One of Leicester’s most famous music venues has announced its immediate closure. Discussions about the future of The Musician are now ongoing, with the news devastating fans online.
The venue, in Leicester’s Crafton Street West, delivered the shock news to fans this week, saying “ongoing discussions” were now taking place about its future. The Musician said: “The Musician will be closed for a while until we can do a further announcement about the venues future. We are having ongoing discussions so please bear with us until we can provide a further update.”
The closure comes just months after The Musician was recognised as one of the UK’s top 10 most active music venues in the UK. The venue, which first opened its doors in 2001, ranked 10th nationwide according to research by Protectivity using Ticketmaster data.
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Musicians and fans have shared their memories of the venue following the announcement. Several performers praised the intimate atmosphere of the venue, with one describing it as “a fantastic little venue” that are “few and far between these days”.
Another regular visitor to the venue described it as having been “a core part of my life for the past 20 years,” adding there had been “too many amazing gigs to even try to count”. The venue was particularly noted for its welcoming atmosphere, with one performer recalling being “greeted with a cup of tea and a bun on arrival”.
Others expressed hope that the closure would not be permanent, with some suggesting potential solutions including membership schemes and support from the Music Venue Trust. All scheduled shows will be relocated to their partner venue, The International on Garden Street.
The Musician was the only establishment outside of London and major cities like Manchester and Glasgow to make the top 10 most active venues list.
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