community/cultural, concert/performance space, entertainment, gallery, event, walk/tour, restaurant/bar
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98c Wallis Road, Main Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5LN
On a site once home to a Victorian sweet factory, Grow Studios repurposed two warehouses in Main Yard, Hackney Wick in 2007. Today, they house artist studios, small independent businesses, and a working yard. The canalside warehouse - formerly a sausage factory - became home in 2014 to Grow, a grassroots music and arts venue with bars and a kitchen.
Stratford
Hackney Wick
30
Grow is 3 minutes walk from Hackney Wick Overground station and 10 Minutes walk from Stratford via the Queen Elizabeth Park,
Main indoor area (with bar) is wheelchair accessible. More access info at https://growhackney.squarespace.com/access-accessibility
There will be music playing at Grow on some days/time. Please check Grow's website at www.growhackney.co.uk
13:00–16:00
Join us in Grow’s hidden canalside garden terrace to listen to world-class live music direct from the pontoon stage.
19:00–21:00
Volta45 invites future jazz sextet PlantFood for a live session, followed by a deep-digging DJ set of African, Latin and Jazz (on til 2am),
13:00–16:00
Join us in Grow’s hidden canalside garden terrace to listen to world-class live music direct from the pontoon stage.
The site now home to Grow has an industrious past, from its origins as a Victorian sweet factory producing liquorice and boiled sugar, to housing a leather goods and belt workshop, and later a sausage factory and cold store.
In 2007, two local residents and artists repurposed two warehouses under the banner of Grow Studios, creating sustainable spaces for artists, makers, and small businesses.
In 2014, part of one warehouse opened as Grow - a canalside grassroots venue blending bar, kitchen, and performance space.
Over the past decade, it has hosted hundreds of cultural events, from live music and art exhibitions to talks, workshops, and festivals, while collaborating with local and ethical suppliers.
Today, it is a hub where Hackney Wick’s industrial heritage meets a thriving creative community.
Since opening in 2014, Grow has hosted an eclectic programme of music, art, film, and community gatherings. Highlights have included the Latin American and African Encounter with conga legend Williams Cumberbatch, We Shall Overcome in solidarity against austerity, An Apple Affair celebrating harvest season, and regular fixtures such as open mic nights, jazz jams, and local artist showcases.
Annual highlights include participation in Hackney WickED Arts Festival, DIY Open Studios, and London’s Open House Festival.
Over the years, Grow has collaborated with organisations such as the Chisenhale Gallery and Guildhall School of Music and V&A, and and has staged innovative events from boat-based performances venue-wide installations. In addition to cultural programming, Grow regularly partners with grassroots campaigns and fundraisers, making the venue a space where art, activism, and community meet.
Once a major industrial hub producing everything from sweets to plastics, Hackney Wick became one of Europe’s most concentrated artist communities after the decline of manufacturing, thanks to its affordable warehouses and DIY spirit.
The 2012 Olympics brought investment and regeneration, but also rising rents and redevelopment pressures, sparking debates about displacement and the protection of creative space. Grow Studios and its canalside venue, Grow Hackney, are among the last of the area’s original DIY creative ventures still going, offering affordable studios and grassroots cultural programming.
Today, the area remains a vibrant district where industrial heritage, grassroots culture, and rapid urban change meet, a symbol of both the energy and fragility of London’s cultural ecosystems.
