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Up until now, Village Underground has been known as a pretty legendary nightlife venue. The warehouse space in Shoreditch has played host to plenty of big gigs and even bigger parties over the 13 years it’s been open, and now it’s reinventing itself once again.
The venue – like all nightlife spaces in the UK – was forced to close its doors when London went into lockdown, and with no sign that sweaty, crowded fun will be back anytime soon (sob!) its owners have decided to turn it into a bike park for the temporary future. The plan? With loads more people cycling to work (and just about generally), it’ll offer Londoners a place to store their two-wheeler when they’re around Old Street, Shoreditch and the City.
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VU Cycle Park opens on Monday July 20 and will offer secure cycle storage for up to 400 bikes, six days a week. Storage will cost £1 per hour, £5 per day and £25 per week (Mon-Sat). There’ll also be weekly repair sessions from Look Mum No Hands!, in case you’re having trouble with your velo. Plus, there’ll be a bottle shop where you can pick up IPAs, beers, wines and spirits – hopefully not to neck before you ride.
The owners say that all staff will be wearing PPE, plus social distancing measures will be in place. They also say that they’re determined that this is just a short-term business plan.
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‘Our Cycle Park is a temporary measure, and naturally, we can’t wait to welcome you all back into our venue again for unforgettable gigs, life-affirming club nights and everything in between,’ write the owners on Instagram. ‘But for now, by supporting our Cycle Park, you will also be supporting the future of Village Underground and our venue up the road in Dalston, Evolutionary Arts Hackney (EartH).’
Here’s everything you need to know about cycling in London.
And this is the reality of trying to keep nightlife alive in London post-lockdown.