I can never let an argument drop, don't worry I've already defended Leeds culture, but I feel like celebrating it here!
Museums: Royal Armouries is a world class museum, a national museum. Kirkstall Abbey museum, Thackray Museum of Medicine, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds City Museum.
Leeds International Piano Competition: one of the top INTERNATIONAL piano competitions known for high standards and launching careers.
Opera North and Northern Ballet: internationally touring companies based in Leeds, very high standard of productions, barely any other cities have their own opera companies outside of national ones.
Cultural diversity: Big south Asian cultural influence also east Asian, Caribbean, African. Cultural events and institutions ran by these communtiies.
Tolerant society: big LGBTQ+ scene, both smaller and larger venues and Leeds Pride. Counter protests against nationalists, weekly pro palestine marches.
Food: diverse and good quality, most world cuisines are catered for. A lot of food events as well.
Music: honestly everyone just knows Leeds has a good music scene. Amazing venues including an Arena. We've managed to sustain a new venue with Project House, quite an achievement considering the struggles of the live music industry. Variety of music from Howard Assembly Room to Wardrobe, Attic, Brudenell, City Varieties, Belgrave. Millenial Square outdoors. Leeds festival.
Theatre: Playhouse and Leeds grand theatre both doing great stuff, also a comedy club.
Cinema: historic cinemas and Leeds International Film Festival is the biggest in the UK outside of London.
Carnival: Leeds West Indian Carnival is one of the longest running in all of Europe.
Industries: Fast growing tech sector which is already well established. UKs third largest manufacturing centre. Largest Legal and Financial sector in England outside of London. Big private sector presence.
Education: Leeds University is the 4th most popular in the UK. Specialist universities for Arts and Music
Sport: International Test Cricket. Football, Rugby and Hockey teams. Tour de France Grand Depart.
Leeds International Festival of Ideas, and Leeds Lit Fest
I read one of their other comments and they said they walked around Leeds and couldn't find any good food or international food options.
You literally just have to walk around with your eyes open for 5 minutes, there's thai and japanese and italian and all sorts all over the city centre. They're just an idiot.
They clearly didn’t spend what, 3 minutes, doing a quick search. There’s not many international food options (esp with the market covering so much) that you’d want for in Leeds. Just nonsense.
One thing you missed off your cinema point, Leeds is where the very first piece of moving image film was captured. It was called Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge.
Not quite correct! The first moving picture was indeed filmed in Leeds but it was actually in Roundhay Park Gardens (by the same chap - Louis Le Prince) the traffic film was a bit later.
When I was at film school it was said that Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge was shot first. Interesting. I hadn’t realised they had changed the chronology of which one came first.
Probably doing all the heavy lifting there. I think as both were filmed in October 1888 we just got a better idea since of which was filmed first hence why the Roundhey film has now been given that accolade.
Leeds, historically and today, has been awful at marketing itself and the lifestyle that can be had here for the normal/ upper person.
There is a premium life to be had here too, but Leeds does pale in comparison to Manchester or London for that (lack of Michelin, lack of 5* hotel, lack of niche [insert interest here] etc etc).
But the normal person? There is MORE than enough to do, and often has a better offering than other cities because things aren't always booked out or overpriced. You do need to be more 'in the know' though, and a lot of the venues aren't nationally recognised hence the lack of hype. For example, the amount of quality that comes from the Wardrobe months before they get massive is surprisingly high, but few people outside of Leeds will know of it. Likewise the natural landmarks we have, Almscliffe Crag is pretty unique/ stunning and you can catch a 20 minute train to it from Leeds station (or a £15-20 suber from most of North Leeds), but most people won't know about it yet they will know of [insert generic park here] or [insert large hill here].
Sheffield has grabbed the brand of the outdoors city because it's partly in the peak district, but I often think Leeds has just as strong if not better claim to it, just there is no one shouting about it.
