Take a first look inside Leeds’ major new revamped music venue TESTBED

Leeds’ major new revamped music venue TESTBED is set to reopen next month after a major overhaul. Founders Laura Wellington and James Abbott-Donnelly have overseen the project which sees the venue expanding from 10,000 square feet to 23,000 square feet with an overall crowd capacity of 2,500. Guests entering through the new lobby will find a brand-new 5,000 square feet mezzanine level, an upstairs bar and a balcony view overlooking the main dance floor. Downstairs, a custom-built stage allows for an immersive 360-degree crowd setup around the DJ booth, with plans already underway for a Room 2 reveal in 2027. It will also be the “only venue in Leeds equipped with a custom-built L-Acoustics L2 system for festival-grade audio clarity” along with a huge 8m x 4m high-res LED video wall, and a custom LED ceiling display. You can take a first look inside the venue below. Temporary portaloos have also been permanently removed, replaced by four brand-new, custom-designed toilet blocks that double previous capacity. In addition, a high-capacity ventilation and air circulation system has been fitted throughout the industrial warehouse space. Since opening in 2021, TESTBED has “carved out a re...