Leeds International Festival back for second year
Leeds International Festival is back for its second year with a fortnight of special events and top names including Helen Sharman – the first Briton to go into space.
The festival, which aims to showcase creativity and international culture, launched in 2017 to critical acclaim.
This year’s festival will run from 28th April – 12th May and topping the bill are names including Sarah Beeny, June Sarpong, Steve Lamacq, Jamie Jones Buchanan and Nick JD Hodgson, former founding member of The Kaiser Chiefs.
New events announced include a special hour long commission from the Inner Vision Orchestra, performed in the dark; a look at space travel – past, present and future with three experts in their field; and a re-worked score through a collaboration with Opera North and Circuit Des Yeux as they take on the film Salomé.
Andrew Cooper, chair of Leeds International Festival and chief executive of LeedsBID, said: “Leeds International Festival is back in 2018, celebrating new ideas, local creativity and international culture in the city, with an inspired programme of events from original performances, international speakers, intriguing debates and discussions, new music, alongside some excellent visual treats.”
“This festival, bought to you by LeedsBID, aims to encapsulate all that is great about Leeds, providing the opportunity for business and cultural organisations to collaborate on showcasing the city’s strengths to audiences from near and far.
“The ambition is for the international festival to become a showpiece annual event, growing in status, calibre and appeal each year.”
Tickets go on sale for a number of new events on Friday with more programme details revealed in the coming weeks.
