Motion Bristol are seeking support, following news that it could close its doors permanently in 2025.
The popular nightclub has been based on Avon Street since 2006, however owners have now appealed for support following news that its license will expire next July.
Sharing a new statement on Instagram earlier this month, the venue shared an update which read: “It is with a heavy heart that Motion Events Ltd. announces the impending expiration of our lease for the beloved property at 74-78 Avon St, Bristol BS2 0PX, which will end in July 2025.”
“Despite our heartfelt request for a lease extension and to purchase the property, the current owners have refused, leaving us facing immense uncertainty,” it added, also stating that it had left the future of the site in a “challenging position”.
In the update, the venue also claimed that owners have expressed a desire to sell to local developers, although “no planning permission having been granted” by Bristol City Council.
“As we navigate this difficult chapter, we earnestly appeal to the community to stand with us. Your voices resonate powerfully; they hold the potential to advocate for a future in which Motion continues to thrive and enrich Bristol’s cultural landscape,” it concluded, reminding people that without intervention “Motion will close in July 2025”.
The site has become regarded as a staple in the city’s nightlife scene and managing director Daniel Deeks has spoken to BBC about the team’s efforts to keep the venue open.
“I think it’s a huge loss to Bristol’s identity,” he told the outlet. “We built a massive community around it. That’s people who work there, people who come to the venue. It does a huge amount for diversity, for people’s wellbeing and mental health.”
He also confirmed that the employees have conducted an extensive pre-application process with Bristol City Council, which consisted of plans to maximise value for the landlord.
According to BBC, their plan focused on “maintaining the ground floor for its current use, while adding affordable creative spaces above”. It also stated that the plan was received positively and the council recognised the importance of retaining the nightclub.
Motion plan to place another bid for the site, although the owners are prepared to cease trading in July. As it stands, they will have to vacate the property by July 31, 2025.
“We are going to plan on going out in style, if that is the case,” said Mr Deeks. You can also read his full statement regarding the threat of closure here.
Motion Bristol is far from the only UK nightclub on the verge of closure in 2024. In fact, just last month new findings from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) found that UK clubbing could be “extinct” by the end of the decade.
The figures revealed that 37 per cent of all clubs across the country have permanently shut since March 2020 – an average of three clubs a week and 150 per year. If the trend continues, all spaces in the UK will have closed their doors by December 31, 2029.
Over the summer, the NTIA also shared that, of the 480 nightclubs that were closed between June 2020 to June 2024, 67 took place between December 2023 and June 2024.
There was a 41 per cent loss in the central region – with the East being the worst hit, suffering a 39 per cent decrease in venues. Lancashire saw a 42 per cent decline, Scotland dropped by 34 per cent, and Yorkshire was among those which suffered the most – dropping from 132 venues to 73 (45 per cent decrease).
Before then, the association revealed that 31 per cent of nightclubs in the UK were forced to close last year, and in August 2023, the association shared that over 100 independent nightclubs across the UK were forced to shut their doors permanently within just 12 months.
The issue expands beyond clubs too, as back in January, findings by the Music Venue Trust (MVT) discovered a “disaster” that hit grassroots music venues as a whole across 2023.
Among the key findings into their “most challenging year”, it was reported that last year saw 125 UK venues abandon live music and that over half of them had shut entirely. Some of the more pressing constraints were reported as soaring energy prices, landlords increasing rate amounts, supply costs, business rates, licensing issues, noise complaints and the continuing shockwaves of COVID-19.
At the start of this month, NME reported how the touring circuit across the UK’s grassroots music scene is said to be facing “complete collapse” without urgent help, and revealed ways that music lovers can get involved to protect the local spaces.
Artists have been getting involved too, and a £1 ticket levy for gigs at arena level and above has been floated as a potential solution to the crisis. The idea was part of the MVT’s recent ‘Manifesto For Grassroots Music’ published just prior to the election, and Enter Shikari, Sam Fender, Alien Ant Farm and Katy Perry have all introduced the levy voluntarily on their shows. As well as that, Coldplay pledged to donate 10 per cent of all profits from their 2025 UK stadium shows to save independent venues.
Just days ago, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee welcomed the UK government’s new backing of a levy on gigs at arena level and above to help save the grassroots music scene. Nonetheless, pressure is mounting for a clear deadline for the industry to take urgent action.
Other grassroots spaces under threat in recent days alone include The Moon in Cardiff – which announced its closure with immediate effect – and Boom in Leeds, which is closing in March 2025.
