Cardiff’s warehouse venue DEPOT is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
DEPOT began as a temporary pop-up street food venue in 2014 and was originally launched in a 15,000 square-foot abandoned warehouse on Dumballs Road. It was founded by Liverpool native Nick Saunders, who was still at university at the time. He saw an opportunity to bring the dynamic, warehouse-style venues of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle to Cardiff.
Saunders’ vision was to fill a gap in Cardiff’s nightlife and cultural scene, inspired by events such as London’s Street Feast and Birmingham’s Digbeth Dining Club.
Transforming a disused industrial space into a vibrant hub for street food, music, and cultural events involved overcoming regulatory challenges and preparing the space itself.
But DEPOT garnered a reputation as the go-to venue for those seeking an alternative to traditional nightlife, offering a blend of street food, live music, and cultural events – from beer festivals to film screenings to fashion shows.
The team also created multiple events concepts like Bingo Lingo, which has since gone on to tour venues around the UK, selling 1.5 million tickets since 2016.
DEPOT has moved venues three times in ten years and now operates from a 30,000 square-foot warehouse space on Curran Road and is capable of hosting up to 2,100 guests. It now features three permanent street-food kitchens housed in shipping containers, and a flexible layout which allows it to host a wide range of events – from intimate gatherings to large-scale music performances and corporate functions.
It has also given rise to one of Cardiff’s most popular home-grown festivals, DEPOT in the Castle, a one-day event now in its seventh year and a highlight of the city’s summer calendar. It is presented by DEPOT Live, the live-events arm of DEPOT. This summer alone, DEPOT Live welcomed 170,000 people to the venue, showcasing 55 live acts including Avril Lavigne, Smashing Pumpkins, Idles, and Catfish and the Bottlemen.
Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director at FOR Cardiff said:
“Cardiff is a small city which punches well above its weight with events – but the impact of the DEPOT Live series of gigs at the castle over this last summer season is truly amazing, with 48% of ticket holders coming from outside of Wales. This represents a huge economic impact to the city, whilst supporting other grassroots venues at the same time.”
Nick Saunders, Founder of the DEPOT brand said:
“It’s incredible to look back and see how far we’ve come. DEPOT started as a temporary pop-up idea, and now it’s grown into something far bigger than I could have ever imagined, and the ‘pinch me’ moments have been numerous. We’re so excited about the future – and committed to our vision of being a symbol of creativity, and a testament to the power of independent spirit here in Cardiff.”
