Hi, we’re Canalside.

Tucked by the canal just outside Leeds city centre, we’ve transformed a disused industrial site into something new - a rehearsal room, a venue, a studio, and a place where people come together to create, connect, and collaborate.

We’re a grassroots organisation run as a Community Interest Company (CIC); non-profit, no shareholders, no corporate gloss. Just a team of artists, organisers, and music lovers working to keep things affordable, accessible, and locally rooted.

This is just the beginning. Read on to learn how we got here, what drives us, and where we’re heading next.

How We Formed

In 2019, Boom Leeds, a grassroots music venue based in a Victorian mill on Millwright Street, was informed that its landlord planned to redevelop its location into flats and commercial units. The building had long been a creative hub, home to artists, musicians, and independent businesses. In late 2024, Boom received official notice to vacate within six months.

What followed was a remarkable collective effort. Through community action, volunteer dedication, and relentless fundraising, the team behind Boom turned a moment of uncertainty into a powerful opportunity. The result: Canalside Community Music Space at 5 Canal Place, Armley Road.

Now operating as a Community Interest Company, Canalside CIC offers a bigger and bolder home - not just for Boom, but for a new wave of music, creativity, education, and connection in Leeds.

Our Mission

To create a welcoming, inclusive space where music, creativity and community can thrive.

We support emerging artists, celebrate DIY culture, and make space for everyone.

Our Values

  • Music brings people together

  • DIY is powerful

  • Everyone deserves a space to create

  • Leeds and the UK music scene needs more places like this

How We Work

Powered by artists. Led by community. Always up for a chat.

Canalside is a not-for-profit community music space where every penny goes straight back into making things better - for artists, for locals, and for everyone who walks through the doors. We invest in better kit, accessible facilities, free and low-cost workshops, fair artist pay, and proper grassroots programming.

We’re proudly community-led, guided by a Committee of local artists, neighbours and regulars who help shape what we do and keep us honest.

It’s a space made with and for the people who use it.