Leeds has always been a city of innovation, creativity and big ideas. Now, as the UK’s first-ever City of Maths, Leeds is adding another unique title to its name.

Running throughout 2026 and 2027, City of Maths is a city-wide celebration designed to show that maths isn’t just something that happens in classrooms – it’s part of everyday life, from art and sport to music, technology, nature and the world around us.

The programme aims to inspire curiosity, build maths confidence, and help people of all ages discover that maths is powerful, fun, and relevant to everyone.

This month brings some of the most well-known and best-loved music into the centre of Leeds as Opera North performs Classics in the Square, a celebration of Leeds 400 and the latest addition to the summer series being held by Leeds City Council in Millennium Square.

Supported by the Laidlaw Opera Trust, the pay what you can event on Sunday 28 June has been designed to give people the chance to hear their favourite tunes played live by a full 60-piece orchestra. 

From early morning’s spent signalling on the sidelines of the school sports pitch, to late nights setting up exhibitions at an art gallery, there is a wide array of both formal and informal volunteering activity across the city, around the clock. But time is a luxury not all of us can afford to give. 

South Asian Arts-uk (SAA-uk) proudly marks the 15th anniversary of its flagship Leeds Summer Solstice Festival with its most expansive and immersive edition to date, An Evening of Celestial Music, taking place on Sunday 21st June 2026 at the Howard Assembly Room, Leeds.

Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar – two boundary-pushing theatre companies – are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, showcasing the North of England’s rich seam of playwriting talent.

Leeds-based Red Ladder and Hull’s Silent Uproar will co-produce two new plays starting with Close Enough to Touch, a powerful, one-person show about sex, heartbreak…and toilets, written by new playwright Henry Roberts, that will tour across the UK this autumn.

Leeds is preparing for a landmark cultural moment as Culture Fashion Show UK returns on Saturday 6th June at Fearns, Leeds Dock. This year marks a pivotal shift in our journey — a moment that signals how far the platform has grown, and how far it is now reaching.

Jamaica Society Leeds (JSL) will unveil a new memorial garden and plaque in memory of the Caribbean World War Two RAF veterans who settled in Leeds after the war. The new plaque, featuring the names of 49 veterans, will be unveiled at a special event on Friday, May 8, at the garden outside the Society’s offices at Jamaica House, in Chapeltown, Leeds.

Ageless Festival returns to Leeds on 10-11 July 2026. Over two days Ageless features an eclectic mix of bold new performances, inspirational talks, workshops and installations from critically acclaimed dance artists who are reimagining age through dance.

Headlining Ageless on Friday night is a retrospective of renowned French choreographer, Jérôme Bel blending film, monologue and live performance in an unexpected evening of past creation and constant reinvention.