'Everyone needs a bit of good news': Sela Bar in Leeds city centre gears up for three-day 21st birthday party
A popular music venue and pub in Leeds city centre is gearing up for a spectacular 21st birthday "Sela-bration" this week.
Despite its basement location on New Briggate, Sela Bar is far from a hidden gem these days.
Since opening in January 2004, husband and wife Mark and Sona Young have turned their venue into a cornerstone of Leeds' live music and nightlife scene, continuing to draw in new crowds more than two decades later.
As Mark, Sona, and manager Emily Cullen prepare for a three-day celebration - featuring Beatles karaoke, a noughties party, and DJ sets deep into the night - they reflect on Sela Bar’s 21-year journey.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Mark said: "I DJed around various bars for a few years before [opening Sela], and one of my friends put me in touch with the landlord for here, and he kind of just offered us the space.
"There was an Indian restaurant above, and [Sela] was just a storage basement that they wanted to rent out. So they put stairs in and gave us the option to take it on a lease, which we did."
Sona added: "[We wanted] to make a place that we would want to go to - somewhere where you could listen to music, or sit and chat or have a dance, you know, do all of those things.
"And I think there's just a huge love of music behind it."
Over the years, Sela Bar has established itself as a key venue for emerging musicians and a favourite spot for date nights and nights out with friends.
The team has always had a clear vision: to create a space where music takes centre stage while offering an impressive selection of cocktails and drinks.
That welcoming atmosphere is exactly what drew Emily to the bar before she became its manager in 2015.
She said: "I just really loved coming here, and then I got the chance to work here and I've been here ever since. It is still just as fun coming as a customer - and probably more fun being behind the bar, because I get to choose the music."
In recent years, Sela has adapted to challenges in the hospitality industry by shifting from free entry to a pay-as-you-feel model for gig nights, with most guests contributing around £5.
This approach has helped the venue navigate the difficulties of COVID and the cost-of-living crisis.
Reflecting on the journey, Sona said: "It's interesting, because we're a place that opened before social media was a thing, and we opened entirely on word of mouth. And [our location] is not the most noticeable.”
She added: "It is a weird time, with so much bad news in hospitality. And it's something that we are aware of, but it's also why we feel that we should celebrate 21 years.
"Because that is a huge thing, and I think everyone needs a bit of good news at the moment as well."
Starting Thursday, February 20, the venue is celebrating with three days of 21st birthday "Sela-brations".
The festivities kick off on Thursday, 20th February, with a Beatles-themed party featuring a live karaoke band. Friday takes guests back to the decade where it all began, with an all-evening noughties party.
Then, for Saturday’s grand finale, Mark and Sona - Mr and Mrs Sela - will take over the DJ booth for a set packed with "legendary bangers to dance the night away to".
Mark summed up what makes Sela so special: "One of the things I'm most proud of over the 21 years we have been open is the friendships that have been made here. A lot of staff have met their best and forever friends just by simply working at the same time.
"But then as staff move on, they become friends with people who they might have just overlapped for just a short period of time, but they build some special connections there."