Local music venue needs your help!

Help keep Oxford music venue, The Cellar, open

Thousands of people, including top musicians, sign a petition to prevent the closure of one of Oxford’s best loved venues

The proposed closure of a famous Oxford music venue is causing uproar within the indie world. The Cellar is one of the city’s most popular night spots, and over 10,000 people have signed a petition against plans to redevelop the 150-capacity site into a retail space.

The clubs’ landlords, charities St Michael’s and All Saints, haven’t released a statement as to why the club is facing closure, but it is most likely down to revenue says The Cellar’s manager Tim Hopkins: “We appreciate the pressures that may be felt by St Michael’s and All Saint’s Charities, but the aims of the charity are not furthered by losing such a vital local space. We would welcome the opportunity to work with St Michaels and All Saints to look at an alternative way to increase their income, if this is their aim; but we have yet to be consulted on this.”

The Cellar was started by Hopkins’ father Adrian 40 years ago. The venue has played host to thousands of emerging bands since its inception, including local band Foals. The band’s drummer Jack Bevan said: “The Cellar was one of the places where it all began for us…. keep it open.”

The club is known for supporting bands and DJs early on in their careers, with the likes of Glass Animals, Young Knives, Rob da Bank, Pulled Apart By Horse and Mumford & Sons cutting their teeth there.

The venue is currently seeking advice from lawyers, but in the meantime the petition remains active and music fans worldwide are invited to show their support.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.