Leeds Open Studios returns with weekend long celebration of arts and culture
Explore arts organisations and artist studios usually closed to the public, meet the artists and immerse yourself in a weekend of culture
A citywide celebration of the region’s artists and makers is being held across Leeds later this month.
Leeds Open Studios returns across two days - Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, 2026 - and opens doors to creative spaces across the city centre and the suburbs including Farsley and Armley.
Now with confirmed opening times and full venue listings, the event brings together studios, workshops and community arts spaces to showcase artists working in painting, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, print, sculpture, illustration and audio-visual work.
Entry is free throughout, with work available to buy directly from the artists who made it.
Highlights this year include East Street Arts’ First Annual Riso Convention and its Salon group exhibition at Convention House, free drop-in printmaking at Leeds Print Workshop, carving and bookbinding taster sessions at Fabrication 2, mosaic making and Chinese paper craft at Swarthmore, and the family-friendly Clocking In trail at Sunny Bank Mills.
Participating venues are:
* Fabrication 2, Hereford House, Edward Street, LS2 7NT, Saturday and Sunday, 10am–4pm. Small creative businesses spanning jewellery, ceramics, bookbinding, fashion and illustration, with free drop-in kurinuki carving (with Amy Stringer) and bookbinding (with Anachronalia, ages 14+) both days.
* East Street Arts: Patrick Studios & Convention House, St Mary’s Lane, LS9 7EH, Saturday and Sunday, 10am–4pm. More than 20 artists and collectives open their studios, alongside the First Annual Riso Convention at Convention House and Salon, East Street Arts’ group exhibition, in the Project Space. Entry is free, with work for sale directly from the artists.
* Leeds Print Workshop, basement of Patrick Studios, Saturday and Sunday, 10.30am–4.30pm. Free, family-friendly drop-in printmaking covering screen printing, lino printing, collagraph, monoprinting, letterpress and etching.
* Nests, 2 Regent Street, LS2 7QA, Saturday and Sunday, 11am–5pm. A grassroots, DIY arts space prioritising creativity and community.
* Swarthmore, 2–7 Woodhouse Square, LS3 1AD, Saturday 12 September only, 10am–4pm. Jewellery, pottery and mosaic making, plus free drop-in Chinese paper craft and pre-bookable taster sessions in Procreate and screen printing.
* The Attic, Sheaf Street, Leeds, Saturday 12 September only. Community-focused creative space with artist studios, free drop-in keyring making with Sew Sweet Pea, and a Lucky Pea pop-up sale.
* Mabgate Art Studios, Leeds City College, 74–76 Mabgate, LS9 7EA. Home to Leeds City College’s Creative Arts department, with screen printing, joinery and upcycling on show.
* Sunny Bank Mills, 83–85 Town Street, Farsley, LS28 5UJ, Saturday and Sunday, 10am–4pm. 49 artists’ and makers’ studios across the mill, plus Pop-up Studios featuring around 18 outside makers, the family-friendly Clocking In trail, and The Rolling Year exhibition in the Spinning Mill Loft.
* Assembly House, 44–46 Canal Road, LS12 2PL, Saturday and Sunday, 10.30am–4.30pm. A converted Victorian textile mill housing around 80 resident creatives working in painting, sculpture and performance.
Full and up-to-date listings for all participating venues are available at: leedsopenstudios.com
Leeds Open Studios is supported by Leeds City Council, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Arts Council England