Union Chapel Announces Head Of Commercial/Programming & Tech Transformation Ahead Of 150th Anniversary Year

London’s Union Chapel, coming fresh off being named London’s Best Music Venue by Time Out Magazine, has appointed Leon Cole as its new Head of Commercial and Programming, succeeding Brett Pracownik in steering music and arts at the much-loved Islington venue into its 150th anniversary year.

Cole, having been a self-employed event producer, production/venue manager and consultant for most of his career, has worked with Union Chapel in the past.

Before that, he started out at grassroots venue The Cellar in Oxford, England, in 2000, before going on to be programmer at University of Bristol’s Anson Rooms. He has since worked across event management and curation for everyone from grassroots venues to major events such as Glastonbury. He is the founding director of acclaimed music festival Field Maneuvers, which he has run for the past fifteen years.

Cole said his new role allowed him to “bring together both my commercial and programming expertise in one place. The venue is in a great position commercially, and the programming under Brett Pracownik was amazing. My job now is to fine-tune the commercial side to future-proof the venue, broadening the program a little further, making sure we’re appealing to an audience which is as diverse as the amazing city in which we operate.”

Kathryn Dixon, Interim MD at Union Chapel, commented, “I am delighted to welcome Leon to such a key role with the organization. With impressive credentials in venue management and music programming, Leon is the perfect person to lead Union Chapel into a new era of live event curation, with a renewed focus on artistic variety, client service and financial sustainability.

“Our program not only thrills audiences but also funds our vital work in heritage restoration and community engagement. With our recent investment in state-of-the-art sound and lighting and our 150th anniversary approaching, it is a very exciting time for Union Chapel, and we look forward to sharing this with our audiences and supporters in many different ways.”

Union Chapel’s recent recognition as London’s Best Music Venue in 2026 by Time Out came as a reward for a team that’s been working hard on rebuilding the 900-capacity venue former standing, ever since it had to shut its doors during the COVID lockdowns.

“Every artist who sees the space falls in love with it immediately,” said Cole, “Union Chapel is one of the few buildings of its era built specifically for music performance, designed for acoustics. All credit goes to our team stewards and security too, for making sure every visitor has an amazing experience. It’s one of the best and most dedicated teams in London.”

Cole takes up the role at a particularly defining moment for Union Chapel, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2027. Plans are already well underway for a year of celebration, including headline-grabbing concerts from artists who have supported the venue over the years.

See: Union Chapel London Preps For 150th Anniversary With New Leadership

In light of the occasion, Union Chapel made significant technical investments, including the installation of two new DiGiCo Quantum 326 mixing consoles, a new flown L-Acoustics line array system in the balcony, and new L-Acoustics LA12X CE amplifiers – placing the historic building among the most technically advanced live music venues in London.

A full lighting overhaul, delivered in partnership with Stage Electrics, will see the venue move to a fully LED system incorporating Martin and Chauvet intelligent fixtures, reducing energy consumption while enhancing the visual experience for audiences and artists alike.

New architectural LED fixtures installed behind the chapel’s celebrated rose window will illuminate one of the venue’s most distinctive architectural features, creating a striking backdrop for performances.

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