Next LFF
JULY 17–19, 2026
5 WKS · 2 DAYS
Leeds First Friday takes over the Freedom Quarter in the south of Leeds city centre. A selection of closely knit bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels, clustered together and easily walkable, every first Friday of the month. It starts in the afternoon with a pub tour through three carefully chosen venues. By 7pm you're either at Bridge End Social with hundreds of people who immediately feel like friends or at our newcomer meetup getting to know other shiny-eyed newcomers wondering why they hadn't done this before. By 9pm the whole Freedom Quarter is open to you to make the rest of the night what you will. We polish off with breakfast on the Saturday morning for those not quite ready to go home. Join us for a bit of it, or all of it. It's your shout.
If you're nervous, that's completely normal. In fact, if you've spent the past week catastrophising about what to wear, whether you'll know anyone, and whether you'll just stand awkwardly by the bar all night... Hi!, you're going to fit in so perfectly.
Leeds First Friday is not a test. There's no correct way to do it, and no crowd you need to impress. Certainly not us! It is, at its heart, just a very good night out full of people who were in your shoes once, worrying if they'd made a terrible mistake. They hadn't. You haven't.
The Freedom Quarter looks deceptive on a map, like something so big that it will rack up a serious Uber bill getting between venues. In reality, you can walk the whole thing in under ten minutes. Bars are across the road from each other, or next door, or literally the same building. You'll cover the whole quarter on foot without thinking about it. It's a mixed night with other clubbers, other crowds, other people just out on a Friday. Don't waste energy worrying what they think of you. Save it for handling all the compliments you're about to receive, because there will be compliments. Leeds First Friday has a reputation for this, and it is entirely deserved.
Taproom tour, three handpicked venues in the Freedom Quarter. Hosts: Ann, Benni & Izzy.
Bridge End Social. Hundreds of trans+ people. Or head to Queens Court for our 1hr newcomer meetup.
Viaduct, Fibre, Smokestack, Queens Court, The-End, Blayds, The New Penny and beyond.
Farrands. Exceptional cocktails, warm room. Hosts: Lucy and Alex. Booking req.
Queens Court. 1 hr Newcomer meet. Hosts: Laura, Heidi & Jennifer. No booking needed.
The south bank car parks put you closest to the action. Free on-street parking is available on many south bank bays after 8pm — check signs or use the PayByPhone app.
Leeds train station is a 5–10 minute walk to most LFF venues and hotels. Late services run to most destinations and there are taxis outside the station if you need them.
Direct trains from London King's Cross every 30 minutes — advance fares from ~£25 at lner.co.uk. From Manchester: ~50 minutes direct. From Birmingham: ~1h 20m.
Direct train to Leeds. Main international gateway for the North of England.
Taxi or bus to city centre. Direct European routes. Convenient for arrivals.
Heathrow Express → Paddington → King's Cross (Tube) → LNER to Leeds.
St Pancras → King's Cross → Leeds. Brussels ~4.5 hrs. Amsterdam served.
Leeds city centre is compact and genuinely walkable. All the LFF venues are within 5 to 10 minutes of each other on foot — you can move between venues all night without needing a taxi.
If you're staying further out or heading home late: Uber is available across Leeds 24 hours. Streamline-Telecabs — the distinctive black and white ones — are Leeds's main licensed taxi provider, operating 24 hours and reliable on late Fridays. For buses, use Moovit or Transit for real-time night schedules and routes.
Our picks for where to stay, where to eat, and getting ready for the night.
Our most popular LFF hotel, right in the city centre. An exclusive discount code is available to LFF community members — get it from our Discord or Facebook group.
The discount code is shared exclusively in our LFF groups. Join our Discord or Facebook group to get it. Cannot be combined with other offers.
Being nervous before your first LFF is completely normal. A lot of people arrive having spent weeks building up to it. Some are new to Leeds. Some haven't been out in public before. We know this, and we take it seriously.
Before you come, join our Discord or Facebook group and introduce yourself. People will respond warmly and you'll have faces to look for before you arrive.
At every LFF we run Made It! — a one-hour newcomer meet at Queens Court from 7pm to 8pm. Your hosts are Laura, Heidi and Jennifer — look for them near the entrance wearing rainbow lanyards. After the hour, they'll walk you across to Bridge End Social, where you'll get a proper introduction to the night. You won't be left on your own.
Also at Queens Court during Made It! is a stand run by the Angels of Freedom — volunteers in distinctive pink hi-vis who are a visible, approachable presence in the Freedom Quarter every LFF.
Photos and video are part of how LFF gets shared and how it feels real to people who haven't been yet. We love seeing the night documented. But consent matters here more than at most places.
For many of us, being photographed or filmed without our knowledge can have real consequences — outing, safety, employment, family. That responsibility sits with everyone who uses a device with a lens.
Ask before you photograph or film. If someone says no, absolutely respect it. If someone looks uncertain, assume it's a no. The same applies to video — including short clips and Stories.
We only post photos and video that have been sent to us directly. Before anything goes on our accounts, we make sure everyone visible is happy to be included. Send your content via Instagram DM, Facebook or Discord.
