Things to do this week including: The Magic of Motown, The Leicester Comedy Festival Gala Preview Show and Free Yoga!

Morning! Happy New Year and hope you had a lovely Christmas, with enough mince pies to keep you smug but not so many you are still finding crumbs in the sofa.

This week is a gentle restart. The diary is lighter than usual while everyone drifts back into routine, but there is still plenty to get you out for a few hours, then back home at a sensible time.

Give it a week or two and it is back to normal, with the rest of January filling up quickly and February doing what it always does, turning your calendar into a competitive sport.

🗓️ WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

🎉 - Magic Of Motown 2026 - Big Hits, Big Hair, Big Smile On Your Face
📍 - De Montfort Hall
📅 - Sat 10 Jan 2026
⏰ - 7:30 PM
🎟️ - £34.50 to £36.50
📷 - @demontforthall

Motown is turning up with the 20th anniversary tour, and it is basically a two hour permission slip to enjoy yourself without pretending you are above it. You get the full concert spectacle with glittering costumes, tight choreography, and a live band doing the heavy lifting so you can focus on the important stuff, like spotting the first note of your favourite chorus. The building opens at 6:30 PM, doors at 7:00 PM, then it runs in two parts with an interval. It is a tribute show, not the original artists, but the song list is stacked and the atmosphere does the rest.

SCRUMPTIOUS SCOOP

🥘 - Jai Somnath - The Vegetarian Spot That Makes You Forget About Meat Entirely
📍 - 217 to 219 Melton Road
⏰ - Mon to Sun, 9:00 AM to 10:30 PM
📷 - @jai_somnath_leicester

Jai Somnath is the sort of place that turns a quick bite into a full on order because the menu keeps whispering “add one more”. Start with pani puri for that crisp little burst, then bhel or samosa chaat when you want tang and crunch in the same mouthful. Pav bhaji is the comfort pick, and the dosas are the move when you want something that feels like a meal, not a snack that got out of hand.

Round it off with a mango lassi or masaledar chai and suddenly you are in a much better mood than you planned to be

ACTIVITY ALLEY

😂 - Leicester Comedy Festival Gala Preview Show - A Greatest Hits Sampler Before February Takes Over
📍 - De Montfort Hall
📅 - Fri 9 Jan 2026
⏰ - 7:30 PM
🎟️ - £32
📷 - @demontforthall

This is the smart way to do the Comedy Festival without committing to ten separate nights and a calendar meltdown. The Gala Preview Show is the hand picked taster that sells out for a reason, with a line up built to give you a bit of everything, quickly. Taskmaster favourite Fatiha El Ghorri is hosting, plus a stack of acts including Hasan Al Habib, Luke McQueen, Lil Wenker, James Ellis, Toussaint Douglas, Bad Clowns, Micky Overman and Louise Atkinson.

FRESH EXPERIENCES

🧘 - Free Bikram Yoga Classes - Try The Classic Hot Yoga Sequence For Free
📍 - 22 Rutland Street
📅 - 10th-11th Jan
⏰ - Multiple times across both days
🎟️ - Free (Booking Required)
📷 - @bikramyogaleicester

This is the no excuse weekend for anyone who has said “I should really do yoga” while holding a coffee like it is a comfort blanket. The studio is running free Bikram classes across Saturday and Sunday, taught by certified teachers, with the full 26 posture sequence plus breathing work in a heated room. Beginners are welcome and you are not meant to turn up already bendy. Places must be booked online in advance, so it is a plan ahead job. Bring a mat, two towels and water. Mats and towels can be rented for £2 each. Hydrate the day before unless you fancy learning humility at 40 degrees.

TUESDAY

Beginner Kickboxing Classes - Gannon's Dojo
5:30 PM | More Info

Psychic Night with Grant Harris Medium - Holiday Inn St Nicholas Circle
7:30 PM | More Info

Swing Dancing Classes - Aylestone St Andrew's Parish Hall
8:00 PM | More Info

WEDNESDAY

Female Only Mat Pilates - Honeycomb Health Clinic
12:00 PM | More Info

THURSDAY

Sip & Paint Night - The Cricketers
7:00 PM | More Info

FRIDAY

Weekly Squash Mixer - Leicester Squash Club
6:00 PM | More Info

Bachata and Cuban Salsa - Fat Cat
8:00 PM | More Info

SATURDAY

Football Training For Girls (Aged 4-7) - Wreak Valley Academy
9:00 AM | More Info

Rachmaninov Vespers in Candlelight - St Andrew's Church
7:00 PM | More Info

SUNDAY

Art Social - The Common Room
12:00 PM | More Info

Ultimate Pop Concert Tribute - De Montfort Hall
1:00 PM | More Info

Hiit Training - Progress Works Gym
2:00 PM | More Info

🌦️ WEEKEND WEATHER

Friday

5°C 🌡️ 1°C | Overcast.

Saturday

4°C 🌡️ -1°C | Overcast.

Sunday

5°C 🌡️ 1°C | Overcast.
Temperature readings taken from the Met Office the night before publication

THANKS!

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