Last Friday before Christmas · 6pm till late
Mad Friday is the last Friday before Christmas — the night the town goes out at once. At The Nelson Arms the DJs start at 6pm and play funk, soul, disco, house, Motown and Northern soul till late, in a pub with no screens and no queue for the door.
18 Dec
Friday · Mad Friday · 6pm till late
Mad Friday is the last Friday before Christmas Day, when half the town finishes work for the year and goes straight to the pub. The Nelson Arms is on Victoria Road, five minutes from the town hall — close enough that nobody needs to plan a taxi at 5pm and hope.
Out with the team? Tell us about your group beforehand — the same goes for ward parties and club nights out.
What Mad Friday actually is
The name comes from the same thing every year: offices break up, crews finish their last shift, and everyone who has been meaning to go for a pint all December picks the same night. The result is a Friday in Morley that behaves like New Year’s Eve but arrives a fortnight earlier.
That’s the reason for the DJs. From 6pm the set runs through funk, soul, disco, house, Motown and Northern soul — records chosen for a room that’s already in a good mood.
Why The Nelly on Mad Friday
A village pub on Victoria Road rather than a city-centre venue. Five minutes from the town hall, and five minutes back again at the end of it.
No TVs and no sports screens anywhere in the building — when the DJs are on, the night is the music and the people you came with.
600 m² outdoors with seats for 100+. A crowded front room is not the only option on the busiest night of the winter.
Coming as a group
Mad Friday at The Nelly is mostly groups: people leaving work together, or families who have been going out on the same Friday for years. There’s no hire charge for a small private function, and we’d rather know you’re coming than find out at the door.
Check our Facebook page (opens in new tab) for what’s confirmed for the night.
Getting here and back
Coming from Churwell, Gildersome, Tingley, Drighlington, Batley, Pudsey, Beeston or Leeds city centre, The Nelly is on Victoria Road in the middle of Morley — the same walk as any other Friday, on the busiest one of the year.
On Mad Friday every pub in Morley is full at the same time and the last buses go earlier than you think. Sort the ride home before the first drink.
Mad Friday is the last Friday before Christmas. At The Nelson Arms in Morley, DJs play funk, soul, disco, house, Motown and Northern soul from 6pm till late.
Funk, soul, disco, house, Motown and Northern soul on our New Year’s Eve and Mad Friday nights, plus all-vinyl sets of Northern soul, Motown, funk, soul and nu-disco on the last Saturday of every month.
Mad Friday is the last Friday before Christmas, which is Friday, 18 December 2026. The DJs start at 6pm and play till late.
The music starts at 6pm and runs till late, so you can come straight from work and stay for the night.
We do not take table bookings for regular drinking — walk-ins are always welcome. If you are bringing a group, tell us beforehand through our functions page so we know to expect you.
Also on: New Year’s Eve, vinyl DJ nights, the Wednesday quiz and everything on this month.
84 Victoria Road, Morley, Leeds LS27 8LS
No booking needed — walk in and order at the bar. Free on-site car park with around 12 spaces, plus free on-street parking on Victoria Road.
| Monday | 4pm–11pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 4pm–11pm |
| Wednesday | 4pm–11pm |
| Thursday | 4pm–11pm |
| Friday | 2pm–11:30pm |
| Saturday | 12pm–midnight |
| Sunday | 12pm–10:30pm |
| Bank holidays | 12pm–10:30pm |
