Thousands of people attended a stadium performance to kick off a year of culture in Leeds. Which is hosting its 12-month cultural celebrations after losing its bid to become the European Capital of Culture due to Brexit.
The Leeds 2023 opening ceremony at Headingley rugby ground featured performances by native-born celebrities like poet laureate Simon Armitage, singer Corinne Bailey Rae, and host George Webb.
As a metaphor for the city, it concluded with lit drones forming a “sleeping giant” over the stadium.
The event was called The Awakening, and Armitage and his band LYR played a specially-written homage to the city in which he exhorted. “Wake up, Leeds, you’ve got gold in your veins.”
Ten thousand tickets were given away for the show, which was hosted by BBC Radio Leeds’ Sanchez Payne.
Born in Leeds a year before her father Terry Yorath won a league championship with Leeds United. She is one of the city’s most renowned daughters.
Paralympian Kadeena Cox and rugby league player-turned-coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan were among the current sports luminaries that participated in the presentation.
Opera North’s chorus joined Chumbawamba’s leader Dunstan Bruce and Leeds band Hope. And Social for a boisterous rendition of 1997 hit Tubthumping.
The next generation of local talent was on show in the form of the rock band The Solar Jets – whose members are aged just nine.
Rap Game UK and Mobo Award winner Graft also performed, as did fellow musicians Testament, Ntantu, Aziz Ibrahim, and tabla maestro Inder Goldfinger.
A steel drum cover version of Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict A Riot was accompanied by dozens of dancers in colorful carnival costumes. Portraying one of the longest-running West Indian carnivals in the United Kingdom.
Webster, the first Cbeebies presenter with Down’s syndrome, who recently received a Bafta Award. And participated in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, together with his father, presented a passionate speech.
This year was expected to be the first time since 2008 that the United Kingdom will have a European Capital of Culture.
‘We’ll do it anyway’
In addition to Leeds, Dundee, Nottingham, Milton Keynes. And a joint bid from Belfast and Londonderry also competed for the honor.
After Brexit, the European Commission determined in 2017 that the United Kingdom was no longer eligible.
Recently, Leeds was one of the final seven cities competing to host this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. But ultimately lost out to Liverpool.
Despite these obstacles, Leeds has chosen to proceed with its self-proclaimed year of culture.
Sharon Watson, who chaired the original application and is now the director of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Stated that the commission’s decision was “heartbreaking” and “still stings now.”
“Therefore, we determined, and I believe correctly, that we deserve this, that we believe in culture. And as a result, here we are in 2023, set to provide a year of culture, of activity for everyone.”
Professor of poetry at Leeds University Armitage told Front Row. “I enjoy the audacity of not winning the city of culture bid and then saying, ‘Oh well, never mind, we’ll do it anyhow.’
“It’s a fantastic city with a lot of power and a lot of energy. And I believe that the next 12 months will be about harnessing it via innovation.”
Following the success of Glasgow and Liverpool as former European Capitals of Culture. And the UK government’s City of Culture title, which has so far been held by Derry, Hull, and Coventry, cities have realized the value of a year of culture projects.
In 2025, Leeds’s neighbor Bradford will become the next UK City of Culture.
