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The Social says it needs to raise £95,000 in two weeks to avoid closure
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 14 March 2019
Bar and music venue The Social in London’s West End has announced that it needs to raise £95,000 in just two weeks or it will face closure. In this, its 20th anniversary year, the central London space could be replaced by a chain wine bar. With a such a tight deadline, the venue is turning to the public for help, setting up a crowdfunding campaign to raise the necessary funds.
“Rising rents and an offer to the building’s leaseholder from a cocktail and wine bar chain have put The Social under very serious threat”, says the venue’s management. “The bar’s founders need to raise money to buy a controlling share in the venue from the leaseholder in order to keep The Social open. Unless new investment is found in the next two weeks then the iconic venue will be forced to close its doors”.
Hoping that it won’t become part of the ongoing trend of London venues shutting their doors, the statement goes on: “When we opened in the summer of 1999, [the venue] was part of a thriving musical landscape in the capital”.
“The Social joined a list of central London music venues such the Astoria, the LA2, The End, Turnmills, Plastic People, The Falcon, the Metro and Madame JoJos (to name a few)”, it adds. Now it’s one of just a couple of places left to see bands or DJs in the West End. The 20th anniversary should be a point of celebration; not for a quick, tearful goodbye before the wrecking ball arrives”.
News of The Social’s landlord issues comes as The Cellar in Oxford announced its closure, after two years of battling to remain open.
