Lana Conway

The Yorkshire Evening Post provides live coverage from Leeds Festival 2026 at Bramham Park, highlighting Florence + The Machine and Kneecap as day-two headliners and Kasabian’s closing performance on the festival’s inaugural Thursday music day. The event is taking place despite a Met Office yellow thunderstorm warning covering Leeds, with heavy rain expected. Coverage includes updates, reactions, photos, videos and festival fashion.

Volunteers from Repair Café Leeds and Litter Free Leeds are helping make Leeds Festival 2026 more sustainable at Bramham Park. Repair Café volunteers have completed dozens of free repairs to tents, airbeds, rucksacks and other camping equipment, keeping damaged items out of landfill. Litter Free Leeds volunteers are collecting and sorting waste, including aluminium cans, with just three volunteers filling 20 bags during one stint and hundreds expected over the weekend. The groups say festivalgoers have generally been cooperative and are encouraging visitors to use the recycling hubs.

Nineteen-year-old Manchester singer-songwriter Alex Spencer describes opening the Canopy Stage at Leeds Festival 2026 as a lifelong ambition fulfilled. He discusses building his career through seven years of busking, songwriting, social media and word-of-mouth support rather than viral trends, including supporting Louis Tomlinson in Europe. His packed performance at Bramham Park marked a major milestone in his rise as an indie artist.

Leeds Festival’s first full Thursday at Bramham Park began in torrential rain but drew large, enthusiastic crowds. Arkayla stood out as the reviewer’s highlight, while The Lathums impressed with their audience interaction and Kasabian delivered an energetic headline performance capped by “Fire.” The evening ended with strong praise for food from The Lids and The Custard Club.

Festivalgoers attended the first day of Leeds Festival at Bramham Park despite persistent rain and a yellow thunderstorm warning. The 2026 event opened on a Thursday for the first time, with Kasabian scheduled to headline the evening, while the gallery captures fans travelling to the site, browsing merchandise and shops, and enjoying the early performances.

Leeds Festival 2026 attendees are paying £7 for a pint of Budweiser, £7.50 for a pint of Kopparberg cider and £8 for a can of White Claw, with spirits, ready-to-drink cans, wine, soft drinks and water also listed. A PayPal debit card provides a 10% discount on most drinks. Compared with 2025, a pint of beer is 15p more expensive, while White Claw has risen from £7.20 to £8, although the discounted prices match last year’s rates.

Leeds Kirkgate Market is facing lower footfall, online competition, changing shopping habits and concerns over high rents, with traders noting that some units have remained empty for years. The Grade I-listed market has responded by diversifying its food and retail offer through Market Kitchen, events and new independent businesses. Traders and customers remain divided about its current vitality, but newer businesses and Leeds City Council are optimistic, pointing to the market’s history of adaptation, a planned £10 million blockshops refurbishment and proposed STACK Leeds venue as reasons for confidence in its future.

Students across Leeds collected their GCSE results on August 20, 2026, with schools reporting celebrations and reactions throughout the morning. The Yorkshire Evening Post’s live coverage compiled updates, photos, videos and student responses from locations including Woodkirk Academy in Tingley.

The England-Pakistan Test match at Headingley is bringing thousands of visitors to the area and creating a significant business boost for cafes and pubs. Munch cafe has needed extra staff to meet demand, while businesses such as Natural Food Store report that increased footfall does not always lead to higher sales. Local fans value the match as a way to discover Headingley’s independent businesses, although some residents avoid the area because of the crowds.

Ten-year-old Charlie Collis arrived at Leeds United’s Elland Road as part of a 970-mile, 16-day cycle across England visiting all 20 Premier League stadiums. He is undertaking the challenge in memory of his grandfather, who died of cancer, and aims to raise £10,000 for Cancer Research UK. After cycling 205 miles in the first four days, Charlie received a welcome from Leeds United defender Jayden Bogle and a signed shirt. More than £2,500 had been donated, with the journey scheduled to finish in Bournemouth on August 30.