News & Events

Leicester’s city centre is set to shine once again as Light Up Leicester returns from 12-15 March 2025. Over four dazzling nights, the festival will transform the city with an exciting programme of illuminated artworks, interactive performances, and vibrant community...

This winter in Leicester, it is easier than ever to get into the Christmas spirit by helping those in need, even when you’re ordering your drink at the bar! GIVE Leicester is expanding its campaign to make giving as easy as enjoying a drink. With 8 new tap-to-give...

With just over a month to go before Leicester Restaurant Week returns, we're delighted to reveal an array of tasty treats that are going to be served up during the week-long event. From 21-27 October, explore Leicester's culinary scene with exclusive, one-week-only...

Leicester's Bring The Paint street art festival returns in May 2024, promising to once again transform the city's streets with stunning public art. From May 20th to 26th, witness the creative journey of internationally acclaimed street artists as they bring fresh...

With less then one week to go until Leicester Restaurant Week returns to the city for a third year, we are thrilled to announce the venues that have signed up so far and the mouth-watering offers they are putting on the table.    Taking place from Monday 16th – Sunday...

From Saturday 3rd December through to Christmas Eve, visitors can experience Leicester city centre like never before, as large-scale projections illuminate Leicester’s Green Dragon Square. A spectacular moving projection of 3D animated murals will transform the space...

BID Leicester has won the Special Recognition award for the St. George's Tower mural at the British BIDs National BID Awards. BID Leicester celebrated a coveted award win and national recognition at British BID’s National BID Awards, for the delivery of the St....

Foodies, rejoice! BID Leicester has today announced that its very first Leicester Restaurant Week is coming to the city from 18th – 24th October. Shining a spotlight on some of the best eateries in Leicester, the week-long event will give locals and visitors alike the...

BID Leicester Marketing Executive £35,000 (40 hrs per week) We are seeking an outstanding individual with a creative and innovative approach to lead the marketing and communications activities of the city’s Business Improvement District. This is a fantastic...

Leicester’s beer gardens have been given a new lease of life thanks to the Art on Tap trail, bringing colourful murals by international and local artists to outdoor spaces in licensed premises. Find out more at bidleicester.co.uk/artontap

Visitors to Leicester can enjoy free rides on the city e-bike scheme to help them discover a trail of 40 giant rockets in the city, thanks to funding from BID Leicester. Santander Cycles Leicester has been up and running since April, allowing users to make quick and...

Leicester’s Curve theatre is celebrating the reopening of the city this summer with a month of free live outdoor performances and activities. Curve on the Square, part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Reopening High Streets Safely programme of activity...

Eat, drink and be merry this August bank holiday as Leicester welcomes its first ever craft beer and music festival to the city. Brew Beat will take place Saturday 28 to Monday 30 August, featuring a live music stage, beer tent and food delivery from local restaurants...

BID Leicester is proud to be a presenting partner of Rocket Round Leicester - a fun, family-friendly outdoor sculpture trail that takes off in the city this week. Credit: Beth Walsh Photography The event has been organised by local charity LOROS, partnering with...

This July visitors can lose themselves in a labyrinth of colour, shapes and winding tunnels as Architects of Air’s Luminarium by Alan Parkinson comes to the city’s Green Dragon Square. The luminarium is a giant inflatable maze called Katena, and is one of a number of...

Leicester is set to welcome three pop-up outdoor dining spaces this summer as Dine in the Square launches on Wednesday 12 May. [Picture: Crafty Burger] Dine in the Square will see three new spaces created to offer al fresco dining, with delivery from restaurants and...

We are seeking a confident and proactive person to join our Street Ambassador Team. The right candidate will be outgoing and committed to improving the city centre experience in Leicester. The Street Ambassador will provide a daily presence around the BID area,...

BID Leicester has launched an ambitious delivery plan for 2021, designed to assist businesses with reopening and support the economic recovery of the city centre. The plan outlines projects the Business Improvement District will deliver to help responsibly drive...

BID Leicester is sponsoring Rocket Round Leicester, a family-friendly art trail lasting across the city's streets and outdoor spaces this summer, brought to you by LOROS Hospice. Showcasing 40 stunning giant Rocket sculptures transformed by both local artists and...

A new purpose-built vehicle is due to take to the streets to provide public safety messaging, help and support within Leicester’s city centre. The CityBus vehicle is a mobile unit providing outreach work in the city. Funded by the Office of the Police and Crime...

