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Festival crowds expected to make Leeds station busier than ever

Thursday, 27 August 2026 11:33

Passengers travelling to Leeds Fest have been warned over 'record' crowds.

Rail passengers travelling through Leeds are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys over the bank holiday weekend.

Northern expects a record number of people to use the station as tens of thousands of music fans travel to Leeds Festival.

More than 113,200 passengers passed through Leeds station over the August bank holiday weekend last year — 5% more than the previous year — and operators expect that figure to be surpassed.

The majority of Northern services will run as planned, although trains are expected to be busier than usual.

Alex Hornby, Commercial and Customer Director at Northern, said:

“We’re prepared for a busy bank holiday weekend and will be working hard to keep services running smoothly so we can get thousands of customers where they need to go.

“We are also deploying extra staff to provide support and assistance to anyone who needs it.”

Additional staff will be on duty at Leeds station and will wear bright yellow tabards to make them easier to identify.

Shuttle buses to Leeds Festival will depart from Sovereign Square, a short walk from the station.

Engineering work will affect some services across Yorkshire during the weekend.

Trains between Selby and York will be diverted and will not stop at Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton or Ulleskelf.

There will be no trains between York and Sheffield, while services between Hull, Halifax and Leeds will also be altered.

Rail replacement buses will run between Selby and York, York and Moorthorpe, and Selby and Micklefield.

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