Over the past decade, Leeds Digital Festival (LDF) has marked a series of pivotal moments that have cemented its place as a major fixture in the UK’s tech calendar.
In this article, you can find out all about what’s kept the Festival going for a decade, how it became the biggest open tech event in the country, and what you can expect from the 10th anniversary edition.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, many events were forced to cancel – LDF didn’t. Instead, the Festival adapted. Three weeks before the Festival was due to take place, a national lockdown came into force. With over 200 events scheduled, many organisers were able to turn their physical events virtual, with the support of the LDF team.
It wasn’t just about keeping the Festival alive. It was about continuing to showcase the region’s innovative tech sector even during extraordinary circumstances, all the while proving that LDF’s open-platform model could thrive in any environment.
The Festival delivered its first fully virtual programme that April, with 134 sessions streamed live. Then, in September, a second edition was launched – when things were supposed to be back to “normal”. But, as lockdown was still in force, the Festival went on to host another 295 events online. It was at this point that the main festival became a permanent September fixture, while the April dates became the brand-new Leeds Digital Mini-Fest.
The Mini-Fest, has since become a smaller, annual curated edition of the Festival, taking place every spring, designed to keep up the energy between the main autumn programme. Running two editions in a single year highlighted the appetite for ongoing connection, and out of that momentum came not one, but two new legacies.
In 2023, the team launched Leeds Digital, a year-round platform for news, events and insights from the city’s tech scene. Together, they turned what was an annual burst of activity into a continuous drumbeat for the community.
What began as a response to a pandemic has since become a much-loved fixture and resource in its own right, keeping the spotlight on Leeds tech long after the Festival fortnight comes to a close.
LDF has become a key part of Leeds’ identity as a global tech hub. It’s a virtuous cycle in action – a thriving tech community fuels the Festival and the Festival, in turn, strengthens that same community.
The Festival’s growth has also been supported at the highest levels. Ministers and MPs have attended and spoken at events, and delegations from as far afield as the Netherlands, Kosovo, Estonia, India, South Africa and China have come to witness Leeds’ digital strengths first-hand.
Backed with seed funding by Leeds City Council from the get-go and shaped by hundreds of organisers, LDF draws attention from global businesses and investors. Companies like PEXA, BJSS now part of CGI and Sky Bet now Flutter have supported the Festival over the years, seeing it as both a showcase of and a gateway to the region’s talent and innovation.
Their presence not only boosts the Festival’s profile but also adds weight to Leeds’ pitch as a place to build, invest and grow. And as more high-profile organisations, as well as homegrown companies like The Data City, Audacia, Panintelligence and Genio (formerly Glean) continue to connect with LDF, Leeds’ tech scene becomes more visible, more attractive and even more innovative, creating a feedback loop that benefits everyone.
What does the next decade hold? The vision is clear: keep improving, keep diversifying and keep Leeds at the forefront of digital innovation in the UK.
Future programmes will continue to be shaped by emerging themes, from AI to HealthTech, cybersecurity to sustainability and beyond. But equally important is the Festival’s mission to remain the tech event for everyone – ensuring that people from all backgrounds, sectors and levels of experience feel welcome and seen.
With each year, the Festival becomes more refined, with small tweaks here and there to make the programme and the overall experience for organisers and attendees alike even better.
As Director Deb Hetherington puts it:
“Reaching our 10th anniversary is a huge milestone, and shows the strength and ambition of the Leeds Digital community. The Festival was built on values of collaboration, community, and openness, and that’s not going to change. As we look forward, we’re not just celebrating the past decade but shaping the next one; ensuring Leeds remains at the forefront of digital, where ideas, talent and technology can support our cities ambitions for inclusive growth.”
From its humble beginnings in 2016 to its role today as a central platform for Leeds tech, now with two annual fixtures, Leeds Digital Festival has mirrored the growth of the city – confident, collaborative and future-facing. It’s a festival that belongs to the community and because of that, its story continues to be written by those same people.
This year, you can expect over 220 events on everything from AI to software development and marketing, plus CV workshops and educational sessions. Whether you’re looking to get into tech or give your digital career a boost, there’s something for everyone.
Leeds Digital Festival returns for its 10th anniversary on Monday 22nd September until 3rd October 2025. Check out the programme and be part of Leeds Digital Festival’s story.
Missed part one of this two-part series and keen to find out more about the Festival’s origins? You can find it here.
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