Leeds Nightlife

Norman Bar is renowned for its speciality beers and attracts a mix of students, young professionals and celebrities. Cocktails and DJs add to its appeal, and it also offers a global menu to soak up the alcohol.

For a more laidback cafe-bar vibe, try the award-winning North Bar recently acclaimed by a national newspaper to be ‘Best Place to drink in the UK’.

Oracle claims to be Leeds’ largest waterfront venue set amid the newly developed Brewery Wharf, overlooking the River Aire. Aimed at classy drinkers, this split level bar includes a first-floor members’ bar. A must for champagne lovers.

The HiFi Club is an award-winning nightclub and live music venue, offering DJ led and eclectic live music nights including soul, funk, jazz, indie, rock and hip hop.

Mission is probably one of the best house clubs in the north of England. Built under six railway arches, the club has an amazing underground feel in its three main dance rooms, a sumptuous VIP room and a huge outdoor terrace.

This is a popular choice for revellers, with a Latin-inspired menu to boot.

This brand new, 13-000 seater arena opened in the heart of the city in 2013. Its opening year includes a host of big names such as Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Kaiser Chiefs and Andrea Bocelli.

Oporto is a popular live music watering hole guaranteeing a cracking night out. Offers a good selection of beers and cocktails.

Another good venue to see live music in a laidback environment is The Wardrobe. Slap bang in the middle of the city's Creative Quarter, it first opened in 1999 housed in a semi-derelict building once used for storing the West Yorkshire Playhouse's props and costume department – hence the name. The building also used to be a wallpaper manufacturers, with the curved corners of the exterior walls designed to guide horses around for deliveries. Today it is a rather hip spot, with a restaurant and bar too.

Opera North is an innovative Leeds-based touring company which regularly performs at the spectacular Grand Theatre Leeds. Built in 1848 as a backlash to music hall, it took 13 years to complete and features an architectural mix, including gothic spires and Romanesque and Scottish baronial exteriors.

A venue for contemporary theatre.

Since opening in 1990, West Yorkshire Playhouse has established a national and international reputation, and often sees West End productions.