It’s not been a great year for nightlife in the UK. Loads of venues have been forced to shut up shop in the past 12 months. We lost Glasgow’s Shed in September, loads of Pryzms and Atiks back in February, and all in all more than 65 nightclubs have closed since the beginning of the year. That’s not great, but it gets worse, as one of the best clubs in the country could be facing imminent closure.
Motion was originally a factory, before becoming a skatepark and venue in the 2000s. In 2015 it finally opened officially as a nightclub and has been operating since. To say it has quickly gained a good reputation would be a dramatic understatement – in its sort life span it has become not only one of the most popular venues in Bristol, but one of the best on the planet. You read that right. On planet Earth.
But it turns out that even being world renowned isn’t enough to protect you from your landlord. In a statement on Instagram today (November 13), the club said the building’s owners are reluctant to sell the property to them or extend their tenancy agreement when the current one expires in July of next year.
In the post Motiono said: ‘Despite our heartfelt request for a lease extension and to purchase the property, the current owners have refused, leaving us facing immense uncertainty…
‘We now find ourselves in a challenging position as the property is up for sale. While we are devoted to preserving this cherished space, the owners have expressed their intention to sell to local developers, seeking higher returns.
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Motion is now asking for your support, stating on its website that ‘with combined effort from local authorities, the government, and the community, we can work to ensure that venues like Motion are not only recognised for their value but actively supported for generations to come.’
You can read the full statement from Motion here. The venue’s managing director has said that there are multiple paths forward that don’t end in its closure, so for now it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing what becomes of this real Bristol institution.
More from Bristol
While we wait to find out Motion’s fate, there’s plenty of other things in Bristol to keep you busy. Try out one of our 23 favourite things to do in the city, or head to one of its many brilliant restaurants or bars.
Did you see that Wetherspoons pubs will soon stop selling San Miguel?
Plus: After 138 years, the world’s oldest joke shop has closed in Glasgow.
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