Distrikt Bar has long been a staple of the Leeds underground. Nestled into the city’s cobbled side streets, the intimate basement has welcomed a mesmerising degree of artists over the years.
Everyone from Moodymann and Octave One, to Petre Inspirescu and Nicolas Lutz have graced the Distrikt decks, despite the venue always offering free entry. The legendary spot has been a taste-making ground for generations of artists and ravers, offering a consistent place to hear good music and get inspired.
The space offers a unique opportunity to witness leading artists in an intimate bar-like environment. In August alone, artists included Alex Picone, Desyn, Harry McCanna, Crihan, and ERIS.
Next weekend marks 14 years since the start of Distrikt and the weekend is a suitably massive curation. Both nights have been granted extended licences with the bar open until 4am on Friday and 6am on Saturday, offering over 20 hours of birthday celebrations.
Friday, October 13th invites a trio of Amsterdam’s finest in Ferro, Doudou MD, and DJ Senc. Regulars at their respective VBX and SlapFunk crews, each artist is no stranger to bringing the lively energy that Leeds is known for. There is no doubt the basement will be rocking with the finest raw, stripped-back house synonymous with both Amsterdam and Leeds.
Proceeding kick off at 6pm with a selection of local diggers including A.L.C, Lucia, Dan Barrientos and Shea Minta. The unique charm of Distrikt has a lot to do with the 2am licence with people arriving early and the energy staying consistently high from early doors. The birthday offers the chance to experience Distrikt in full club hours with its new sound system and light rig.
Part two welcomes Venice’s After Caposile over for their first UK club showcase. Saturday hosts a mammoth 12-hour session from 6pm-6am. Heading up the bill is Romanian royalty Herodot. The Toi Toi and Sunwaves veteran is known for his mind-bending sets, sifting through decades and genres with an effortless flow.
After Caposile residents Yaar Ku & Francesco Maddalena are in support, as well as a fine selection of local artists. Ruckus 24 founder Josh Demello will warm up the basement, alongside Binyamhn, Simone Ellis and Lo:Za.
The rest of the year has some tasty events lined up with another two-part series for Halloween where Casey Spillman, ADMNTi & Just Jam will play b2b all night long. Saturday invites the Madrid collective with Mari.te, Alffie and Enzo Leep live.
November will see Silat Beksi’s first UK date and a set from the rising DJ Pipe. Check out the venue’s full listings here – unbelievably, it’s always free.
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