Printworks, a popular music venue in Southwark, is closing its doors next month just six years after opening.
The venue, which opened in January 2017, has announced its closing weekend shows, which are taking place between Friday 28th April and Monday 1st May.
Southwark Council announced late last year that the venue would be replaced by offices and shops as part of a Canada Water redevelopment project.
Although the venue’s success was noted, the intention of using the facility as a nightclub was always temporary as redevelopment plans have been in the works for a long time.
Estimates suggest the refurbishment will create between 2,000 and 3,000 jobs.
The venue is known for hosting world-famous house and drum and bass DJs, including Peggy Gou, Bicep and Kings of the Rollers.
However, it has also hosted Aurora Orchestra and provided a unique experience to classical music.
An online petition on change.org to “Save Printworks” generated more than 10,000 signatures.
Laura Bradley from Sprout PR said: “It is such a shame to lose such an iconic visual space with unique London heritage.
“Printworks is a cavernous venue and an exciting canvas for artists such as Dixon to create really incredible and memorable shows.”
Fellow Londoner Jessica Gillbrand expressed her sadness about the closure, claiming she is obsessed with the venue.
Gillbrand moved to London from Australia four years ago and first heard about Printworks from her housemate.
After checking it out, she confirmed the venue as “an institution” where everyone is “guaranteed a good time.”
However, it is not only Londoners that were gutted by this news.
Thomas Frankenburg, an ex-music teacher from Nottingham, visited the venue many times over the years and described it as a good time for English electronic music where he was introduced to artists he likely would not have heard of had he not attended the events.
He added that it was different from what is available in Nottingham, where the underground scene is lively but not on the scale of Printworks.
He was also impressed by the diversity of performers at Printworks, adding that the majority of the line-up for the closing weekend show he is attending on the 1st of May is female and non-binary.
French DJ u.r.trax said she was transcended by the majestic feel of the nightclub.
She added: “Printworks has all the good ingredients for a memorable rave.
“It helped me reach a wider UK audience and I cannot wait to see what Printworks is preparing next.”
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