Leeds venue Boom has confirmed it is “being forced to close its doors” at the end of March 2025.
The venue said in a post on Instagram that its landlord has decided to terminate its lease to start work developing the building into flats and shops.
In an extended statement posted to Substack, the venue said: “Our community has always had our back and we would like to extend our thanks to everyone that has been part of the history of Boom. The support our venue has received from friends, fans, bands and individuals across the globe over the years has always been noticed and we’re so grateful.
“Boom has managed to promote a programme of international, local and regional artists we genuinely love in our way, in a space we’ve built from scratch. If you’ve ever been to a gig hosted by Boom – you know it’s a lot of fun. Our venue has raised thousands of pounds for charities and local causes and we’ve hosted hundreds of gigs, parties, weddings and life celebrations for our community.”
They continued: “We’ve been presented with situation after situation in recent years where stepping back and closing Boom would be the easy choice. But we’ve always made a fight out of it, lost a lot in the process – but we’ve made it through and continued a venue dedicated to alternative music. Unfortunately our final battle to stay at Millwright Street can’t be won. Boom must now admit defeat and close at the end of March 2025.”
They added that they are currently sending out invites for bands to play the venue one last time before they close, while also confirming that The Flex – who used Boom as a practice space in its early days – will play their final show.
The team behind Boom will open a new venue next year. “Our new space is established as a community interest company. Our plan for the new space includes a live music venue, bar, community space, rehearsal and creative studios – a non-profit – serving the community,” the team said.
“We will also be setting up a formal education arm to the venue, supporting people into the live music and media industry with live sound and lighting.”
A cornerstone of the vibrant Leeds hardcore scene, Boom has come under numerous threats in the last few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic – during which it was placed on the Music Venue Trust’s ‘red list’ of venues most at risk of closure – as well as increased costs, the cost of living crisis and changes in the music industry.
In January, numerous hardcore bands from around the area and beyond came together for a two-day ‘Save Our Home’ gig to raise money to keep Boom afloat. NME spoke to several of these bands, including Static Dress, Higher Power and Pest Control about what the venue means to them.
“To me and many others, Boom is a second home,” said Static Dress frontman Olli Appleyard. “It’s a home of so much culture and not just one specific genre either – punk, metal, hardcore, grindcore – all the stuff which wouldn’t normally have a place. It’s a place which allows international artists to come through and play shows, and it allows a safe place for all these things to exist.”
“If people didn’t get to experience Boom,” said Higher Power guitarist Max Harper, “it would be very, very sad. Leeds would definitely not have the scene that it has without Boom – maybe the desire for other people to travel to Leeds for shows wouldn’t be there as much. There are other small venues too, but Boom has been the constant and the foundation, and probably the inspiration for people because it’s a very encouraging space.”
Pest Control frontwoman Leah Massey-Hay added: “The first couple of times going to Boom, I felt like I’d found my niche. It provided a space and a social life for people like me who at the time didn’t have a lot else going on.”
Massey-Hay reiterated the venue’s importance during another recent interview with NME. “Without places like Boom, the scene wouldn’t be as great as it is, but if anything was to happen to Boom – fingers crossed it doesn’t – there’ll be enough people willing to put the work in to make another version of that. I think that’s what makes it so great.”
Boom’s closure comes amid news that the UK touring circuit was said to be facing “complete collapse” without urgent help in the wake of the recent budget news and the industry at large failing to respond while 2023 proved to be “disastrous” and the worst year on record with 125 grassroots music venues shutting their doors.