Hasbro Brings Giant Trivial Pursuit Game to Leeds 2026

Key Points

• Massive Live Board Game: Leeds Business Improvement District (LeedsBID) has partnered with global toy and entertainment company Hasbro to convert Leeds city centre into a giant, interactive version of Trivial Pursuit.
• 400-Year Charter Celebration: The five-week event runs from 25 July to 30 August 2026, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its royal charter in 1626.
• Six Iconic Locations: Six downtown landmarks represent the classic trivia categories: Trinity Leeds (Entertainment), Victoria Gate (Science & Nature), Wellington Place (Geography), Royal Armouries (History), Merrion Centre (Sports & Leisure), and Leeds Corn Exchange (Art & Literature).
• Central Hub & Prizes: Brodrick Hall inside Leeds City Museum acts as the central hub where players who collect all six category wedges answer a final question for weekly prize draws.
• Star-Studded Digital Hosts: High-profile personalities with Leeds connections, including Alex Zane, Ruth Goodman, Daniel Norcross, and Angela Griffin, feature digitally across the trial.
• Free Public Access: The interactive city trail is completely free to enter and offers classic and junior questions suitable for all age groups.

Leeds (The Leeds Times) July 24, 2026 – Leeds city centre has officially been transformed into a sprawling, real-world version of Hasbro’s classic Trivial Pursuit board game to commemorate four centuries of civic history. Organised by LeedsBID in collaboration with Hasbro, the five-week interactive trail allows residents and visitors to explore the city’s rich heritage, culture, and achievements through an expansive street-level quiz format running through 30 August 2026. Participants navigate six distinct category zones positioned across major commercial and cultural hubs, collecting physical wedge stickers before attempting a final central challenge at Leeds City Museum.

Why did Hasbro choose Leeds for its live board game experience?

As reported in Welcome to Leeds coverage, the decision to select Leeds stems from both its rich history and the precedent set by prior large-scale civic activations. Following the success of the MONOPOLY Leeds Takeover staged in the summer of 2024, LeedsBID re-partnered with Hasbro to design a bespoke experience centered around the city’s 400th charter anniversary.

The event highlights historical milestones and national contributions originating from the region, ranging from the founding of retail giant Marks & Spencer to Joseph Priestley’s 1767 invention of carbonated water in a Leeds brewery.

The activation incorporates six physical category locations across the city centre, mapping directly to the board game’s signature categories:

• Trinity Leeds: Host location for Entertainment.
• Victoria Gate: Host location for Science & Nature.
• Wellington Place: Host location for Geography.
• Royal Armouries: Host location for History.
• Merrion Centre: Host location for Sports & Leisure.
• Leeds Corn Exchange: Host location for Art & Literature.

In addition, Leeds Libraries staff are providing hands-on access to Special Collections at selected hubs. These displays showcase historical artifacts including pioneering engineering plans, botanical paintings, suffrage movement documents, Civil War archives, and the earliest known written mention of football in Leeds.

How does the interactive Trivial Pursuit trail work across Leeds city centre?

According to reporting published by Welcome to Leeds, players begin by picking up an official game card from any of the six primary category sites during operating hours (10:00 to 16:00 Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 to 16:00 on Sundays). Each site presents participants with classic or junior-level questions.

Players are permitted two attempts per location to answer correctly and claim the corresponding colored wedge sticker for their game card.

Upon successfully collecting all six wedges, participants proceed to the central hub situated in Brodrick Hall at Leeds City Museum. Operating from 11:00 to 17:00 daily, the hub requires players to answer a seventh randomized final question to receive a final sticker and gain entry into weekly prize draws.

As detailed by Welcome to Leeds, prize incentives provided throughout the five-week run include:

• Cinema passes for Everyman Cinema and Funstation vouchers.
• Overnight luxury stays at The Met Hotel.
• Restaurant and retail vouchers for Trinity Leeds, Blu Pavilion, Blu Sakura, Holland & Barrett, and Uyare by Tharavadu.
• Family entertainment passes including Tenpin bowling and theatre tickets for Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical.
• Daily bonus questions hosted by local personalities offering a chance to win £500 travel vouchers courtesy of Hays Travel.

