Spring is finally here, and even though we lost an hour of sleep I’m so glad to finally see the daylight sticking around until after 7pm. I’ve been looking forward to April for a long time, because on the 9th I’m jetting off to Cuba for 2 weeks! Cuba has been on my bucket list for a few years now, and I can’t wait to put my out of office on, grab my backpack and enjoy a couple of weeks exploring with one of my best friends.

Of course this means I’m not going to be in Leeds a lot, but luckily for me a lot of the best upcoming stuff isn’t happening until the end of the month. Take a look at my event picks for April.

14th: Good Friday Feast

The Belgrave’s monthly Feasts are Leeds’ general go-to for street food parties, but on Easter weekend it’s Left Bank’s turn to host a selection of street food stands, plus live music from Cara Hammond and The Dead Beats. Kick off Easter weekend here, and of course you can round it off at the other end with the usual Merrion Street Festival on Easter Sunday. If it’s sunny and you can sit outside it’s a lovely way to get that ‘I don’t have to go to work tomorrow’ glow.

22nd-30th: Leeds International Festival

Leeds feels overrun with festivals recently, but who’s complaining if they keep bringing something new to the table? A newcomer this year is Leeds International Festival, a cultural mix-up of music, moving image and technology that throws a spotlight on what Leeds has to offer. Some highlights of the line-up include the latest Music in Leeds film produced by The City Talking and BBC, an ‘Empowering Women With Tech’ event where Lauren Laverne will be speaking, and the Museum of Youth Culture exhibit looking at social revolutions through the ages.

22nd-29th: Leeds Digital Festival

Running at the same time as Leeds International is the returning Leeds Digital Fest, which as a digital marketing geek I loved last year. Leeds’ digital scene does tend to be dominated my the insane amount of developers and general techies that seem to have flooded Leeds, but there are a few events for the ‘creatives’ around as well and I’m actually tempted to have a go at the Coding For Beginners workshop that Sky Bet are hosting. Whatever the topics there are so many great companies getting involved, and it’s a great opportunity to do a bit of networking.

29th: Live at Leeds

I’m finally going to be able tick this off my Leeds bucket list – having lived here almost all my life it’s borderline embarrassing that I haven’t done Live at Leeds yet. I’m nowhere near edgy enough to know even half the bands on the line-up, but in a way I think that will make it a better day. I’d love to see Wild Beasts, Rag n Bone Man, Jagwar Ma and White Lies, but I’m also looking forward to hanging out at some great gig venues and hearing some new stuff. Having said that, I have tracked down the Live at Leeds playlist on Spotify to work out who else I might want to prioritise.

What have you got planned for April? Let me know in the comments!