LDC Top 50 2025
Lee Brooks
Co-Founder and CEO
Production Park
From Beyoncé to Coldplay, Production Park is where the world’s biggest artists come to play. The company was co-founded by Lee Brooks in 2015 on four acres of land in South Kirkby: “Film had Pinewood Studios. TV had MediaCity.
We wanted to build a home for live entertainment in West Yorkshire,” he says. With revenues set to hit £30 million this year, Production Park now spans 25 acres, with production studios, rehearsal space, manufacturing, an R&D centre and the Academy of Live Technology to train up the next generation of talent. It also houses other creative companies: “We’re developing an entire ecosystem to support and shape the industry.”
Film had Pinewood. TV had MediaCity. I wanted to build a true home for live entertainment in Yorkshire.”
Q&A
What inspired you to start Production Park?
I’ve always been obsessed with loud, exciting things – cars, motorbikes, planes, music. My grandad took me to the British Grand Prix when I was nine and I was captivated not just by the cars but by the scale of the event. I studied mechanical engineering at Oxford Brookes and interned with Arrows Grand Prix before moving into mechanical design. I worked with a company called Brilliant Stages on the design and construction of the London 2012 ceremonies and that was a real lightbulb moment for me – the power of live events, that collective experience. We founded Production Park in 2015 around that vision and the following year we built the sets for all three Glastonbury headliners: Muse, Adele and Coldplay.
Why have you focused on education?
Education is central to our mission of facilitating sector growth. It is why we launched the Academy of Live Technology to train future talent. Students work alongside industry pros from day one in a really hands-on, collaborative setting. We opened a second campus in Pennsylvania in 2023 and have trained over 1,000 students to date. Our degrees are accredited by the University of Greater Manchester and we’re working on getting our own degree-awarding powers.
What role does the creative sector play in the UK?
The UK’s creative sector generates around £180 billion annually and is growing four times faster than the wider economy. Live music and touring are a huge part of that but need more recognition. Globally, live music revenues are set to surpass all other music income by 2030. I want to keep banging the drum for this industry and bringing more people into it.
