Leeds Goth Hall of Fame update
26 April 2025
I am looking forward to seeing the new Hyatt hotel open on Sovereign Square next month, filling the last vacant plot.
Almost a year in the making, this new building fills the last remaining plot of this historic city centre site.
Sovereign Square is a rather pleasant little city centre park which opened nearly a decade ago on the old site of the Leeds City Tram depot. The place is steeped in history and not all relating to trams.
For nearly three decades from 1961, the old building operated as the Queen’s Hall, a live music venue and events space. It hosted flea markets, beer festivals and the Ideal Home Exhibition throughout the 80s.
Loads of major acts played in this vast, rather basic and unglamorous tram shed, including the Beatles, Pink Floyd, U2 and the Jacksons. Gig-goers would have been wise to watch their feet as well as the stage to avoid tripping on the still-present tram tracks embedded in the floor. Packing a cagoule might have been advisable to protect punters from the condensation raining down from the roof.
Later on, it was the main venue for celebrated Leeds promoter John Keenan’s legendary Futurama festivals, providing a launchpad for many big bands, including Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division and the Sisters of Mercy.
The dual-branded Hyatt House & Hyatt Place will offer a mix of bedrooms and apartments suitable for different lengths of stay. The rooftop ‘hacienda’, Azotea, will provide an interesting new view of this historic site.
