all ages will get the chance to rehearse and perform with award-winning saxophonist and CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam as part of ‘CBSO in the City’ which will bring free performances to iconic spaces across Birmingham this summer (27-31 August) for the third year.
In Conversation: TĀLĀ
British-Iranian singer, songwriter and producer TĀLĀ returns with her powerful new single, 11-11 (We Are), available everywhere now. The track is the latest preview of her forthcoming album 11, due on 11th July, and follows acclaimed releases Ghosts and I Need It, which earned support from COLORS, Headliner Magazine and Wordplay.
You Never Really Know: Sinfonia's Stories From Harrogate Review
Harrogate residents stepped into the spotlight at the weekend as local people aged 60 and took over the stage in a new production built from their own memories, experiences and stories. As arts correspondent, Fiona Bennett found out at the weekend, Sinfonia: Stories from Harrogate, presented by The Performance Ensemble at Harrogate Theatre, was a big hit.
In Conversation: Scott Quinn
Few artists capture the complexities of human emotion quite like Scott Quinn. The British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist returns with his poignant new single, Places in London, a heartfelt reflection on the hidden losses that linger after heartbreak.
Album: The Veils Fragile World
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Across an extensive catalogue, Andrews has explored themes of longing, vulnerability, faith, grief, and human connection through songs that often feel more like carefully crafted narratives than conventional indie compositions.
Their latest release, Fragile World, continues that tradition while presenting a collection that feels remarkably immediate, intimate, and unguarded.
Albums: Zaska - Nectar
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The Papez comes with an R&B and hip hop courtesy of jarjarjr on a number that shows that there are more colours on Zaska's palette than first imagined.