Outernet London confirms programming team
The programming team and names of the two venues that form part of Outernet London have been confirmed ahead of the complex’s official opening this summer.
The 2,000-cap Here at Outernet is the first new live music venue to be built in central London since the 1940s, alongside the 350-cap The Lower Third – the former 12 Bar in Denmark Street.
Outernet Live programming manager Chloe Mitchell joins from the Flat Iron Square district, where she was head of music following the management of the launch of Omeara in 2016.
In addition, Here at Outernet has appointed electronic music directors, Nicolas Matar and Simon Denby. Matar’s career began as a DJ at Pacha, Ibiza, going on to own New York nightclubs Cielo and Output in Brooklyn. He went on to work with Ian Schrager of Studio 54 fame to launch nightclubs The Miami Beach Edition, The Times Square Edition and, most recently, The West Hollywood Edition Hotel.
“The vision at Outernet Live with Here and The Lower Third is going to fill much-needed gaps for live and club shows”
“I’m elated to be part of a new London venue,” says Matar. “As someone who was involved in the London scene since the early ’90s, it feels like I’m coming home.”
Denby, meanwhile, is co-owner and booker for UK underground dance music promoter Percolate and co-founder of London festivals Waterworks and Body Movements. He will lead on the electronic and club programme for the venues.
“I am really excited to be part of a cutting-edge venue in the heart of the city, that will bring dance music back to central London after the loss of groundbreaking spaces like the End and the legendary Astoria,” says Denby. “The vision at Outernet Live with Here and The Lower Third is going to fill much-needed gaps for live and club shows both for developing the next generation of artists and top tier talent.”
“This is the most exciting development that has happened to London’s music, arts and culture scene in a very long time”
As previously announced, musician and former director of events at Live Nation, Leo Green has joined Here at Outernet as artistic director and will oversee all of the venue’s programming across music, arts, theatre and culture.
“When this opportunity came along, it was simply too good to turn down,” he says. “From a venue standpoint, this is the most exciting development that has happened to London’s music, arts and culture scene in a very long time.”
The news follows the announcement of Green Light Development founders Karrie Goldberg and Robert Butters as operating partners of the venues, and Tristan Hoffman as COO.
“We are thrilled to be joined by this epic team of experts to launch these groundbreaking new venues this summer,” says Goldberg. “We are proud to be a completely independent venue space, open to all promoters and live entertainment operators and we look forward to showing you what the programming team have been busy working on in the coming months.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
London’s Outernet Live reveals operating partners
Central London’s new 2,000-cap events venue Outernet Live has revealed its operating partners as bookings officially open ahead of its full launch this summer.
Green Light Development founders Robert Butters and Karrie Goldberg have been hand-picked as JV partners to manage and operate the venue, which also includes the 350-cap former 12 Bar Club.
Prior to Green Light, Butters was the CFO and VP for business development for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and SVP of business development for Live Nation forerunner SFX. Goldberg, founder and CEO of venue and talent booking agency The Kagency, has programmed and manage spaces around the world, working with artists such as Madonna, Lady Gaga, Brian Eno and Beyoncé.
“We have two amazing venues that sit at the heart of London’s first music, media and culture district,” says a statement from the duo. “Launching Outernet Live is going to be very special as we combine a world class venue with the power of the wider Outernet campus.”
“This area of London has an amazing tradition of brilliant venues but many of them have sadly gone”
The senior management team includes COO Tristan Hoffman, who has worked on venues in London and New York such as BB Kings Blues Club in Times Square and the Highline Ballroom in Chelsea. Bluesfest founder Leo Green, who was most recently Live Nation’s director of live events, has been named artistic director and The O2’s ex-head of venue management Octavia Harwood joins as operations manager.
Outernet Live forms part of the £1 billion Outernet London entertainment district, located on the corner of Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road. The venue will sit beneath The Now Building, which features 23,000 sq ft of 16K screens and will host a broad range of events.
“This area of London has an amazing tradition of brilliant venues but many of them have sadly gone,” says Outernet Global CEO and president Philip O’Ferrall. “To open Outernet Live as part of our wider culture and music district makes us all immensely proud. It is absolutely vital that artists and fans have a place to go in the centre of our city to perform and enjoy live music and we will welcome many other types of events to our venue as well.
“When you factor in the incredible things we can do with the Outernet screens we move to another level and our offering is something that really can’t be found anywhere else in the world. We love the history of Denmark Street and embrace what the future holds.”
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.