Which local celebrities and iconic locations are featured in the event?

As reported by Welcome to Leeds, a wide roster of prominent figures connected to Leeds appear digitally throughout the city trail to present trivia and historical narratives.

Presenter and podcaster Alex Zane anchors the Entertainment category. As reported in Welcome to Leeds coverage, Alex Zane stated that

“it was a privilege to come home and tell the story of Roundhay’s musical heritage, from Madonna to Robbie Williams to Lewis Capaldi, in such a landmark year for the city”.

Historian Ruth Goodman hosts the History category, while cricket commentator Daniel Norcross leads Sports & Leisure.

Additional digital appearances featured in daily questions include actors Bob Cryer, Jeremy Dyson, Angela Griffin, Jim Moir, and Kate O’Toole; broadcaster John Craven; Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey; Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald; rugby league figure Julia Lee; snooker player Oliver Lines; and squash champion James Willstrop.

As reported by The Hoot Leeds, actor Angela Griffin stated that

“LeedsBID have come up with a fun and engaging way to introduce visitors to the Leeds story through Trivial Pursuit, and I was happy to play a part in some of this trivia this summer, which is a real honour as a Loiner”.

As reported by Welcome to Leeds, Principal Keeper at Leeds City Museum Sara Merritt stated that the museum team was excited to host the central hub in Brodrick Hall as part of the Leeds400 celebrations, describing the initiative as a way

“to celebrate knowledge, curiosity and everything that makes Leeds Leeds”.

Furthermore, as covered by The Hoot Leeds regarding the economic landscape surrounding city activations, Chief Executive Officer of North Star Coffee Roasters Holly Kragiopoulos stated that

“while it’s easy to focus on the challenges facing hospitality, we still believe deeply in the role that cafés play in our city’s community,”

adding that

“as a Leeds-born business, we’re incredibly proud to continue investing in our city”.

What is the background behind this major Leeds development?

The live Trivial Pursuit activation forms part of the broader “Leeds400” civic commemoration. In 1626, King Charles I granted Leeds its royal charter, officially establishing the town as a municipal borough and formalizing its governance structure.

Over the subsequent four centuries, Leeds transitioned from a regional wool trading center into a major industrial power during the Industrial Revolution, eventually evolving into the UK’s largest financial and legal services center outside London.

LeedsBID (Leeds Business Improvement District) was established to enhance the commercial vitality, footfall, and cultural profile of Leeds city centre. In summer 2024, LeedsBID introduced its initial large-scale board game adaptation with the “MONOPOLY Leeds Takeover”.

That event demonstrated high footfall generation across retail centers and cultural venues, establishing a framework for public-private collaboration with global IP owner Hasbro.

The 2026 Trivial Pursuit installation was specifically commissioned to align intellectual property entertainment with civic heritage education during the 400th charter anniversary.

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How will this landmark development affect residents, businesses, and visitors in Leeds?

The implementation of the city-wide Trivial Pursuit trail delivers direct measurable impacts across three primary stakeholder groups:

By distributing six category stations across major commercial sectors—including Trinity Leeds, Victoria Gate, Wellington Place, the Merrion Centre, and the Corn Exchange—the initiative drives footfall throughout the city centre.

Increased pedestrian traffic directly benefits surrounding retail, food, and hospitality vendors during the peak summer trading period. The inclusion of local prize sponsors further integrates commercial businesses into the civic campaign.

The completely free, multi-generational structure offers accessible summer holiday activity for local families. By featuring both classic and junior trivia formats, the trail provides educational engagement regarding local history, encouraging civic pride and historical awareness among younger demographics.

The event positions Leeds as a key destination for regional cultural tourism during August 2026. By integrating major cultural institutions such as the Royal Armouries and Leeds City Museum into the game loop, the activation encourages visitors to explore cultural sites they might not otherwise visit, extending dwell time within the city centre.