British venues brand Barfly is extending its venue estate with the acquisition of Birmingham, England venue the Sanctuary, for an undisclosed sum.
Previously known as the Institute, the venue is to undergo a major refurbishment program along with the current Barfly Birmingham, which is below the new site.
Due to open this September, the venue’s main auditorium will have a capacity of roughly 1,500, while the existing Barfly will be boosted to a 600 capacity. In addition, a pair of entry-level spaces will created, with respective capacities of 150 and 300.
“We are delighted to have enhanced our Birmingham presence with the acquisition of this landmark venue,” comment Adam Driscoll and Dean James, co-CEOs of Barfly parent company MAMA, in a statement issued today. “The venue has been at the heart of the Birmingham music scene for many years and is a significant addition to our growing network of live music venues with exciting potential for further development.”
Barfly is operated by the Live Music Division of MAMA Group, the British music group which struck a multi-million pound deal last year to buy the brand, Web site and a string of sites from live music company Mean Fiddler Music Group, brining its portoloio of venues to 18.
