Live at Leeds in the City 2025: Shocking Soundscapes & Fresh-Faced Independents

Music Editor Daniel Brown breaks down Live at Leeds in the City 2025; a powerhouse of a day festival showcasing 100+ breakout music stars across the UK.

“Comparison is the thief of joy”, of course, once famously uttered by Theodore Roosevelt. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, a US president, and a man whose face is quite literally etched into history (and the side of a somewhat celebrated mountain). But I ask you this, dear reader, did ol’ Teddy bear ever catch a 2pm Sela Bar DJ set? Did he ever crowd surf at The Wardrobe? Did he ever attend Live at Leeds in the City? If he had, he’d have known comparison is irrefutably not the thief of joy, as this year the festival’s city edition blew any of its predecessors or competitors out of the water. 

12pm. Wristband attached (and squeezing the life from my grip), press credentials acquired (and plastered over my face with a smug grin, picture-perfect for queue-jumping), we enter the belly of the beast (basement of The Wardrobe). Nxdia opens the day, her magnetic stage presence brimming with intrigue and confidence.

Live at Leeds thrives on its ability to stun you when you least expect it. Clothesline From Hell (yes, a real band name, and an awesome one at that) were rhythmically tight, the eclectic drumming pairing with the resonant guitar work to gift us a wonderful surprise at 1pm. Shortly after, Cherry Seraph (another top name by the way) was another more-than-pleasant shock. The electronic alt-pop producer and master mixing mogul put on a clinic in the sunken Sela Bar, siphoning delectable noises from her assorted catalogue right in front of our very eyes to produce gorgeous soundscapes, finished by an even more gorgeous voice.

Honeyglaze, a London trio specialising in ornate post-punk with a glowing edge (and another delicious name, of course), were next on the menu. The spoken elements paired with intricate musicianship evoked Leeds-fan-favourites English Teacher, a musical sisterhood warmly embraced by the Yorkshire crowd.  

Radio Free Alice have garnered quite the reputation as one of the most-must-see upcomers in the scene. Championed by a legion of fans in the UK, ten thousand miles from their home of Melbourne, expectations were high. Ultimately, their set was nothing shy of magnificent; from the eccentricities of frontman Noah Learmonth’s drunken-sailor-esque performance, to the welcomed smattering of saxophone lines littered throughout the performance. 

Keo filled this year’s slot as the fan-favourite indie rockers. Their grunge-leaning tendencies of their craft served as blaring sirens that enveloped the adoring crowd, many of whose voices only added to the shearing volume of the set (glad I had my earplugs in for this one).

Divorce (continuing the theme of brilliant branding) exhibited unrequited musical beauty, a true standout for the day. Seamless harmonies between co-lead vocalists Tiger Cohen-Towel and Felix Mackenzie-Barrow polished off their country-infused indiepop in what was arguably the most talent-filled set of the entire festival. 

Poetically, we return to where we began. Man/Woman/Chainsaw (wow, I mean, potentially the pick of the bunch for names) were a revelation for the brief moment we caught them. Pianos. Violins. Headbanging(?). What more do you want??? Finally, Adult DVD (do I even have to comment at this point?) were an absolute revelation to draw our day to a close. Admittedly, I was apprehensive going in. My only prior knowledge was that of a friend saying, “It’s synths and fellas crowd surfing”. However, upon my exit, I had been enlightened. Pounding synths whirred around The Wardrobe as drums crashed, guitars cranked and humans smacked, melodically mind you, into one another. A showstopper to stop all shows. 

Whilst the branding for all the Live at Leeds acts was nothing shy of supreme, the colour of the festival’s content was also at an all-time high. The day was action-packed with the finest  upcoming music the UK has to offer, both the bigger names and the fresh-faced independents, a celebration of the scene in all its glory. The Live at Leeds guarantee of finding your new favourite artist has never been so easy to achieve than at ‘in the City 2026’.

Words by Daniel Brown