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Fancy a night out in Camden but can't stomach two night buses home? Watch this space, because the owners of Koko are planning a major refurb of the club, including plans to build a 32-room plush hotel on site.
The venue, housed in an 117-year-old former theatre, has hosted gigs from the likes of Prince, Kanye West, Coldplay and Madonna, and is one of London's leading live music venues.
The building's owners, Vevil International, have expressed concerns about the future of the club after they narrowly won a High Court battle in 2015 to prevent the Hope and Anchor pub next door being turned into – yep, you guessed it – flats, amid fears those moving in next door to an internationally famous music venue would complain of noise, ultimately risking the club's licence.
Fabric may have got a timely reprieve thanks to its promise to put in place stricter drug controls, but sadly the superclub seems to be the exception the rule, with Hackney favourites Passing Clouds and Shapes, along with numerous other venues, being shut down last year.
To try to contain the problem, Vevil International bought up three buildings around Koko, including the pub.
The proposed hotel would be a separate business from Koko itself, but there would be access from the hotel — including to private boxes on the second circle from some rooms within the hotel.
The plans also indicate that the original dome on top of the building, which dates back to 1900 when the theatre first opened, would be revamped into a bar and function room.
Vevil International Group owns a big chunk of London, including The Ned, a Grade I-listed building at 27 Poultry in the City of London, which the developer plans to transform into a luxury 252-bedroom hotel complete with ten restaurants and a plush roof terrace. The Wolseley, one of London's poshest restaurants, is housed in a Grade II-listed, award-winning neoclassical building on Piccadilly, which is also owned by Vevil International.
In a statement, the venue said: 'After 13 years of operation as Koko, the venue is in need of refurbishment and the owners of Koko and the buildings are working together to deliver a scheme that will ensure its long-term future as a live music venue and cultural hub'.
Hopefully this means one more iconic London venue saved, and if this is anything to go by, 2017 is already looking up for London's live music and nightlife scene.
Or check out these things you only know if you live in Camden.