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Though a relatively new London fixture, the annual Vault Festival had swiftly become much loved by discerning theatre, comedy and general weird shit lovers for its huge, eclectic line-ups and joyous party vibes, a giddy injection of always at least interesting work that lit up the gloomy months of February and March.
That’s why it was a massive shame when it declared that the 2023 edition would likely be its last, as it had been kicked out of the warren of old railway tunnels under Waterloo that comprised the titular Vaults.
Though it said it was going to look for a new venue, finding a second one in central London that has the sheer capacity of the original Vaults seemed to be a tall order.
Long story short: Vault Festival is saved! Probably!
The festival will, we’re told, ‘be transforming a vacant space in Zone 1 Central London into a thriving artistic hub’ that will open in the spring, and serve as a year-round venue, with the next Vault Festival next autumn.
It has also launched a fundraiser to equip the venue with access equipment such as hearing loops and captioning software – if you’re interested in slinging in some cash, donate here.
There are definitely some unanswered questions here: where is it? What sort of venue can you seriously build between now and the spring? Will Vault actually own it? Will it be as big as the old Vaults? Will it possibly be able to compete with the last site, atmosphere-wise?
Those questions can wait until tomorrow, though: for now it’s just a joy to know that Vault will return.