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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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.”
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