{"id":52544,"date":"2026-05-30T20:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T20:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/52544\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T20:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T20:45:15","slug":"londons-va-opens-exhibition-on-uks-legendary-lost-music-venues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/52544\/","title":{"rendered":"London’s V&A opens exhibition on UK’s legendary lost music venues"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new exhibition celebrating the UK\u2019s lost music venues has opened at the V&A South Kensington.<\/p>\n

After asking people to submit their \u201cartefacts and music ephemera\u201d to complete their collection last May<\/a>, the exhibition, titled \u2018Lost Music Venues\u2019, has finally opened today (May 30).<\/p>\n

With the support of Music Venue Trust, the V&A has collated posters, membership cards, club photography, band merchandise and subcultural fashion linked to around 50 now-closed clubs, concert halls and community spaces across the UK.<\/p>\n

In total, more than 150 objects are included in the display, with a significant proportion coming from the aforementioned public call for memorabilia.<\/p>\n

Together, the objects trace the history of grassroots and DIY music and culture in the UK, as well as campaigns launched to save threatened spaces from closure.<\/p>\n

The exhibition is divided into four sections, with the first exploring how dance halls and cinemas evolved into purpose-built music venues in the 1980s. Featured items include artefacts linked to the iconic Manchester club The Ha\u00e7ienda, fashion artefacts from brands like Dr. Martens and Converse, and signs from London venues, including the original 1985 sign for the Astoria, which has been loaned by Damon Albarn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lost Music Venues. CREDIT: David Parry for the V&A<\/p>\n

A second part goes on to explore the rise of so-called \u2018toilet circuit\u2019 venues during the 1990s indie explosion, focusing on grassroots venues such as Moles in Bath, The Charlotte in Leicester, and Manchester\u2019s Roadhouse.<\/p>\n

The exhibition highlights the importance of touring for artists and audiences alike, giving musicians an opportunity to develop their craft and find fans. This display includes vintage Blur<\/a> set lists, Oasis<\/a> lyrics handwritten on a tour bus, and the briefcase of former Pulp<\/a> tour manager Mark Webber.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a look into how social media in the mid-2000s transformed how bands such as Arctic Monkeys<\/a> and Coldplay<\/a> were discovered.<\/p>\n

It then goes on to explore the challenges that continue to impact grassroots venues today \u2013 namely, neighbourhood noise complaints, licensing laws and the Covid-19 pandemic. Music Venue Trust, Northern Ireland\u2019s Free The Night, Leeds-based No Place Left to Play, and the UK-wide Save Our Scene have all contributed artefacts.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lost Music Venues. CREDIT: David Parry for the V&A<\/p>\n

Finally, the exhibition highlights the evolution of electronic club culture from the 1990s through to the present day, displaying HIV and AIDS awareness initiatives, early Banksy exhibitions at Glasgow\u2019s The Arches, and London institutions Plastic People and The End.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic venues \u2013 be they gig spaces or nightclubs \u2013 are not only the lifeblood of the music industry but an integral part of the creative sector,\u201d shared Harriet Reed, Curator of Contemporary Performance at V&A South Kensington. \u201cAs sites of experimentation, entrepreneurship and artistry they nurture talent and provide vital spaces for connection and community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Entry is free, and you can find more information about the exhibition here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lost Music Venues. CREDIT: David Parry for the V&A<\/p>\n

The exhibition comes\u00a0at a vital time for the UK\u2019s live music sector, as it was recently reported that\u00a030 grassroots venues were lost forever between July 2024 and July 2025<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and last year alone saw more than half of those remaining making no profit, with over 6,000 jobs lost.<\/p>\n

In an attempt to help support grassroots spaces and help artists tour, there has been a push for\u00a0a ticket levy to be introduced<\/a>, which would see smaller venues and rising talent across the country\u00a0receive a contribution from arena and stadium gigs to ensure their survival<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The pressure is now on for the\u00a0live music industry to ensure that 50 per cent of these shows are voluntarily paying in by June 2026<\/a>, or else the government will step in to make it mandatory by law.\u00a0Live Nation in particular have come under fire<\/a>\u00a0for not being as involved as other companies.<\/p>\n

Live Nation, who played a part in\u00a0Harry Styles contributing \u00a31 for each ticket to his upcoming Wembley Stadium residency<\/a>\u00a0to the LIVE Trust, responded to the criticism by telling\u00a0NME\u00a0that they \u201csupport artists\u2019 choices on charitable donations, and has worked with numerous artists who have contributed to the voluntary levy \u2013 from\u00a0Coldplay<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Biffy Clyro<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 and will continue to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

The levy model is similar to that seen in the Premier League of football, and was\u00a0given backing from the government in 2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The financial burden on grassroots spaces was partially alleviated at the start of the year, when the government delivered a U-turn on\u00a0their potentially devastating surge in business rates<\/a>, and also\u00a0provided a package of extra support for pubs and venues<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new exhibition celebrating the UK\u2019s lost music venues has opened at the V&A South Kensington. After asking…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52545,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[26],"tags":[15733,6475,27],"class_list":["post-52544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-london","tag-alternative","tag-indie","tag-london"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116665485160763795","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52544\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}