On 22 February a Roadmap out of Lockdown was published, outlining how current restrictions will be eased. The government will continue to support businesses throughout the steps set out in the roadmap - details of which will be announced by the Chancellor in the...

BID Leicester has negotiated a deal with NCP Car Parks to help essential workers travelling into Leicester city centre access discounted car parking at the NCP Rutland Centre car park (next to Curve theatre). For £5.50 all-day parking at NCP Rutland Centre, download...

Today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Leicester would be placed into Tier 3 restrictions from 2 December when the national lockdown comes to an end. BID Leicester Director Simon Jenner has once again written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, calling upon additional...

A campaign to help people who are homeless through contactless technology is now raising money to provide Covid-secure accommodation throughout the winter. Give Leicester has raised over £25,000 to date in aid of the One Roof Leicester night shelter, but has now put a...

BID Leicester has today launched The Leicester Gift Card to give a boost to the city's high street retail and hospitality businesses. The gift card, which can be purchased at values between £5 and £500, can be spent in more than 100 city centre businesses. Outlets...

BID Leicester has worked with design agency Arch Creative to deliver a spectacular new vacant units project, designed to improve the appearance of empty shops in the city centre and turn them into points of interest. Working with ten community focussed local artists...

Office Administrator: £14,137, (dependent on qualifications and knowledge), 24 hours per week BID Leicester is the Business Improvement District for the City Centre. The BID is a new company that will be investing £4.2m over an initial 5 years to make Leicester an...

The Government's Eat Out To Help Out scheme is now live. The scheme entitles diners to get 50% off meals (up to the value of £10) when they dine in at local businesses. The offer is available Monday to Wednesday throughout August. Registering for the scheme:Businesses...

Following the announcement that an additional £2.6 million has been allocated to Leicester's businesses, BID Director Simon wrote to the Chancellor again highlighting that, whilst the announcement is a step in the right direction, it does not go far enough. Read the...

Following yesterday's (16 July) announcement from Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock, BID Leicester have again written to the Chancellor calling for urgent support for the city's businesses. Matt Hancock announced that local restrictions will...

BID Leicester has partnered with tech-company Yoello to help the city’s businesses reopen safely. The evening and night-time economy is facing specific challenges when it comes to planning reopening, with businesses having to remodel their operations to meet new...

BID Leicester, the Business Improvement District for the city, have today sent an open letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking for further support for Leicester’s businesses. The letter, from BID Leicester Director Simon Jenner, calls for additional grant funding to...

We are awaiting further information with full details of the closure of non-essential retail and delayed reopening of further sectors in Leicester. The health of our community should always be top priority, and we support decisions taken that will protect our city...

The following resources have been compiled to help businesses reopen safely. Risk Assessment templateClick here to download a template Risk Assessment, which you should complete before reopening your business. There is government HSE Guidance available to...

A new partnership of business leaders has been set up to drive Leicester city centre’s economic recovery. Led and funded by BID Leicester, the Leicester City Centre Economic Recovery Partnership will support businesses in adapting to a new way of working following the...

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in December 2019. As the situation in the UK develops, we have pulled together the sources below to help you stay informed by reading the latest information. Read the advice at...

We’ve complied a list of BID Leicester businesses that are still trading. This includes those with physical premises still open in the city centre to provide essential services, businesses with online stores and those that offer delivery. This page is focused on...

BID Leicester is working hard to support businesses in Leicester city centre that have been affected by measures introduced to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19). The Business Improvement District (BID) has put together several resources to help businesses...

BID Leicester and Leicester City Council have decided to give businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors longer to pay their BID levy this year. Businesses in these sectors will not need to pay their levy until 30th June 2020. We are working hard to get...

Following government announcements today (20 March 2020), cafes, pubs and restaurants must close from tonight, except for take-away food, to tackle coronavirus. All the UK's nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres have also been asked to close as soon...

The BID Leicester team have made some operational changes in line with government advice to stay at home to help slow the Covid-19 outbreak. To comply with government guidelines and in the interest of staff and public safety, the Street Ambassador Service has been...

Forty-one people took part in a ‘giving flash mob’ in Leicester city centre on Saturday 22 February to boost the Give Leicester campaign raising money for the One Roof Winter Night Shelter. Unlike a regular flash mob, which sees a group of people assembling and...

