AMAAD Adds To Venue Portfolio In Leeds, UK

Promoter and venue operator AMAAD (A Man About A Dog) has partners with Testbed founders James Abbott-Donnelly and Laura Wellington, to implement their long-term vision for a Leeds warehouse venue.

AMAAD (A Man About A Dog), the promoter behind Junction 2 Festival, The BRIDGE series, and LWE, will provide investment and wide-ranging support, as part of a complete rebuild and overhaul of the building.

Testbed will join the AMAAD venue portfolio, which includes Quarters in Brighton and The Prospect Building in Bristol.

The press announcement said, “AMAAD will invest significantly in the versatile Butterly Street site,” without disclosing figures.

The rebuild will deliver permanent improvements to infrastructure, including a custom-built L’Acoustics sound system; high-quality lighting, as well as customer and back-of-house facilities, with an upgraded layout to reduce noise for nearby residents.

The building will be closed while being overhauled, and reopen to the public in September 2026.

Testbed founders James Abbott-Donnelly and Laura Wellington will continue to operate the venue, as they implement their long-term vision for what is being described as “Testbed 2.0, a quality, central hub for music and culture in Leeds.”

Opened in 2021 on Leeds Southbank, Testbed quickly established itself as a unique multipurpose space. With 10,000 square feet of industrial space and a capacity of 2,500, it is a recognized electronic music venue in England’s North East.

The building will also host live shows going forward, turning into a 1,500-capacity fully standing venue, occupying a significant gap in the local market and aligning with similar-sized venues on the touring circuit in other major territories.

Testbed 2.0 continues to work with Leeds-based electronic music promoters Arrival on its program, a partnership that has been bringing local and international talent to the city, including Chris Stussy, Sammy Virji, Kevin Saunderson, Camelphat, East End Dubs, Sub Focus, Max Dean, Hybrid Minds, and ALISHA.

AMAAD will also expand its existing partnership with live music programmer Ghostwriter to establish Testbed as a location for Leeds’ live music scene. Ghostwriter has worked with both national and local promoters to deliver the likes of Little Simz, Yungblud, Last Dinner Party, Fatboy Slim, Geese, Biffy Clyro, and Mac DeMarco to The Prospect Building, and Everything Everything, The Sherlocks, and The Callous Daoboys to Quarters.

AMAAD has successfully prioritised building long-term partnerships with local creative collectives, independent promoters, and charities at its venues, and has created youth apprenticeship schemes and cultural spaces to connect.

Testbed will continue to strengthen its key local partnerships, including the provision of a home for community radio station, alto radio, which broadcasts from its base inside the venue.

AMAAD’s turned the aforementioned The Prospect building into Bristol’s leading music venue within 18 months, and aims to do the same with Testbed.

Comments:

AMAAD founders Paul Jack and Will Harold, “We’re excited to be partnering with James and Laura. Their long-term vision for TESTBED aligns with our shared vision for building essential cultural spaces that engage with local communities. TESTBED and its founders are a natural fit with our team, partners, and ethos, as we continue to expand the AMAAD venues portfolio. We’re pleased to invest in its future, and in Leeds, as it continues to grow as a vibrant cultural centre in the North.”

Testbed founders James Abbott-Donnelly and Laura Wellington, “This partnership with AMAAD marks a new chapter for TESTBED. It gives us the backing to take what we’ve built and push it further – without losing what matters. From the start, this was never about just another venue, but about creating a space that truly holds people, where experience, culture and care come first. This allows us to achieve those goals. We’re still hands-on and committed to those values, now with the opportunity to build something bigger for Leeds and beyond.”

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