Leeds is set to tumble into a world of wonder this summer as LeedsBID brings a beloved literary classic to life with Wonderland Awaits – an immersive, city-wide celebration inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
Running from Saturday 26 July to Sunday 31 August 2025, this free, family-friendly event promises to fill the city with magic, curiosity, and colour, following on from the phenomenal success of last year’s Monopoly Leeds Takeover, which saw over 550,000 visitors.
This year, LeedsBID (Leeds Business Improvement District) invites visitors to journey down the rabbit hole for an unforgettable adventure. With interactive installations, larger-than-life characters, theatrical performances, puzzles to solve, and plenty of surprises, Wonderland Awaits is set to spark the imaginations of all ages.
Pick up a special trail map and step into a dreamlike version of Leeds, where iconic locations across the city become scenes from Carroll’s world. Whether you’re sipping tea with the Mad Hatter, or spotting the grinning Cheshire Cat, adventure awaits around every corner.
There’s even a puzzle woven into the trail, with weekly prizes to be won, adding a layer of playfulness and discovery to the experience. Additional themed events and activities will pop up throughout the summer, giving lovers of the books plenty to explore.
LeedsBID has teamed up with Cuddle Creative Works, renowned globally for their show-stopping set design and immersive installations.
“We are absolutely delighted to be bringing the extraordinary works of Lewis Carroll to life for this year’s ‘Wonderland Awaits’ project,” says Dan Leroy, Business Manager at Cuddle Creative Works. “It’s such a pleasure to lift these surreal scenes from the pages of the books and reimagine them on the streets of Leeds.”
Wonderland Awaits is a truly collaborative event, with key partners across Leeds bringing the magic to life, including: Aire Park (on the former Tetley brewery site), Royal Armouries, Leeds Corn Exchange, Merrion Centre, Trinity Leeds, Victoria Leeds, and Leeds Conservatoire, whose students will take part in live theatrical performances.
“LeedsBID creates a portfolio of inspired events across Leeds city centre to animate it for key holiday periods like the summer, which has created an expectation of what is to come” says Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive of LeedsBID.
“This summer Wonderland Awaits will inject creativity and colour into the city centre for five weeks to delight and entertain families and visitors, encouraging them to embark on their own mini adventures. People really won’t want to be late to join in the fun.”
Collaborating to bring unique events like Wonderland Awaits to Leeds, which are freely accessible to all, makes coming to Leeds different to other locations, making it a place people want to be.”
James Broughton, Head of Marketing Communications, Town Centre Securities PLC (Merrion Centre), adds:
“LeedsBID’s events always bring energy and vibrancy to the city. These creative activations are hugely popular with our visitors and truly enhance the shopping and leisure experience. We’re thrilled to support another unforgettable summer.”
Keep an eye on the website wonderlandleeds.com and follow @wonderlandleeds across social media platforms for further details to be announced in the coming months.
This post is based on a press release issued on behalf of Leeds BID
Photo L-R: Thomas Haigh (Merrion Centre), Jess Mahon (Victoria Leeds), Alice Croucher (Leeds Corn Exchange), Andrew Cooper (LeedsBID), Kim Sutton (Trinity Leeds) and Florence Symington (Royal Armouries). Photo credit Hyatt Hotel/ Jo Ritchie
While you’re here, can we ask a favour?
South Leeds Life is published by a not-for-profit social enterprise. We keep our costs as low as possible but we’ve been hit by increases in the print costs for our monthly newspaper which have doubled in the last two years.
Could you help support local community news by making a one off donation, or even better taking out a supporters subscription?
Donate here, or sign up for a subscription at bit.ly/SLLsubscribe