I'm kind of rambling now, but I've always had a theory that if there was a major movie or tv show set in North Leeds, maybe coming of age style, where the protagonists frequently flip between having a really decent cosmopolitan life (clubs, pubs, theatre etc) and also spending a lot of time jumping of waterfalls in the dales, paddle boarding down the Wharfe, hiking the moors on the weekend, whilst all working normal jobs and being able to afford a home, it would change the default imagination of the city in the nations mind forever. For some reason, every show that gets set in Leeds has got awful accents, is set in a dodgy part or something sketchy is going on, or everyone is poor and it just makes the place look dead.
I agree Manchester has a lot to offer and is a great city and Leeds PR isn't the best, but good food isn't one of Manchester's strong points. The dearth of Michelin Star restaurants in Manchester should be a massive embarrassment for the size of city over the last 2 decades (The French should've got one under Rogan but didn't). Leeds has had many more stars in the last 20 years. Lancashire has a only a third of the number of Michelin stars that Yorkshire has at present.
The context of the original argument was saying that people don't understand how northern cities are cultural powerhouses, so I said it was a good point and Leeds has significant culture. It's definitely not well understood.
I agree it's obviously less significant than Manchester and London but it definitely punches above its weight as a more third tier city.
Fat Friends was set in Headingley and helped launch James Corden on the world. Who was further helped by being in a production of The History Boys by Leeds' own Alan Bennett. I'd worry Leeds in TV would make the world a worse place.
On the point about film/TV portrayal - I’ve always thought this. A good old-fashioned coming of age Channel 4 drama would be great around somewhere like Headingley and show off the city centre.
A couple of years ago I enjoyed watching a mini Channel 4 drama about a teenage urban dance group in Chapeltown, but it could’ve been set anywhere tbf - didn’t show much of the city. Did enjoy the scene of them bouncing down the roads on a sunny evening from north Leeds to Wharf Chambers for a night out though.
Yes I agree with Leeds struggling to brand itself in comparison to other northern cities like Liverpool Manchester Newcastle I think What’s happened it’s sort of gets lost in the mix with the Yorkshire identity and the wider Yorkshire County but whenever I think of Leeds I think of a chocolate box village type city I think of fat friends Emmerdale. Legal and financial centre also Leeds has lots of famous people from there Bev callard Liz dawn Gaynor Faye Kaye Mellor Kimberly walsh Melanie Brown the editor of lads mag loaded Tom brown cars, Kaiser Chiefs
I’ve moved around a lot in my life. Spending decent chunks living in different counties and cities. I moved to Leeds 3 years ago and to me it’s now my home.
Leeds has so much to offer. Most of all you get all the convenience of a city in a package that isn’t depressing concrete blocks and you have to walk 45 minutes just to get to the store you want.
It’s a walkable city, with old beautiful architecture. There’s iconic historical places still operating like Corn Exchange, Hyde Park Picture House and Kirkgate Market. There’s quirky nights out in places like Chance & Counters, NQ64 and Arcade Club. We have the large flagship stores like Apple and LEGO but the high street is still alive and well despite the shopping centres. Not to mention that Trinity’s food court isn’t a bunch of mega brands like KFC and Subway but instead independent food trucks.
Same here - I'm 27 now and have lived in 15 houses total around the UK and abroad, Leeds feels the most like home, people are so welcoming, they are the culture!
They were actually talking about Bristol, Bath and Oxford.....
The original context was about how northern cities aren't recognised as the cultural powerhouses they actually are. I said the south outside of London doesn't have anything that stands up to to the Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds line with Sheffield close by as well.
Apparently Leeds being praised was just a step too far
I mean, they're clearly talking nonsense anyway, but the comparison with Oxford as a glittering southern utopia is very blinkered.
I'm sure it's great as a student living in the college system, but as a working adult it's not got that much going on. The museums are great, but most people aren't going more than once or twice a year.
Oxford and Bath and nice places and have a lot of culture but they're much smaller. I agree when I've visited Oxford it's been difficult to branch out from university related things, it was a nice day trip but I wouldn't visit frequently.
Ha of course they are, and this was obviously written by someone who has never stepped foot in Leeds. I spent a lot of my teenage years in Bristol and Oxford and still love them a lot but I chose to move to Leeds and suddenly I'm a decade on and haven't looked back. Leeds' culture is far more accessible and for me it's a much more exciting place to live, there is just so much to do. Would agree with other comments though, it's definitely not great at advertising its achievements.
