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"There could not have been a more perfect moment for me to step away than now – exactly 30 years since my first event at The Hacienda"
By Lisa Henderson on 18 Jul 2024
Sacha Lord has left his leading roles at Parklife and The Warehouse Project, two of the biggest events in Manchester, UK.
He today (18 July) confirmed the transfer of his shares to LN Gaiety – which has owned a controlling stake in The Warehouse Project and Parklife since 2016 – to “focus on other endeavours”.
This includes his roles as Greater Manchester’s night-time economy adviser, appointed to him by Mayor Andy Burnham in 2018, and chair of the Night Time Industries Association.
Lord says that his departure from Parklife and The Warehouse Project was agreed in 2021 and that “it was not an easy decision for me to make”.
“I will miss the team, the events, the customers, I’ll even miss the stress and the late nights, but I’ve known for a long time that Parklife 2024 was going to be the last for me,” he said.
“This decision will free up my time to focus on my roles in the nighttime economy and hospitality sectors”
“There could not have been a more perfect moment for me to step away than now – exactly 30 years since my first event at The Hacienda – and I’m so excited for what’s to come. This decision will free up my time to focus on my roles in the nighttime economy and hospitality sectors, and of course, most importantly, the birth of my first child with my beautiful wife Demi later this year.”
Lord is also Founder of the Sacha Lord Foundation, a charitable organisation which seeks to encourage and support young people entering the hospitality sector, and Chair of Wythenshawe FC.
Today’s news comes following an announcement that Arts Council England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) are probing a £400,000 Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) grant awarded to a business controlled by Lord called Primary Event Solutions (PES).
Lord said he would “fully cooperate” with the process and was confident that “the outcomes will confirm that Primary Events Solutions Limited has not misled the Arts Council or the public, nor has it misused any public money”. Both authorities are yet to publish any findings from the investigation.
Parklife, Europe’s largest metropolitan festival, was launched in 2010 and has welcomed the likes of Liam Gallagher, the 1975 and 50 Cent. The annual festival, held in Heaton Park, welcomes 80,000 gig-goers each day of the festival and is said to employ over 2,500 people.
The Warehouse Project was co-founded by Lord, Sam Kandel and Rich McGinnis in 2006. It plays host to internationally acclaimed artists including Disclosure, Megan Thee Stallion, Nile Rodgers & Chic, The Prodigy, New Order, The Chemical Brothers and Calvin Harris.
Located at the 10,000-capacity Depot Mayfield in Manchester, it welcomed over 275,000 customers during its 2023 season. Kandel and McGinnis will be staying on at the company.
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