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It was announced today that The Coronet in Elephant & Castle is set to close its doors in 2017 after 138 years. The iconic music and clubbing venue (not to be confused with the Holloway Road Wetherspoons of the same name) has played host to the likes of Oasis and Justin Timberlake since it opened in 1879.
The sad news comes after a 15-month campaign to protect the venue from becoming part of a shopping centre development next-door, led by director Richard Littman.
Richard wrote on the venue's website: 'We fought long and hard to save The Coronet, and we will be really sad to go, but with Elephant & Castle changing so much, so quickly, it’s become clear that the evolving character of the area is no longer right for a venue like ours.
'We’ve worked with our landlord to extend our lease for one final year, until January 5 2017. We’re looking forward to welcoming back old friends and making new ones – if you’ve ever wanted to perform here then get in touch quick – the calendar is filling up fast.'
It's one of a growing number of London venues struggling to survive rising rents, licensing restrictions and housing developments. In fact, the city has lost 35 percent of its grassroots venues since 2007. Let's hope London's new 'night mayor' can help sort things out, eh?