Leeds United, Red Bull Launch New Kit in New York 2026

Key Points

• Leeds United Football Club and Red Bull partnered with agency Run Deep to launch The New Yorkshire Café, a one-day pop-up in Brooklyn, New York, to mark the release of the club’s 2026/27 home kit during its US pre-season tour.
• The activation took over Socceria, a sports bar in Brooklyn, transforming it into a hybrid of a New York sports bar and a traditional British café, serving British-American fusion dishes.
• Leeds United legends Tony Dorigo, Michael Bridges, Jermaine Beckford and Lucas Radebe served food at the event, which also featured a live DJ set and a Q&A hosted by content creator Khendrick Beausoleil.
• Current Leeds United players attended, including New Jersey native and USA World Cup team member Brenden Aaronson, who appeared in social media content supporting the campaign.
• Robbie Evans, Leeds United managing director, said the club was “delighted with the success of our pre-season tour to the US so far” and praised the “New York x Yorkshire inspired event”.
• The new 2026/27 home kit, made by adidas with Red Bull as principal partner, features horizontal blue and yellow pinstripes on a white base and commemorates 400 years since the signing of the Leeds Town Charter.
• The kit goes on sale from 8am on Tuesday 28 July online and in Leeds United retail stores, as well as selected JD stores.
• The activation draws on the historical connection between York in the UK and New York, using shared cultural traits to blend British and American football culture.

Leeds (The Leeds Times) July 29, 2026 – Leeds United Football Club and Red Bull have teamed up with experiential agency Run Deep to stage The New Yorkshire Café, a one-day pop-up activation in Brooklyn, New York, designed to launch the club’s 2026/27 home kit during its pre-season tour of the United States. The event, held at Socceria sports bar, fused British café culture with New York’s sports bar scene, offering British-American fusion dishes served by club legends and appearances by current squad members, including US international Brenden Aaronson.

What was the New Yorkshire Café activation?

The New Yorkshire Café was a one-day experiential pop-up created by Leeds United and Red Bull, with support from agency Run Deep, to mark the unveiling of the Whites’ 2026/27 home jersey while the team is on its US pre-season tour.

As reported by Ads of the World, the activation was conceived as an attempt to “return New Yorkers to their roots” by highlighting the historical link between York in the UK and New York City, and to create an experience that blends British and American football culture.

The pop-up took over Socceria, described in campaign materials as

“Brooklyn’s hottest new sports bar from the Taqueria Ramirez team”,

and transformed the venue into a hybrid space combining the aesthetics of a New York sports bar with those of a traditional British café. According to campaign details, the event was supported by social media content and aimed to plug into Brooklyn’s “authentic football scene”.

Who attended the New Yorkshire Café event?

Leeds United legends Tony Dorigo, Michael Bridges, Jermaine Beckford and Lucas Radebe were present at the activation, serving British-American fusion plates to guests.

The event also featured a live DJ set and a question-and-answer session hosted by content creator and presenter Khendrick Beausoleil, as outlined in campaign coverage by Ads of the World.

Current Leeds United players also attended, with particular focus on New Jersey native and USA World Cup team member Brenden Aaronson, who appeared on site and featured in social media content supporting the campaign.

Aaronson, a midfielder who grew up in Medford, New Jersey, has been named in the US Men’s National Team squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and plays for Leeds United in the Premier League.

What did Leeds United management say about the activation?

Robbie Evans, Leeds United managing director, provided official commentary on the activation and the wider US tour. As reported in campaign materials, Evans said:

“We are delighted with the success of our pre-season tour to the US so far. To have the full squad together to help celebrate our new home kit has been brilliant.”

Evans continued:

“We had all of the players in the new jersey at a special New York x Yorkshire inspired event, which saw us turn Socceria in the heart of Brooklyn into the New Yorkshire Cafe. The support we’ve seen out here in the US hasn’t surprised me or anyone who knows how well loved this club is the world over, and we look forward to seeing even more of the global Leeds United family on Thursday at the Sports Illustrated Stadium for our next match against Sunderland as our preparations for the Premier League continue.”

The reference to Sports Illustrated Stadium relates to Leeds United’s pre-season friendly against Sunderland AFC, scheduled for Thursday 30 July at the New York Red Bulls’ home ground in New Jersey, as part of the club’s three-match US leg.

How does the activation link York and New York?

The New Yorkshire Café activation is built around the historical connection between York in the UK and New York City. Campaign materials note that New York is named after the UK’s Duke of York, binding New Yorkers and those from Leeds together through history.

This shared heritage is used as a narrative device to create an experience that blends British and American football culture, with the pop-up designed to remind US football fans “what connects these iconic cities, separated by the Atlantic”.

By transforming a Brooklyn sports bar into a British-style café, the activation seeks to create a tangible expression of this transatlantic link, using food, music and football culture to bridge the two locations.

What is special about the 2026/27 home kit?

The 2026/27 home kit, unveiled by Leeds United in collaboration with adidas, marks a notable departure in the club’s design history.

As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post and other outlets, the shirt features horizontal blue and yellow pinstripes on a white base, described by the club as a “contemporary” and “modern design”.leedsunited+4

According to the club’s official statement, the kit is

“inspired by the club’s iconic white, yellow and blue colours” and

“celebrates 400 years since the signing of the Leeds Town Charter, honouring the city’s rich history while looking ahead to an exciting new Premier League campaign”.

The design draws inspiration from the club’s archives, reimagining one of its most recognisable colour palettes through horizontal stripes, a feature reported as the first time in the club’s history that a home kit will carry such a pattern.

The adult and women’s shirts feature Red Bull as principal partner, continuing the multi-year agreement announced in 2024 under which Red Bull serves as the front-of-shirt sponsor and holds a minority ownership stake in the club.

The kit is crafted with adidas CLIMACOOL technology, designed to help keep players and supporters cool, dry and comfortable.

When and where can fans buy the new kit?

Leeds United has confirmed that the 2026/27 home kit will be available from 8am on Tuesday 28 July. Purchases can be made online via shop.leedsunited.com and adidas, as well as in all Leeds United retail stores and selected JD stores.

The timing coincides with the club’s US pre-season tour and the New York activation, aligning the kit launch with heightened international visibility.

What other events are part of Leeds United’s US tour?

The New Yorkshire Café is one of several fan-facing activities tied to Leeds United’s 2026 US pre-season tour. The club has announced supporter events in Tampa and New York, including a dedicated gathering at Legends NYC on 30 July featuring a live Q&A with Leeds United legends.

The tour itself comprises three matches in the United States: against Wrexham in Tampa on 25 July, Sunderland in New Jersey on 30 July, and Liverpool in Chicago on 2 August, before the squad returns to Europe for additional friendlies.

Throughout the US leg, the club has indicated that “several fan activations and activities” would take place, with details released in advance of the tour.

The New Yorkshire Café represents the most prominent of these activations to date, combining kit promotion, player appearances and community engagement in a single experiential event.