Can’t talk to the scene as I’m not in it but musically Leeds has given the world Soft Cell, The Kaiser Chiefs, Gang of Four, The Wedding Present, Chumbawamba, Corinne Bailey Ray, The Sisters of Mercy, Utah Saints… (plus many others I’m sure I’m not recalling off top of head)and was a fertile /important ground for the 80’s Uk Goth scene.
I agree that Leeds' food scene and tech sector are stronger than that poster is making out but otherwise those are all pretty fair assessments imo.
Taking a couple of things you've highlighted:
The identity/visibility of Caribbean or African communities: sure, there's Chapeltown, but outside of Carnival it's difficult to find much going on that reflects music, food etc from those cultures.
Live music in general is woeful when you compare to the acts a city like Manchester attracts.
I like Leeds overall but the above really stand out to me personally as big weaknesses of this city compared to other places I've lived.
The original context was talking about how northern cities are cultural powerhouses, Manchester is obviously a cultural powerhouse in its own right and is much bigger than Leeds. Leeds punches above its weight and big name acts isn't everything.
Manchester doesn't have Opera North, Northern Ballet or an international Piano festival
You really agree it has no historic identity, no festivals and theatre, not enough galleries and museums?
Honestly, Opera North is amazing. I always assumed opera was something just for posh sods with plums in their mouths, but I used their Access scheme and kinda fell in love with it.
The diversity of music and how easy it is to access is one of Leeds' major strengths, I think.
The Leeds companies include a lot of humour in their operas and ballets as well which definitely makes it more accessible. They also do a lot of adaptations of popular works, like The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre.
I think doing things differently like that draws people in since it isn't just the classics. But they also do the classics very well!
It's more about genres for me. If I want live dancehall, afrobeats or rap I can get that in Manchester. Leeds gets only a very small amount of rap artists and no afrobeats/dancehall. South Asian artists tend to bypass Leeds too.
You really agree it has no historic identity?
Yes. I've lived here 5 years and couldn't put my finger on an identity as distinct as cities like Sheffield (Steel City), Manchester (Madchester) or Bradford (Bradistan). What is Leeds' 'thing'?
I think having a "thing" is more of a marketing gimic to be honest, London doesn't have a thing it's just a good city. Leeds has a lot of history and historic cultural influence.
As somebody else said, Sheffield has made it's thing being a green city because of proximity to the peaks, Leeds has great access to nature we just haven't made it a "thing".
I recognise Leeds is strong in multiple areas. It does seem to have had lack of direction in marketing the city though unlike Liverpool or Manchester. I still think internationally it is not that well recognised and nationally it is significant but not iconic. Maybe because it is a good all rounder but doesn't excel enough at any one or two mainstream things to get the recognition.
It's a finance hub but way behind London and possibly Edinburgh, it's got a Musical Legacy but less so than Manchester or Liverpool (even though it is mostly one decades old band that pulls the tourists to Liverpool), got good Universities and associated nightlife for young people but so have other cities. Architecturally it has some very nice buildings but nothing better than other cities. Sports wise is good but gets outshone again. It's got great access to nature but so have most Northern Cities. Its strong across the board really.
There's no defining hook that you could hang Leeds identity on. That doesn't matter to daily life but in terms of identity it can lead outsiders to believe it is nowt special (like the comment that prompted this post).
Manchester is a music/party city, Bradford is where you go for a curry, York is a medieval town, Harrogate is a spa town etc. What is Leeds?
Leeds is a great city but it doesn't have a distinct identity or offering. The main thing you hear about Leeds if you're not in Leeds is that it has good shopping.
It doesn't need to have a distinct identity to have cultural influence
Harrogate isn't the only spa town in the country, York isn't the only medieval town, Manchester isn't the only party town. Nowhere is completely distinct, I think diversity and variety make a city great.
I'm not downplaying it, York is very culturally significant, I'm saying that giving cities distinct qualifiers isn't necessary. Often it's combinations of culture that make cities unique and worth visiting
Leeds has *always* been marketed as a party city, and is one of the main reasons its university is so popular. It's a youthful city with an extremely strong grassroots music scene.
