The first chapter of Canalside was all about putting the work in – physically, financially, and collectively – to open the building safely and lay the groundwork for the gigs, rehearsals, recording studio, workshops, and everything still to come.

With the help of countless volunteers, months of fundraising, and a whole lot of work, we transformed a disused space into a functioning home for grassroots music. We knocked down walls, rewired lights, installed fire exits, sorted plumbing, cleaned every surface, and made sure everything met safety and accessibility standards – because the people who use the space deserve nothing less.

Behind the scenes, we also set up our base of operations, building out the network, moving in kit, writing policies, setting up insurances, everything we needed to run a proper space with community at its heart.

From the start, our focus was on replicating what made the original Boom special: a safe, inclusive music venue for people who care.

So far we’ve opened the following facilities at Canalside:

• 200 capacity venue (Boom Leeds)

• 400 capacity venue

• Two hourly rehearsal rooms

• 6 permanent rehearsal rooms

• A community recording studio

• Accessible bathroom & public toilet facilities

• Conference/meeting/events space

• A functional office & learning space