Home Nightclub and Carousel: Games arcade bar and new nightclub to open in former Tiger Tiger building in Leeds - creating 100 jobs

A major refurbishment of The Light building on Albion Street is under way ahead of the planned openings of the Carousel Bar and Home Nightclub.

It is expected that around 100 new jobs will be created.

The building was the home of Tiger Tiger until it closed in 2018. It was then the venue for Cargo nightclub, which opened in 2021 but closed earlier this year.

A spokesperson for the new proposals said Carousel will be located on the ground floor and open during the day.

It will offer a street food-inspired menu and drinks and include a games arcade experience as part of its offer.

There will be live music and DJ sets in the evenings.

The spokesperson added: “The site will also host Home Nightclub, a brand-new multi-room club offer, aiming to become Leeds’ new favourite late night party destination with great DJs, a focus on the highest levels of production and VIP experiences for those special occasions."

The Home brand launched in Lincoln in 2011, making it one of the longest-running nightclubs in the UK and regularly hosting headline sets from well-known DJs.

The club is known for a diverse range of events, including themed student parties, live music festivals, rave bingo and corporate events..

Managing Director John O’Donoghue said: “We’re thrilled to be opening our newest venture in Leeds, it’s a great city and was my home for many years.

"The Light is such an iconic building and the perfect location for the combination of offers we are creating there.

"This will be the first time in over 20 years something completely new and original has been brought to this great space in The Light and we are looking forward to feedback from both former and new customers.

"Leeds is vibrant and independent; and already has some outstanding leisure and hospitality businesses in the city centre; giving both locals and visitor a warm welcome and a great experience.

"We are excited to have the opportunity to complement all that hard work and quality with our own brand of fun and entertainment in such a flagship development.

"We can’t wait to get the doors open and invite guests in.”

Instagram pages have been set up for both Carousel and Home in advance of the openings of both venues.

The arrivals are positive news for Leeds, which has seen an 11 per cent drop in city centre hospitality outlets since the pandemic.

According to the latest Hospitality Market Monitor report from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners published in October, Leeds has lost 40 venues since the start of the pandemic.

The number of city centre hospitality venues such as pubs and nightclubs has dropped from 368 in March 2020 to 328 in September 2023.

Nightclubs have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic and associated lockdowns after being the last sector to have restrictions removed.

In the June Hospitality Market Monitor report, it pointed out that Britain has lost 30 per cent of the nightclubs that were opened in March 2020 and there are now fewer than 900 across the country.

​The June Hospitality Market Monitor report suggested that the national trend of nightclub closures may be “bottoming out”.

While there are only half the number of clubs there were 10 years ago as a result of changing consumer habits as well as Covid, the report said there are positive signs for the sector.

"We may be starting to see club closures bottoming out. Numbers in the sector were in marginal growth of 0.9 per cent in the last quarter, leading to optimism that the clear out of unsustainable venues has slowed and supply is now better suited to demand.

"Another positive is that some nightclubs have now reopened as late night bars.

"While consumers no longer visit clubs in the volumes they once did, many of them have not ditched their late-night habits but simply switched to bars or pubs.”​​​​​​​