London’s Astoria venue, one of the best known in the U.K. capital, will officially close on Jan. 15 as a result of the government’s Crossrail project.
To enable the major redevelopment of Tottenham Court Road station, a number of properties have been compulsorily purchased and will be demolished. The 1,000-capacity Astoria 2 venue will also close.
The 2,000-capacity Astoria has become a staple of the live music scene in central London since 1984, featuring concerts by numerous acts including the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Madonna. Shows already booked for 2009 at the Astoria and Astoria 2 have been moved to alternative venues including the Forum, Electric Ballroom and Islington Academy.
The Astoria venues are controlled by Festival Republic, which is majority-owned by Live Nation. The final event for the Astoria has been confirmed as the Manumission club night on Jan. 15.
A third venue, the Metro Club on Oxford Street, is also affected by the works. The Blow Up club night will be the final event on Jan. 17. The venue has previously hosted early shows by the Killers, Kings of Leon, Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Kaiser Chiefs.
Westminster Council says a replacement venue must be part of any new proposal when the underground building works are complete. The Crossrail development, linking Maidenhead in Berkshire to Shenfield in Essex via Heathrow airport and central London, is due for completion in 2017.
