The MJR Group announces three new venues
The MJR Group, the UK-based promoter and venue operator/owner, has added two new clubs to its venue portfolio, as well as announced plans for a third.
The Bristol-based company has partnered with the Warehouse (600-cap.) in Leeds and Switch (1,500-cap.) in Southampton to develop and deliver their respective live events programmes and operations. Full plans for a new venue in central Birmingham, meanwhile, will be announced soon.
The Warehouse is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, making it one of the oldest venues in Leeds (the building itself being nearly 200 years old). The MJR Group says it will bring live music back to the fore, building on a legacy that includes performances by U2, Oasis, Soft Cell, the Stone Roses and Pulp.
The company will invest in production infrastructure, with plans for new staging, audio and lighting systems suitable for both touring artists and nightclub events.
Switch, a former cinema, has welcomed a string of international club and party artists, hosting the likes of DJ EZ, Paul Woolford, Andy C and, more recently, Stormzy.
“We are delighted to add these three fantastic venues as part of the strategic expansion of our live music portfolio”
It is also getting a make-over with a view to reintroducing live music events, with new staging, lighting and screens throughout. Elswhere, an internal redesign will turn the club through 180°, adding a new VIP area, booths and making the balcony a new asset overlooking the whole venue.
Richard Buck, owner and founder of the MJR Group, comments: “We are delighted to add these three fantastic venues as part of the strategic expansion of our live music portfolio. The Warehouse will be a 600-capacity live music venue and attempt to fill the massive void left by the Cockpit’s closure a few years back.
“We are equally as excited about plans to introduce a live music programme to Switch, which will give bands a natural progression to grow audiences when they outgrow our other Southampton venue, the Engine Rooms.”
The MJR Group’s other UK venues include Tramshed (1,000-cap.) and the Globe (350-cap.) in Cardiff, the Mill (1,000-cap.) and Digbeth Arena (3,500-cap.) in Birmingham, Sub 89 (600-cap.) in Reading and Plug (1,600-cap.) in Sheffield.
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