MUSIC VENUE PROPERTIES ANNOUNCE SECOND COMMUNITY SHARE OFFERING TO PURCHASE ICONIC UK GRASSROOTS MUSIC VENUES UNDER ITS ‘OWN OUR VENUES’ INITIATIVE
Brighton’s The Pipeline among venues included in new acquisition plans
Music Venue Properties (MVP), the pioneering Charitable Community Benefit Society created by Music Venue Trust (MVT), has announced the launch of the next phase of its groundbreaking ‘Own Our Venues’ project — a bold initiative to secure the future of a further seven iconic grassroots music venues (GMVs) across the UK through community ownership.
The Own Our Venues initiative focuses on removing grassroots music venues from vulnerable commercial leases by placing them into community ownership. The aim is to provide long-term stability to venues that are essential for fostering local talent and providing cultural value to existing, local infrastructure.
Following the success of its first campaign in 2023, which raised £2.88 million and secured the future of venues including The Snug in Atherton, The Ferret in Preston, Le Pub in Newport, The Bunkhouse in Swansea and The Booking Hall in Dover, MVP is once again calling on music lovers and local communities to take action in order to protect vital cultural spaces.
The ‘cultural lease’ provides long-term security by offering stability that typical commercial leases, averaging just 18 months, cannot. These leases ensure fair, sustainable rent, annual contributions toward essential maintenance, and ongoing support in areas such as financial sustainability and operational best practice. This comprehensive support helps venues focus on their mission to bring music to their local communities while shielding them from the financial pressures of the commercial lease market.
MVP have now announced plans to acquire a further seven venues via a second community share offer, which will open on May 15th 2025 and close on 31st July 2025. This will focus on the purchase of longstanding, iconic music spaces such as Esquires in Bedford, The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent & The Joiners in Southampton, alongside key community hubs such as The Croft in Bristol, Peggy’s Skylight in Nottingham, The Lubber Fiend in Newcastle and The Pipeline in Brighton.
A cherished space in Brighton’s vibrant music scene, The Pipeline is a truly grassroots venue with a 60-capacity space hosting over 200 gigs a year. A training ground for new promoters and sound technicians, the venue has been a launchpad for many local bands, including Lambrini Girls, Ditz, and Snayx, solidifying its reputation as a breeding ground for fresh talent.
Thomas Evrenos – Director of The Pipeline said “We’ve been recognised as an Asset of Community Value — because this venue means everything to the people who rely on it. Now, with the building available for sale, we’re determined to take it out of the hands of speculation and into community ownership with Music Venue Properties. We’re also standing strong against local planning threats, fighting to keep this a space for live music in Brighton. This is about protecting culture, defending our future, and owning what matters.”
Matthew Otridge, Chief Operating Officer of MVP said, “The key threat to the grassroots music venue (GMV) sector has always been that of property ownership. Over 90% of GMVs are tenants and are often in a vulnerable position when they and their landlords do not share the same goals. It’s a bleak statistic but 35% of venues have closed in the last 20 years and in 2024 another 86 either closed or no longer operated as GMVs. We are standing at a crossroads but there is a solution, and people can help us to put in place real, sustainable solutions. Music Venue Properties has shown in just three years that community ownership can secure and preserve venues permanently, and this success has led us to identify new opportunities to purchase some of the UK’s best loved, longest-running venues and to launch our second share offer to secure these key cultural spaces.”
More information and other supporting documents are available on the Music Venue Properties website: www.musicvenueproperties.com
