In devastating news for UK clubbing, legendary Leeds nightclub Wire has announced it’ll be shutting its doors for good. After 18 years, the intimate, much-loved Call Lane club will close next month.
The Leeds club cited the cost-of-living crisis and post-pandemic lifestyle changes as among the reasons for its permanent closure. In a statement on Instagram on Friday (April 19), the club said:
‘Since re-opening after the pandemic the UK nightlife industry has been under immense pressure which we have not been immune to. The cost-of-living crisis and changing lifestyle choices coinciding with other commercial challenges unique to the venue has gradually led to the unavoidable outcome that the club can no longer operate as a viable business.’
Wire is effectively little more than a basement room with some zippy ceiling lights and a few side booths of seating – but it’s precisely that simplicity that makes the place so special. Since opening in 2005, Wire’s focus has been on the music and that alone: over the years, it’s hosted plenty of the world’s finest DJs and electronic musicians and seen events from countless renowned promoters – all with a capacity of just 300.
But that’ll all come to an end in a few weeks’ time: Wire’s final event will take place on June 1, then the club will close on June 2.
View this post on Instagram
Time Out’s take
Sure, Leeds isn’t short on great clubs and venues (check out Time Out’s full lowdown on the city’s nightlife here), but Wire is special. The club’s loss is a travesty – there’s never been a more vital time to support the UK’s best independent music venues.
Did you see that the UK’s biggest pub chain could soon go bust?
Plus: Cardiff’s National Museum could close.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.