Freddie Mercury was a master of theatrical excess, a vocalist of extraordinary power and a songwriter capable of turning the most intimate emotions into arena-sized anthems. Yet behind the flamboyant stage persona was a private individual whose thoughts and feelings were often concealed from public view.

A brooding wash of deep, resonating bass white noise was playing as we entered the auditorium as if warning the senses of the drama to enfold. The cloth had a projection of newspaper clippings of real-life serial killer Ted Bundy’s crimes, which changed to clippings of the fictional character Buffalo Bill’s crimes. All this before the play started preparing us for the tale to be told.

As autumn approaches its spectacular peak, RHS Garden Harlow Carr is inviting visitors to experience one of Yorkshire's most breathtaking seasonal displays, where fiery foliage, glowing grasses and shimmering reflections transform the garden into a living canvas of colour.

Westlife turned Leeds Arena into a 25th anniversary singalong, Joe Jackson brought snarl and wit to the York Barbican, and the Burt Bacharach Songbook gave Halifax’s Victoria Theatre a night of timeless melodies, writes Graham Clark There are few bands who can turn 25 years of pop history into something that feels this effortlessly celebratory.

The 1980s were turbulent times for the Soviet Union. The death of the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev, in 1981, and the slow-slow-quick-quick-slow waltz of the regime toward its collapse and eventual dissolution in 1992.

Running is having a moment. From the explosion of parkrun and social running clubs to record demand for major races, more of us are pulling on our trainers, and it isn't just the hardcore pounding the streets chasing personal bests. For some, it's about fitness. For others, it's about headspace, friendship, confidence, escape, or simply an excuse to get out of the house.

Visitors can see Leeds in a new light as the dazzling showcase of Light Night Leeds celebrates a historic year with tales of the city’s past and future. For the first time, the festival will take place during half term, on 28 and 29 October, making it easier for families and visitors of all ages to experience all it has to offer.

Following smash-hit runs in London, New York and three record-breaking UK & Ireland tours, Heathers: The Musical returns to Leeds Grand Theatre for some Big Fun from Tue 1 to Sat 5 September 2026. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another of the nobodies dreaming of a better day.

Sleeper have announced their biggest UK tour since reforming, with the band set to take their forthcoming sixth studio album, End of the World, on the road across the UK in March and April 2027, with South London four-piece Turin Brakes joining them as special guests.

Damian Lewis announces a Yorkshire date this Autumn coming to Holmfirth – Picturedrome on Sunday 25th October 2026. Damian Lewis released his acclaimed debut album Mission Creep in 2023, earning praise for its soulful vocals, rich instrumentation, and emotional honesty.

This Christmas, the lights go up, the music begins with Manchester becoming the stage of CHRISTMAS MUSICAL SPECTACULAR coming to the Manchester – AO Arena on Tuesday 22nd December and Wednesday 23rd December 2026. This December, Manchester steps into the spotlight.

There are few films that can claim to have made a cricket bat, a Queen record and a pint at the Winchester essential tools of survival, but Shaun of the Dead managed all three – and this Thursday it lurches onto the screen at the Victoria Hall in Saltaire.

It would be wrong of me to call the 10th century German Benedictine abbess, Hildegard of Bingen, a freak of nature: that's for much better informed parties to decide. But this lady, described, variously, as a mystic, visionary, composer, philosopher and writer of medical texts was undoubtedly more 'ethereal' than the average nun in the street.

I remember when the BMW X5 was launched in 1999. It was the German manufacturer’s first foray into the world of the SUV. The emphasis was more on sporty on-road driving rather than off-road prowess. I must confess to coveting one, and once a year or two had passed, I did contemplate a second-hand purchase, but values remained strong.

Sugababes have announced a run of major UK live shows for March, bringing their celebrated catalogue and new music to fans in Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Manchester.

Twenty-five years after Not That Kind announced the arrival of one of pop’s most distinctive voices, the American singer was back in Manchester on a tour that proved there was still plenty of fire in that famously raspy powerhouse. And if the show is a nostalgia trip, it certainly was not a quiet one. From the opening moments, Anastacia had the Apollo in the palm of her hand.

Undoubtedly best know through the television drama series created by Sally Wainwright, Gentleman Jack is the story of a powerful Yorkshire businesswoman from the 1830s. The 19th century was not a time known for its liberal-minded, easy-going attitudes to women in general and certainly not women who preferred other women as their life partners.

Big is definitely not always better. Krankenhaus Festival, curated and organised by the band Sea Power, is small by design; it doesn’t get bigger and, as a result, is perfectly formed. A completely unique festival that does so much right and is a beautiful combination of quirkiness, chaos and community.

Am I the only person in the known universe to have never seen The Sound of Music? Well, I must be. Or more accurately, I 'was,' for now I have lost my innocence. I have been Rodger and Hammersteined, so to speak.

Phoenix Dance Theatre has embarked on an 18-date UK-wide tour with a brand-new mixed bill, Interplay, bringing together work by internationally acclaimed choreographers Travis Knight and James Pett, Ed Myhill, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, and Phoenix Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director, Marcus Jarrell Willis.