Whether it's your first visit or your fiftieth, there's a lot going on at LFF. Your complete guide to all of it: the night itself, getting here, where to stay and eat, professional services, and everything to know before you arrive.
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The afternoon kicks off at 2pm with Pints N Straws, a trans+ taproom tour through three venues across the city. It's run by community regulars and it's a brilliant, low key way to settle in before everything gets going.
The heart of LFF is The Big Meet Up at Bridge End Social from 7pm. This is where we all come together: people who've been coming for years and people who are walking through the door for the very first time, regulars from Leeds and people who've travelled from across the country. If you come for nothing else, come for this.
After that, the night is yours. LFF has its own events to anchor your evening, starting with Cocktails at 9 at Farrands from 9pm, and later Roberta Borelli bringing the house to The-End. But the real magic of LFF is what happens between and around those moments: moving between venues with whoever you've met, going wherever the night takes you. We signpost our favourite spots each month on the map, but there's no fixed route and no wrong answer.
If all of that sounds like a lot to navigate solo, especially for the first time, that's exactly what Made It! is for. Running at Queens Court from 7pm before the Big Meet Up, it's a dedicated space for newcomers to meet people and find friends to spend the night with. The venue tour gets a whole lot easier when you've got a group.
LFF is completely free to attend. No tickets, no guest list, no door charge. The venues are public bars, so you buy your own drinks as you go. Wear whatever makes you feel like you. No dress code, no pressure. People come in jeans. People come fully glam. Both are exactly right.
If you're driving, the south bank car parks put you closest to the action.
Leeds train station is a 5-10 minute walk to most LFF venues and hotels. Late services run to most destinations and there are always taxis outside the station if you need them.
Most visitors from the US fly into Manchester Airport (MAN) or London Heathrow (LHR). Manchester is the closest major international hub — direct trains run to Leeds station in around 50 minutes, with services every half hour. It's an easy journey.
From Heathrow, take the Heathrow Express to London Paddington, cross to King's Cross (a short Tube or Uber ride), then an LNER direct to Leeds in around 2 hours 20 minutes. Total journey from Heathrow is typically 3 to 3.5 hours. LNER advance fares from London to Leeds start from around £25 and the trains are good.
Eurostar runs from Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels-Midi and Amsterdam Centraal to London St Pancras. King's Cross — where you catch the LNER north to Leeds — is a five-minute walk away. Total journey time from Paris is around 5 hours. From Brussels, around 4.5 hours.
Alternatively, fly direct to Manchester Airport (MAN) — excellent connections from across Europe, and 50 minutes by train to Leeds. Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) is smaller but has direct European routes and is around 30 minutes by taxi or bus to the city centre.
Leeds city centre is compact and genuinely walkable. All the LFF venues are within 5 to 10 minutes of each other on foot, and all the hotels in this guide are a comfortable walk from The Freedom Quarter. You can move between venues all night without ever needing a taxi.
If you're staying further out, heading home late, or just want the option, here's what works:
If you're planning to walk anywhere later in the night, especially alone or off the usual LFF route, a few habits are worth building before you head out.
A lot of people travel to Leeds specifically for LFF, and staying over changes the night entirely. No trains to catch. No curfew. You're not watching the clock when everyone else is just getting started. All of these are a comfortable walk from the venues, and each has an established relationship with the LFF crowd. They know who we are.
Our most popular LFF hotel, right in the city centre. Use the exclusive Leeds First Friday discount code when booking direct.
Available to Leeds First Friday attendees. Enter the code at checkout when booking direct at marriott.com. Cannot be combined with other offers.
People approach food on LFF night very differently. Some grab something in their hotel while getting ready. Others pre-organise a group dinner and make an evening of it before heading across to the Big Meet Up. Some don't bother at all.
If you'd love a meal out but don't have anyone to go with yet, ask in our Discord or Facebook group ahead of time. People are usually up for it and will tell you what's going on that month. For those who are making the booking, Friday evenings in Leeds fill up fast: book ahead!
Not everyone at LFF gets glam. You come however you feel most like yourself. But if professional makeup or styling is part of your night, you don't have to figure it out alone. Several MUAs work specifically with LFF attendees, based mainly in the hotels of the Freedom Quarter. They know our community very well and they know what this night and all its intrinsic anxieties means. Book early. In some cases months in advance. They are excellent and in demand.
The voice coaching listed below is open to anyone working on their voice, whatever your presentation.
Being nervous before your first LFF is completely normal. A lot of people arrive having spent weeks building up to it. Some are new to Leeds. Some haven't been out in public before. We know this, and we take it seriously.
Before you come, join our Discord or Facebook group and introduce yourself. People will respond warmly and you'll have faces to look for before you land in Leeds.
At every LFF we run Made It!, a dedicated newcomer meet held at Queens Court from 7pm to 8pm, specifically for first timers and people in their first few visits. It's a quieter, lower key start to the evening and you'll be met by volunteers and regulars who remember exactly what that first night felt like. No pressure, no expectation. Just friendly people to walk in alongside and a familiar face once the main night gets going.
You don't need to register for the Big Meet Up or the wider night. Some events, like Cocktails at 9, have limited places and need booking in advance; check socials each month for details.
One important thing: let us know you're coming. A quick "I'm coming this month" in Discord or Facebook is all it takes. We can't spot someone sitting quietly waiting to be found, and we'd hate for you to have a difficult night because we didn't know you were there.
Photos are part of how LFF gets shared and how it feels real to people who haven't been yet. We love seeing the night documented. But consent matters here more than at most places.
For many of us, being photographed without our knowledge can have real consequences. Outing, safety, employment, family. That responsibility sits with everyone who uses a device with a lens.
Ask before you photograph. If someone says no, absolutely respect it. If someone looks uncertain, assume its a no.
We only post photos that have been sent to us directly. Before anything goes on our accounts, we make sure everyone visible in the photo is happy to be included. If you'd like to be featured, send your photos to us via Instagram, Facebook or Discord.
If someone photographs you without your consent, you can raise it directly with them or speak to a member of the LFF team. If you've been posted somewhere and want it taken down, let us know and we'll take action promptly.