Leicester city centre has been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag accreditation for its evening and night-time economy (ENTE). The award by the Association of Town and City Management (ACTM), recognizes the city as a vibrant destination for dining, entertainment and...

Laughing is hungry work, that’s why Leicester Comedy Festival have teamed up with BID Leicester businesses to offer festival-goers great discounts on food and drink in the city for the duration of the festival. This is the second year a food and drink scheme has been...

A partnership between BID Leicester and Leicester City Council will mean that Leicester’s streets can be washed more frequently - and more unsightly graffiti and chewing gum can be removed from the city centre BID Leicester funding has extended the city council's...

People wanting to donate at Give Leicester contactless donation points to help homeless people can now do so at six more locations in the city. The new contactless donation points were launched on Wednesday 18 December, bringing the total number of giving points in...

Pantomime audiences will be supporting homeless people in Leicester this festive season. Bucket collections taken at De Montfort Hall’s Aladdin shows this year will support the Give Leicester charity. The money will be going to Leicester’s One Roof Winter Night...

BID Leicester Street Ambassador - £19,000 plus a cost of living increase on completion of 6 months probation (40 hours) BID Leicester is the Business Improvement District for the City Centre. The BID is a new company that will be investing £4.2m over an initial 5...

Late night shopping in Leicester will be easier this Christmas thanks to extra Park & Ride services funded by BID Leicester. From 9 to 23 December, services on Mondays to Saturday will run until 9pm, allowing shoppers to make the most of extended opening hours at...

People who want to help rough sleepers in the city will soon be able to give money to support a local night shelter using new donation points that are being set up across Leicester. BID Leicester and Leicester City Council are working together to provide the...

BID Leicester, Highcross Leicester and Leicester City Council are working in partnership to host two events at Leicester Business Festival 2019 that give delegates the opportunity to hear from national experts about Place Shaping and The Future of High Street, linking...

LEICESTER’S INDEPENDENTS ARE IN, ARE YOU? BID Leicester has launched an exciting new ‘Independent Leicester’ initiative using the slogan “We’re in” as a rallying cry for indie companies. The campaign, delivered in partnership with BID Leicester and a host of local...

Blast off into ten days of space-themed fun this October half term with a whole programme of events to entertain children and adults alike. One Giant Leap, which runs from 11 – 20 October, includes the return of Museum of the Moon, a trail of LEGO® brick models in the...

BID Leicester is pleased to be sponsoring Journeys Festival International Leicester, produced by ArtReach. The festival will turn the city into a giant outdoor art gallery, thanks to funding from BID Leicester, The National Lottery Community Fund and support from...

BID Leicester is happy to announce five leading independent businesses who have opted to pay into the BID through a new voluntary levy scheme. Businesses within the BID area who have a rateable value of over £20,000 automatically become a member and can benefit from...

BID Leicester Street Ambassador - £19,000 (40 hours) BID Leicester is the Business Improvement District for the City Centre. The BID is a new company that will be investing £4.2m over an initial 5 years to make Leicester an even better place to live, work and visit....

Get ready to take a trip to outer space this summer and mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing in Leicester. On 20 July 1969 the world watched in awe as the Apollo 11 mission sent the first humans to the moon. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this...

BID Leicester is partnering with Cool As Leicester to back their weekly newsletter, which goes out to subscribers with the latest news and events in the city every Thursday. BID Leicester’s sponsorship of the weekly newsletter will start in June and will see a weekly...

BID Leicester and Bring The Paint are launching a window dressing programme on vacant shopfronts in the city centre, with eight units to be given a make-over this weekend thanks to artists involved in the street art festival. The vacant units project is being...

BID Leicester is collaborating with Crowdfund Leicester and Spacehive to help fund business start-ups in Leicester city centre.The Business Improvement District has set aside £10,000 to contribute towards creative and innovative start-ups and new project ideas that...

As of 1 February 2019, BID Leicester is in the second year of its BID term. The Annual Levy-Payer Event gives our BID levy-payers the opportunity to hear from the team about the achievements of the BID in its first year and to look forward to an exciting year ahead....

BID Leicester is one year old! Happy birthday to us 😊 In our first year of operation we have delivered several initiatives to benefit businesses in the area and raise the profile of our city. Take a look at our first year in facts and figures… Click to...

Laughing is hungry work, that’s why Leicester Comedy Festival have teamed up with BID Leicester businesses to offer festival-goers great discounts on food and drink in the city for the duration of the festival. This new initiative for 2019 has been organised in...

