Before the rock and pop-punk extravaganza of Slam Dunk, Temple Newsam Park hosted Live At Leeds In The Park, a bank holiday all-day event that serves as a sister festival to Live At Leeds In The City. While the November urban festival is solely dedicated to highlighting emerging talent, the 2025 In The Park edition featured a well-curated line-up that included some early 2000s indie nostalgia, beloved local acts from Leeds, a full comedy schedule, and some of the finest bands in the UK. With an impressive array of performances and several unfortunate scheduling clashes, we made our way to Temple Newsam Park to enjoy the sights and sounds.
After what might be the most seamless festival entry we've ever experienced, we kicked off the day with the upbeat indie-pop of Brighton's Fickle Friends. Frontwoman Natassja Shiner mentioned that today marked their first festival appearance in three years, but you wouldn't have guessed it, as they performed flawlessly. Gliding through popular songs like ‘Glue’, ‘Brooklyn’, and ‘IRL’, they also included their recent single ‘Happier’, which sounded fantastic live. Current Bloc Party drummer Louise Bartle was spotted at the front, singing and dancing along as the band concluded their strong set with ‘Swim’ and ‘Pretty Great’.
We then strolled through the festival, which was just as well-organized and picturesque as we remembered from the previous year, featuring plenty of toilets and bars conveniently located throughout the site. During our wander, we caught a portion of rising Irish band Cliffords’ set, who took some time to warm up but eventually found their rhythm. While visiting the festival's large craft beer tent, we discovered festival-goers engaging in a game of indie bingo, which looked like a lot of fun. Nearby, we also saw Westwood Mac, a Fleetwood Mac tribute act, performing to a full tent.
After a brief exploration, it was time to settle in for our first nostalgia trip of the day with NY-indie duo We Are Scientists. The band delivered as expected, kicking off with classic tracks ‘Buckle’, ‘It’s A Hit’, and ‘Rules Don’t Stop’. Bassist Chris Cain dedicated a song to the burger stand with a humorous nod before performing the latter, demonstrating their signature dry wit. Their new single ‘Please Don’t Say It’ proved that their recent work is as good as their classics, followed by ‘Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt’, which got the crowd dancing. They then introduced fellow Brooklyn musician Sean McVerry, who provided chaotic synth support for ‘Less From You’ and joined in on various instruments for the rest of the performance. The band concluded as powerfully as they began, delivering fan favorites ‘Impatience’, ‘The Great Escape’, and ‘After Hours’ for the first major singalong of the day. This was a fantastic set from a mid-2000s band that might not receive the recognition they deserve for their consistent studio output and enjoyable live shows.
Although we felt tempted to check out a resurgent Natasha Bedingfield, we decided to take a break instead and head to this year’s VIP area for ticket holders who had upgraded. It was a significant enhancement from last year's setup, featuring much more comfortable seating, a DJ spinning indie classics, and additional toilets, bars, and food vendors. The location was also better situated, further back in a quiet area among the trees, providing a peaceful and hassle-free escape from the main festival chaos.
Next on our agenda were Reading rockers The Amazons, who unfortunately arrived ten minutes late due to technical difficulties. However, they made up for lost time by delivering what was undoubtedly the best set of the day. With a dramatic stage backdrop and Ella McRobb providing backing vocals, their set was a relentless barrage of sound, highlighted by tracks from recent album ‘21st Century Fiction’. From anthems like ‘In My Mind’, ‘Night After Night’, and ‘Pitch Black’, to the heavy guitar riffs of ‘Joe Bought A Gun’ and ‘Mother’, the crowd was fully engaged, opening up the mosh pits and singing along. The recent single ‘Wake Me Up’ was even more powerful live, culminating in an epic extended rendition of ‘Black Magic’, showcasing lead guitarist Chris Alderton's captivating solos. It was a stunning conclusion to a spectacular performance, confirming that The Amazons are currently at their peak.
The high energy continued as we moved to the scenic Cockpit Stage for Deadletter's post-punk ska. Frontman Zac Lawrence began the set in a windbreaker jacket but ended up shirtless, energetically alternating between dancing on stage and singing among the audience. It was a strong festival performance that sadly ended one song short due to time constraints, leaving Lawrence a bit annoyed as he remarked, “hopefully things will run more smoothly next year.” With The Amazons also late on stage, it seemed there were some production issues earlier in the day
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Prior to the rock and pop-punk celebration of Slam Dunk, Temple Newsam Park was the venue for Live At Leeds In The Park, a bank holiday event featuring a full day of music that serves as a