O2 Academy Leeds
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Contact Details:

55 Cookridge Street, Leeds, LS2 3AW
08444772000
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  • Accessibility & Facilities

    • Accessible car parking
    • Accessible toilet
    • Toilets
    • Wheelchair accessible

O2 Academy Leeds

O2 Academy Leeds inhabits one of the city’s most historic venues. The Grade I listed building opened as the Coliseum in 1885 as a concert hall and then a theatre, hosting everything from variety shows to political meetings and religious gatherings and even a circus. After a long stint as a successful cinema and then a bingo hall and social club, the building became the legendary Town and Country Club in 1992 with acts including Blur, INXS, Primal Scream, Suede and The Stone Roses all playing here. At the turn of the millennium it was sadly the end of an era for the Town and Country Club, and following a refurbishment, it entered a new phase as Creation, a night club, between 2001 and 2004.

The doors reopened in 2008 and the venue introduced itself to the city with a sell-out show from Kaiser Chiefs and DJ set in the Underground from Utah Saints. The monumental launch night was just the start and an exceptional list of acts followed the Kaiser Chiefs onto the stage with gigs from Foals, Last Shadow Puppets, Spiritualized and Elbow in the first month. O2 Academy Leeds continued to raise the bar with live shows from Biffy Clyro, The Killers, Kasabian, Courteeners, Hot Chip and Slash and has also built a reputation for club events, bringing international DJs Fatboy Slim and Deadmau5 to the stage and building residency Projekt into the biggest weekly event in the city.

1885
The building officially opened on 15 July as the Coliseum, unveiled by the Prince and Princess of Wales. It is one of the city’s most historic venues
2008
Kaiser Chiefs headline the launch night and play to an ecstatic sold out crowd. The local heroes capture the spirit of the Leeds live music scene
2009
The Centre Stage final makes its debut here. Local judges who have included members of Embrace and The Cribs, have propelled unsigned acts to Reading and Leeds Festival stages
2012
Robbie Williams plays here as part of a mini-tour that saw the Take That member return to venues he’d played on his outing as a solo artist 15 years earlier
2013
During the Live At Leeds festival we break the record for the most people through our doors in a day. 9,000 people came to shows as part of the event
2015
The War on Drugs, CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers, Ryan Adams, Rival Sons, Oliver Heldens, Kodaline, Hozier, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic all play