The team behind Leeds’ goth music festival are delighted to announce that Goth City Festival will return for a one-off event this October to celebrate it’s tenth anniversary!
Goth City Festival was a city-wide musical and cultural festival that celebrates the gothic and post-punk heritage of the city and of Yorkshire generally. In 2016, the first Goth City Festival took place in various underground venues across Leeds, with the aim of highlighting the unique gothic legacy of the city and the wealth of talent in the UK gothic scene, both new and old. Over the next 8 years it would feature performances by some of the key acts in UK goth, including Skeletal Family, 1919, Salvation, Rose Of Avalanche, Inkubus Sukkubus, Manuskript, Auger, Rosie Garland, Pretentious Moi?, Rome Burns, and Children On Stun. By the time it ended at Leeds Warehouse in July 2023, it had raised £20,000 for local refugee charity PAFRAS. Goth City was inducted into the Leeds Goth Hall Of Fame in May 2025.
To celebrate its tenth anniversary, a special one-off edition of Goth City Festival will take place with a week of events from 12th– 17th October. Featuring its original week-long format including spoken word performances and discussions and incorporating the Black Pilgrimage weekend of great performances by the best bands in the UK goth underground, it promises to be the same stirring combination of principle and creativity that made Goth City Festival one of the most important goth events of recent times.
The event kicks off on Monday 12th October at Wharf Chambers, with headliners Hurtsfall, special guests The Golden Age Of Nothing, and openers Shallow Halo.
Proceedings continue on Tues 13th October at The Packhorse with ‘The State Of It: Goth in 2026’, a panel discussion event chaired by Tim Synystr (The Blogging Goth) featuring Trevor Bamford (Nightbreed Recordings), Waltzing Cthulhu (Goth City Promotions) and more to be announced.
On Weds 14th October at the Fox & Newt, The Penny Magpie Theatre Company return to Goth City with an evening of three dark and goth-adjacent monologues.
Thurs 15th October at the Fox & Newt sees the return of our cabaret evening ‘A Night Of The Dark Arts’, featuring the cosmos’ leading futurezoids Jan Doyle Band, readings from Andrew Hawnt, and a visit from the Experimental Sonic Machines, all compered by the (g)host AmereKat.
Then, the main weekend of live music kicks off on Fri 16th October at Boom Canalside, featuring headliners Rome Burns, special guests Witching Hour, and Silk Circus. And then, on Sat 17th October, Grooving In Green will close the weekend alongside special guests Westenra, Black Rain, Velocette and Threat Detector. Both nights will also feature DJs spinning tunes until late, to be announced soon.
The funds raised from the event will be placed in the Goth City Community Action Fund, which will donate the proceeds equally between local charities PAFRAS, RETAS, TransLeeds, Leeds North & West Food Bank, and Yorkshire CND.
Tickets are available now via Skiddle.
Goth City Promotions organiser, Joel Heyes: “We were so delighted and honoured to be selected for the Leeds Goth Hall Of Fame last year that we thought it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate our tenth anniversary in style. Goth City has such a proud legacy of fore fronting the cultural legacy of the city and encouraging new talent, as well as supporting worthwhile local causes and independent venues. We can’t wait!“
A new event, the Leeds International Gothic Assembly, will take place in Goth City’s stead in October 2027.
info@gothcity.co.uk / www.gothcity.co.uk
GOTH CITY X – CONFIRMED SCHEDULE
Sunday 11th October
The Slaughtered Lamb: immersive warm-up party and film showing
The Fox & Newt, Burley Street, Leeds
7.30pm-11pm
Free admission
Monday 12th October
Hurtsfall + The Golden Age Of Nothing + Shallow Halo
Wharf Chambers, Wharf Street, Leeds
7.30pm-11pm
Tues 13th October
‘The State Of It: Goth in 2026’, panel discussion event chaired by Tim Synystyr (The Blogging Goth) featuring Trevor Bamford (Nightbreed Recordings ), Waltzing Cthulhu (Goth City Promotions) and more to be announced.
The Packhorse, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds
8pm-11pm
Weds 14th October
The Penny Magpie Theatre Company
The Fox & Newt, Burley Street, Leeds
7.30pm-11pm
Thurs 15th October
‘A Night Of The Dark Arts’ featuring Jan Doyle Band + Andrew Hawnt + Experimental Sonic Machines + host AMereKat
The Fox & Newt, Burley Street, Leeds
7.30pm-11pm
Fri 16th October
Rome Burns + Witching Hour + Silk Circus + DJs tbc
Boom Leeds, Canalside Community Music Space, LS12 2DU
8pm-late
Sat 17th October
Grooving In Green + Westenra + Black Rain + Velocette + Threat Detector + DJs tbc
Boom Leeds, Canalside Community Music Space, LS12 2DU
5pm-late