Central London venues win 4am licence extension
The team behind HERE & The Lower Third, which form part of the £1 billion Outernet District in Central London, have announced an extension to the venues’ licence.
The 2,000-cap HERE has sold more than 87,000 tickets across 160 ticketed events for club nights and live gigs since opening a year ago, while the 350-cap The Lower Third – the former 12 Bar in Denmark Street – has hosted 225 gigs showcasing rising stars in the same period.
The licence extension will enable the venues to remain open and operational until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays, presenting more programming opportunities and boosting the late night economy. HERE & The Lower Third are the only late-night venues in Soho to have secured a 4am licence.
“We are thrilled to extend our operating hours in both HERE & The Lower Third,” says venue co-founder, Karrie Goldberg. “Since opening a year ago, we have delivered what we promised – a diverse and wide range of programming, everything from comedy, DJs, bands to fashion shows, product launches and more.
“With this new late licence, it allows us to provide an even broader spectrum of cultural programming”
“Now, with this new late licence, it allows us to provide an even broader spectrum of cultural programming. We will create space for new promoters, for sub-cultures to flourish, so we can welcome even more touring and international artists. It will support diversity and bring more live music back to central London, driving job opportunities in the music and events industries.
“It’s important to us to give up-and-coming artists a new place to launch their careers, as well as be a platform for global stars – and this licence extension will help us continue doing what we do best.”
HERE has hosted numerous events across music, brands, charity and fashion in its first year, including performances from DJs and artists such as Floating Points, Kerri Chandler, Chase & Status, Paul Van Dyk, Jodie Harsh, James Blake, Gabriels, FLO, Jorja Smith, Years & Years, Metronomy, Daniel Avery, Jai Paul, Alison Goldfrapp and Kae Tempest
The venue also collaborated with Annie Mac to launch her Before Midnight brand, presented live shows with the likes of , and worked alongside promoters including Percolate, Louder, LWE, Columbo Group, Parable and Labyrinth.
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New report details UK’s £6.6bn music tourism boost
A new report by UK Music highlights the economic impact of the post-Covid return of touring, as 14.4 million music tourists helped generate £6.6 billion (€7.7bn) in spending.
The trade body’s Here, There and Everywhere study reveals that total attendance at UK music events in 2022 was 37.1m (30.6m concerts/6.5m festivals), with the number of music tourists totalling 13.3m domestic (defined as fans who have travelled more than three times an average commute) and 1.1m foreign.
Music tourism spend covers both direct and indirect spend, including ticket sales, food and beverage sales, merchandise, venue parking, camping fees, accommodation, travel, and additional spending outside of venues while visiting the UK for a live music event, as well as spending indirectly supported by such businesses’ supply chain.
“Music is one of our country’s great assets – not only is it absolutely critical to the economic success of our local areas, but it also generates huge amounts of soft power and helps put our towns and cities on the global map,” says UK Music CEO Jamie Njoku-Goodwin.
“In 2022, music pulled more than 14 million tourists into local areas and supported £6.6 billion of spending in local economies across the UK. This is testament to just how important a thriving musical ecosystem is for our towns and cities.
“But while music generates huge benefits for our local areas, the infrastructure and talent pipeline that it relies on still faces huge challenges. With a venue closing every week, one in six festivals not returning since the pandemic, and many studios facing huge economic pressures, it’s vital that we protect the musical infrastructure that does so much for our towns and cities.”
“Post-pandemic, the role of music in transformative placemaking is more important than ever”
Total employment sustained by music tourism in 2022 –the first full year of post-pandemic festivals, gigs and concerts in the UK – was 56,000.
A key part of the report, meanwhile, focuses on the action that towns and cities across the UK can take to use music to help boost their local economies and support jobs.
A special toolkit contained in the study outlines how local authorities and others can utilise existing funding and spaces to help music thrive across the UK, and includes four recommendations for local councils on how to build their own music communities.
“Post-pandemic, the role of music in transformative placemaking is more important than ever – and this report provides a valuable toolkit for local authorities to help them seize the benefits of being a ‘music city’,” adds Njoku-Goodwin.
“By harnessing the power of music, nations and regions across the UK can generate thousands more jobs, boost economic growth and attract even more visitors to the local area. This report shows how to turn that potential into reality.”
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