A crowdfunding campaign has been started to secure the future of Bush Hall in Shepherds Bush.
The independent live music venue, situated at 310 Uxbridge Road, is under threat financially, and organisers say that they are “approximately four months away from making a hideous decision whether to cease live music” at the former Edwardian dance hall.
“The marketplace and audience perspective has dramatically changed, compounded by the cost-of-living crisis with declining per head spend, spiralling utility and insurance costs and the end of the fixed rate mortgage,” they explain on the crowdfunding page.
“This leaves us with devastatingly low margins across the sector. We are now sitting in the red month on month.”
The campaign is asking for £42,000 to keep the venue running – with more than £28,000 already having been secured.
Support the crowdfunding campaign here.
Big name acts that have graced the stage at Bush Hall include Amy Winehouse, Adele, The Killers, Nick Cave, Alicia Keys and Paul Weller.
In 2002, the venue hosted a rare intimate show from US alt-rock giants REM.
As well as music, the venue also features other live entertainment, including comedy, dance and cabaret.
Originally built in 1904 as a dance hall, the venue has served many different purposes throughout the years. It was used as a soup hall in WWII, a rehearsal space in the 1960s, and a snooker hall in the 1980s and 1990s.
It was restored to its Edwardian grandeur and reopened as a music venue in 2001.
Bush Hall also runs the non-profit music school Music House for Children, and the record store and cafe Next Door Records, which are based next door to the venue. Both are also facing possible closure should the funding goal not be met.
We believe culture has a unique ability to bring people together, and Bush Hall is just one of the many arts venues that we are proud to have in Hammersmith & Fulham. Find out more about hiring the space, or one of our other cultural landmarks, for your next event.
