Leeds ranked among best UK cities for music fans - list of popular venues including First Direct Arena

Leeds has been named as one of the best places to live in the UK for music lovers, thanks to its many popular venues, which have become a must-visit destination for renowned musicians. According to the latest research by online casino Slingo, Leeds is ranked sixth, with London unsurprisingly claiming the first place.

In 2023 alone, the city is set to host a number of major gigs and concerts from the likes of award-winning jazz and soul sensation Michael Bublé to one of the most iconic rappers of all time, Snoop Dogg. It is therefore no wonder that Leeds receives an incredible 9.08 out of 10 fan score in the latest ranking with 487 upcoming concerts and 17 music festivals lined up.

The study,  taking into account the number of venues, upcoming festivals and concerts, and artist origins, sees London take the top spot with a perfect fan score of 10. The capital, birthplace to acts such as David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, is considered a perfect place to live for any music fan, with 15,596 performances scheduled in the coming year.

Meanwhile, Manchester ranks second on the list with a music fan score of 9.66, boasting the second most upcoming festivals and the third most planned concerts.  Major bands such as Oasis, Simply Red, and Take That all hail from the city.

Third place goes to Glasgow, receiving a music fan score of 9.31. According to Slingo, Glasgow is home to 148 bands including Franz Ferdiand and the Fratellis and has the second-highest number of upcoming concerts. This is followed by Edinburgh that bags an overall score of 9.24 and Birmingham in fifth spot with a score of 9.15.

Leeds has its own list of talent emerging from the city which helped it rank in the top 10 cities for music fans. These include indie rock giants Kaiser Chiefs and 80s synthpop duo, Soft Cell, to name just a couple.

Top music venues in Leeds

Here we take a look at Leeds’ live music venues, including smaller independent venues, followed by the full list of cities making it into the ranking.

1) First Direct Arena

2) The O2 Academy

3) The Wardrobe

4) Belgrave Music Hall

5) Brudenell Social Club

6) The Irish Centre

7) Key Club

8) Wharf Chambers

9) Eiger Studios

10) Boom

Top 10 best cities for music fans

1. London - 10 
2. Manchester - 9.66
3. Glasgow - 9.31
4. Edinburgh - 9.25
5. Birmingham - 9.15
6. Leeds - 9.08
7. Brighton - 8.73
8. Liverpool - 8.39
9. Cambridge - 8
10. Cardiff - 7.92