Coming to Leeds: Shawn Colvin, Bleachers and the week's biggest gig announcements
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
If your concert fund was looking a little too healthy, this week has certainly changed that.
From Grammy-winning folk royalty to the driving indie-pop anthems of one of the world's most sought-after producers, the Leeds tour circuit has been handed a serious injection of star power.
If it’s an intimate night of storytelling at the City Varieties or a high-octane, ‘I saw them before they were cool’ moment at the O2 Academy, the latest slate of announcements covers the full musical spectrum.
If you’re planning your musical calendar for the months ahead, these are the four key shows that have everyone talking this week - sadly, though, one had already sold out.
Third time’s the charm?
Who’s been announced as coming to Leeds this week?
Shawn Colvin
- Date: October 9
- Venue: City Varieties Music Hall
With a career spanning thirteen albums and three Grammy Awards, Shawn Colvin has established herself as one of the most revered voices in the contemporary folk and singer-songwriter genres.
Speaking about her return to the UK, Shawn said: "I’m very excited to be playing shows right across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland this time. It’s always a pleasure to perform for all of you across the pond.
“The welcome I receive wherever I go is always so lovely and quite humbling."
- Tickets: Available through Eventim.
Bleachers
- Date: November 26
- Venue: O2 Academy Leeds
Fresh from a career-defining headline set at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Bleachers this week confirmed they are bringing their high-octane live show to Leeds this November.
The 13-time Grammy Award winner Jack Antonoff and his six-piece band will visit the city as part of their biggest European headline tour to date, as the show follows the upcoming release of their highly anticipated fifth studio album, ‘everyone for ten minutes,’ which is set to drop on May 22.
- Tickets: General ticket sales commence April 17 through ticketing agents, including Ticketmaster.
December 10
- Date: July 12
- Venue: Stylus
Formed in 2025 on the Netflix docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act, the group - featuring Cruz, Danny, Hendrik, John, Josh, Nicolas, and Seán - have managed to achieve that rare feat of selling out a Leeds venue almost as soon as the "buy" button went live.
For those lucky enough to have secured a spot, this show promises to be a "gold dust" event, and for everyone else, the lightning-fast sell-out serves as a reminder of the massive hype surrounding Simon Cowell’s latest venture
- Tickets: Sold out
Angine de Poitrine
- Date: October 18
- Venue: O2 Academy, Leeds
Speaking of hype...
If you’ve been following the conversation on Reddit, you’ll know that Angine de Poitrine has become the ultimate "you had to be there" ticket in Leeds. The Canadian math-rock duo, known for their bizarre papier-mâché masks and mind-bending microtonal guitars, have seen their Leeds show upgraded not once, but twice, just to keep up with the demand.
Their return to the city in a short space of months from their initial show has, once again, sold out - maybe a third roll of the dice for some of us?
- Tickets: Sold out
Black Box Recorder
- Date: May 19
- Venue: Brudenell Social Club
Black Box Recorder, the indie trio featuring Sarah Nixey, Luke Haines, and John Moore, basically went from a niche "90s cult band" to a global streaming phenomenon after Billie Eilish shared their 1998 debut single, ‘Child Psychology,’ on her Instagram.
The band’s guitarist, John Moore, joked in a recent interview that Billie "f**ked up their retirement" because the explosion in streaming numbers (over 100 million streams) made a comeback inevitable.