By Lara King
The Kirkstall Music Festival opened in spectacular style last night (Friday, 10 July), bringing midsummer magic to the atmospheric ruins of Kirkstall Abbey.
The charity night featured a brilliant line-up of local bands, headlined by crowd favourites Weetwood Mac, the much-loved tribute to the 60s/70s mega band fronted by Mick Fleetwood and Christie McVey.
Local Kirkstall band Pick n Mix kicked off the evening with It’s Got to Be Perfect; a fitting choice for a warm summer night spent in the majestic surroundings of the abbey, listening to music spanning the decades while supporting a community-run charity event.
While many locals know the main Kirkstall Festival, taking place today (Saturday 11 July), the Friday night music event is a relative newcomer, celebrating its third year.
It has quickly become a highlight in its own right, raising vital funds for the main festival, a free community initiative that costs almost £50,000 to put on.
The line-up also featured cover band Ultimate ELO, who performed a run of classic hits such as Xanadu, designed to keep toes tapping and crowds happy.
But it was Weetwood Mac that proved an inspired choice for the stunning venue. Opening with Don’t Stop, alongside other upbeat hits like Rhiannon, their sound filled the ancient building before drifting into melodic classics like Landslide, perfectly suited to an open-air setting that seemed to tap into the ruin’s celestial past.
The stage sat within the main abbey, where crowds danced beneath the arches, while others opted for a more relaxed evening in the courtyard on picnic blankets. Many enjoyed food and drink from the stalls put on by local businesses including Kirkstall Brewery and Bamboo Box.
Festival-goers Nilesh and Preeti, from Calverley, were delighted to have secured tickets. Nilesh said: “We wanted to go to a music festival and saw this advertised. We love coming to the abbey anyway, it’s a beautiful venue, and a great selection of bands tonight. I’ve heard it’s sold out now, so we feel really lucky to have got tickets.”
Kirkstall Festival itself is a free, volunteer-run community celebration held annually on the second Saturday of July. It attracts around 20,000–25,000 visitors each year, making it one of the largest volunteer-led festivals in the UK.
Committee volunteer Lydia said: “It’s the first time I’ve been part of the organising committee, and it’s been amazing to be part of a group of volunteers putting on something for the local community, and to see it come together. It’s been really rewarding.”
You can find out more about the festival here Festival 2026 – Kirkstall Festival and be sure to save the date for next year.
- Check out our preview of this year’s Kirkstall Festival here.
Sponsored content