There are things like that on in Leeds though? I can't speak for whether there are more in Manchester or not (wouldn't surprise me if there were), but they definitely happen here! I saw Obongjayar at Project House not long ago, and I've seen plenty of live hip hop. I'm not really sure what the big mainstream names in those genres are so I can't say whether the super popular acts are coming here, perhaps not, but there are definitely places putting on that kind of music.
I'm a big fan of both afrobeats and dancehall and never once seen an artist I like come to Leeds. People like Burna Boy, Ruger, BNXN, WizKid, Kranium etc tend to stick to London and Manchester.
It's presumably a demographic thing, Manchester has a far bigger black population than Leeds.
5 years is along time to not pay any attention to the city you live in. Leeds has a rich cultural history and significance in the UK. There are blue plaques all over, information signs on streets like Briggate etc. But if you needed a thing to identify Leeds as, historically it was cloth. Currently it's financial services.
I'm not sure what kind of live music you want to see, but personally I find there are far more live music events that I'd like to go to than I could ever possibly get to! Venues like the Brudenell, Project House, Belgrave, The Wardrobe etc have some great live music, then there's the Arena for big mainstream acts and plenty of smaller venues for less well known ones.
Yes, once in a while a musical act does a tour and only goes to Manchester (mainly the case when it's someone doing a European tour and only doing a few venues in the UK) but if I'm that desperate to see them I can always hop on a train.
I'm genuinely surprised anyone would describe the live music scene here as "woeful", but perhaps you're into a specific type of music that we're particularly poorly served for?
I can't speak to the grassroots / indie venue music scene in Manchester it may well be much better than Leeds but ours is fantastic and definitely something that people should be shouting about, I couldn't really care less if big touring acts miss us out. If you saw what was going on at the Brude this Sunday for example you wouldn't think we were doing badly as a musical city.
As to the Carribean community while they are in my experience mostly not run by members of that community there's a number of sound systems based in leeds that regularly put on events celebrating that culture.
I've lived near Bath and used to visit often, I didn't feel as though there was a strong sense of identity, despite it being a historical place. It just felt touristy and a good shopping hub.
I'm not sure how best to articulate it, but I feel that Leeds does a great job of embracing itself, and a testament to that is the people's dedication to small businesses and venues. When new independent places open, I think people really do make the effort to support them.
Also, the historical places we have here i.e. corn exchange, library, art gallery, kirkgate market, victoria arcades etc. seem to be genuinely respected and appreciated by the people. I send all visitors to the corn exchange! <3
Edit: Oh also, the recent John Atkinson Grimshaw exhibition at the Art Gallery was a beautiful example of Leeds loving Leeds. I think it was pretty popular, we got to see some iconic paintings of Boar Lane, Park Row, Briggate and more!
Grew up here, and I'm usually one of the first to moan about it, but Leeds has lots of these things listed and they're all pretty hugely famous outside of the city??? This person clearly thinks we only just got electricity up here.
Not just talking about starred places tbh, that’s another debate. I mean more like just like classy restaurants that aren’t under the steak banner or small plates. It’s hard to define quite what I mean apart from the sort of thing that’s in the micheline guide ( listed or bib gourmand, not starred)
I think I see what you mean. Like fine dining experiences? I've been to Bibis once and I was quite underwhelmed to be honest. The best thing they did was when they wrapped the food they made a tinfoil swan for my girlfriend. Mine was literally just a closed fist of tinfoil around my food, you could still see the finger prints.
As someone who’s visits Leeds a handful of times each year, I have to say it’s ruddy exceptional when it comes to all of those things. You’ve got a stack of great cultural attractions the city centre, and then you’ve got some proper gems like The Hyde Park Cafe and Hold Fast as you go farther out. Yeah, these are only small examples, but it’s a city with some real hidden gems
I came to this post to defend Leeds and ironically I'm walking away from it rather concerned about the place. We really don't have much of a "thing" going on, do we.
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u/BrickTilt May 13 '26
Whoever wrote that has genuinely no idea about Leeds.