Thackray Lates: Grave Expectations - Gothic Fiction Unmasked

Thackray Museum of Medicine is hosting another one of its after-hours nights, Thackray Lates: Grave Expectations - Gothic Fiction Unmasked, on Thursday 29 October. It's part of their 18+ series for adventurous minds and culture-seekers, where each night takes a different theme and brings together live performances, immersive experiences and special guests. This one leans into the season, pitched around Hallowe'en, and asks what tales of mystery and the macabre can tell us about the history of health, and what happens when science oversteps its limits.

They're encouraging people to turn up dressed as a gothic character, so it's a good excuse to dig out something dramatic. The night is built around talks from expert speakers, close-up anatomy demonstrations, creepy crafts and tarot readings, with a live DJ set running alongside. There's a bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks all night, and the whole thing is strictly for over-18s.

The setting fits the theme. The museum opened in 1997 in a former Leeds Union Workhouse building at 141 Beckett Street, LS9 7LN, right next to St James's University Hospital. It's a Grade II listed Gothic Victorian structure, and after a redevelopment in 2021, it was a finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year and shortlisted for European Museum of the Year. If you've never been inside, it's worth seeing the building itself, let alone what's on inside. It's a bit of a trek from the city centre, but it's a proper piece of Leeds history.

So, if you fancy a night of gothic fiction and medical curiosities, it's Thursday 29 October at the Thackray Museum of Medicine, 141 Beckett Street, LS9 7LN. It's an 18+ event, and they're suggesting you come dressed as a gothic character.