We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Springboard to provide performance footfall, wi-fi monitoring and visitor intelligence services for Leicester City Centre. Springboard is to implement its blended performance monitoring solution which allows for footfall...

  Do you come into Leicester at night, or do you run a business that is open in the evening? We are gathering views of perceptions of Leicester after dark to help us plan future initiatives. Give us your views by completing our short survey by 30 October 2020 and...

BID Leicester is working with Incrementa to deliver free training to BID levy-paying businesses. The training sessions will help businesses to increase the skills and knowledge of employees in key areas, including digital marketing, customer service and sales....

Have you seen this year's Christmas in Leicester TV advert yet? BID Leicester have a commitment in our business plan to raise the profile of the city through high quality marketing, so this Christmas we set out to create a TV advert that would highlight the best of...

Cathedral Gardens will be bathed in light this December as a specially commissioned, enchanting light show takes centre stage. Christmas in the Gardens, taking place from Thursday 13 to Saturday 22 December, will see the beautiful public space in front of Leicester...

Late-night shopping in Leicester will be easier this Christmas thanks to extra Park & Ride services on Mondays to Saturdays throughout December, funded by Leicester’s Business Improvement District (BID). Monday to Saturday services will run between one and three...

 Our first newsletter has arrived! You can read a copy but clicking on the link below: BID_Newsletter_Summer18 All levy payers should have received a copy in the post, if you'd like an additional copy please drop us a line at [email protected]. We'd like the...

BID Leicester is recruiting to fill office positions and on-street roles in the BID team. If you're passionate about Leicester and want to be part of a team seeking to make a difference by enhancing the city centre offer then click on the links below to access the job...

BID Leicester is excited to announce it is partnering with LoyalFree! LoyalFree, which is entirely self-funded, is an innovative digital loyalty scheme which helps businesses attract new customers via a profile showcasing their offers, reviews, images and more. It...

BID Leicester Launch Event, Middletons Thursday 8th March 8.00 - 9.30am BID Leicester is holding a launch event hosted at Middletons, the iconic former NatWest bank on St Martins. Come and meet the BID Board and learn what BID Leicester will be delivering in its first...

BID Leicester has an exciting opening as we look to build the BID team which will deliver the initiatives in the Business Plan. If you have the experience and drive to lead the BID team we'd like to hear from you. Having the ability to think strategically, whilst...

Following the successful ballot result in November BID Leicester now has a new logo, designed by the lovely people at The Unloved! As you can see the logo incorporates the city identity, which is being used by many outward facing organisations to provide a consistent...

BID levy payers will have recently received a letter explaining the make-up of the interim BID Leicester Board. The existing steering group took the decision to establish an interim Board for the first year of BID to ensure there was a decision-making structure in...

THE RESULT IS IN... So after many months of events, surveys, workshops, visits, meetings and the 28 day ballot period, the result of the ballot for the Leicester city centre BID was declared on Friday 3rd November and we're pleased to report that the result...

After many months of consultation and engagement with city centre businesses the BID LEICESTER Business Plan was launched at Hotel Maiyango on Friday 15th September! The Business Plan will be sent to all businesses eligible to vote in the upcoming BID Leicester...

Friday 15th September 8.30 - 10am, Maiyango So, after extensive consultation with city centre businesses and many, many hours of work from the BIDLEICESTER Steering Group, we are proud to be launching the #BIDLEICESTER Business Plan. This document will set out how the...

MEMBERS OF THE BID LEICESTER STEERING GROUP ARE HOLDING AN INFORMAL MEETING FOR BUSINESSES IN THE EVENING/NIGHTTIME ECONOMY SECTOR Heard about BID Leicester but want to know more about how it will affect your business? This is an opportunity to meet members of the...

The Leicester Mercury have written an article following the distribution of the Final Consultation document. The article can be viewed here or in today's Business Daily section.

City centre businesses will soon be receiving the BID Final Consultation document. The document sets out information and priorities gathered over the last 12 months from potential BID levy paying businesses via the BID survey, face-to-face meetings and engagement...

Leicester Mercury Deputy Business Editor Lauren Mills was at the LBV-BID event on Friday 3rd March, you can read her article on the event here.   

This is the proposed map of the BID area as of January 2017. This isn't the finalised area and the steering group would welcome your feedback.