The Farsley venue at Sunny Bank Mills expects 20,000 people through its doors for a season of live music, comedy and literature.
Taking the empty 1830’s mill building and turning it into a true Leeds DIY success story, Trouble At Mill, the team behind the popular venue, is celebrating their 10th anniversary.
Quietly having become one of the region’s most popular and thriving live venues since its opening in 2021, throughout the remainder of the year Old Woollen will be welcoming a diverse array of acts, including Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble, ‘80s icon Martin Kemp, Ben Ottewell of beloved indie rock band Gomez, guitarist Ariel Posen, Canadian rock legends Crash Test Dummies, Irish songwriter Gemma Hayes and contemporary folk legend Martin Simpson.
Increasingly renowned as an unmissable stop on the UK stand-up circuit, Old Woollen will be playing host to Phoenix Nights’ Clinton Baptiste for a massive five-night Christmas Psychic residency as well as shows from the likes of Britain’s Got Talent finalist Daliso Chaponda, BBC Radio 4 satirist-in-chief Mitch Benn and rising stars such as Marcel Lucont, Eleanor Conway and junior doctor turned stand up comic Ed Patrick.
As part of the multi-million pound Sunny Bank Mills development, The Old Woollen has become a vital cultural and social hub for the Farsley community and will be also housing Farsley Lit Fest featuring best-selling author Ian Rankin and stand up and writer Shaparak Khorsandi as well as the Oktoberfest Weekender and 2024’s edition of their sell-out festive singalong, Beer and Carols.
Built in the 1830’s, Sunny Bank Mill quickly established a reputation for producing some of the finest worsted cloth in the world and only fully stopped production in 2008, 180 years later. Having been such an integral part of the local heritage and identity, the decision was made in 2010 to redevelop the mill into space for creative businesses, with the vision of reclaiming its status as the biggest centre for employment in Farsley, a now thriving suburb which was recently named by The Sunday Times as one of the UK’s best places to live.
Situated at the very heart of the community with evidence of the building’s industrial past proudly on display, local promoters Trouble At Mill hope that Leeds’ hidden gem The Old Woollen will continue to reignite a camaraderie and creative spirit in the region akin to that of the iconic Batley Variety Club, the ‘Las Vegas of the North’.
Dick Bonham – Co-director, Trouble at Mill Events: “We’re incredibly proud of our autumn/winter season. It’s by far the biggest we’ve ever put together, and we can’t wait to share it with the people of Leeds and beyond. We’ve scoured the country for our favourite acts, and there really is something for everyone – from the big names of music and comedy, to unexpected discoveries that you’ll want to tell your friends about. Tickets are already flying out, so don’t delay in getting booked in!”
Full listings and tickets can be found here.
Main image: Ben Ottewell.
