The Maccabees have revealed a heavyweight lineup of special guests set to join them for their only northern headline date of 2026, as the reunited indie favourites take over the historic Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds this summer – and while it’s not in Sheffield, it’s close enough to make for a very tempting trip up the M1.
Set for Friday 31 July as part of the Live at Kirkstall Abbey concert series, the show will see the band supported by an impressive cast of indie and alternative talent. Newcastle alt-rock stalwarts Maximo Park, art-rock innovators Everything Everything, cult favourites Mystery Jets and fast-rising singer-songwriter Fiona-Lee are all confirmed.
The announcement continues the momentum behind The Maccabees’ widely celebrated return. After stepping away in 2017, the band reunited in 2024, headlining major stages including All Points East and Glastonbury’s Park Stage.
Now, building on that renewed energy, the group are heading back out on a major summer run of outdoor dates, with Kirkstall Abbey marking their only northern stop. Guitarist Felix White reflected on the band’s resurgence, saying: “The year we’ve just had was so special to all of us, and so unexpected, that it has put some momentum in everyone collectively… and who wouldn’t want to do all that again”
Since forming in the mid-2000s, The Maccabees – Orlando Weeks, Hugo White, Felix White, Rupert Jarvis and Sam Doyle, joined live by Will White – have evolved from the youthful spark of their 2007 debut Colour It In into one of the UK’s most accomplished indie bands. Their third album, Given To The Wild, earned a Mercury Prize nomination and an Ivor Novello Award for the single ‘Pelican’, while 2015’s Marks To Prove It became their first UK number one.
The Kirkstall Abbey show forms part of the wider Live at Kirkstall Abbey series, which launched in 2024 and drew more than 15,000 visitors to the grounds of the 12th-century monastery across its opening weekend. This year’s expanded programme will stretch across two weekends and also feature sets from The Streets and The Sunshine Underground, alongside the return of the Kirkstall Abbey Comedy Festival.
Curated by Leeds-based promoters Futuresound Events, the series continues to position the historic site as one of Yorkshire’s most unique summer venues. And while Sheffield may not have made the tour poster this time around, this one’s firmly within striking distance for local fans.
Tickets for The Maccabees at Kirkstall Abbey are on sale now, with further details available via futuresoundgroup.com.
