The V&A has opened a new exhibition celebrating the UK’s lost music venues – but it arrives at a time when the future of London’s grassroots scene is increasingly uncertain.
The free exhibition, Lost Music Venues, tells the story of around 50 British venues through over 100 objects, gathered by the museum following a public callout for material.
The display includes handwritten Oasis lyrics, a pager used to monitor noise levels at Manchester’s legendary Hacienda club and Joan Baez’s note of support for the former Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park.
While Lost Music Venues looks back at spaces that shaped generations of musicians and fans, campaigners warn that more venues could soon become history themselves.
A report from the Music Venue Trust found that more than half of the UK’s grassroots music venues (GMVs) made no profit in 2025, while 30 venues permanently closed.
According to the trust, between 2013 and 2024, 54 GMVs closed in London alone, despite Mayor Sadiq Khan’s efforts to support the sector.
This included the introduction of the Agent of Change principle, which means developers are responsible for adequate soundproofing of new residential properties, so venues are less likely to close on the grounds of noise complaints.
Lloyd Bent, Music Venue Trust National Coordinator for England, said: “There are universal issues facing music venues, such as cost of living impacting customer spend, cost of touring rising, business rates, overheads on the rise, planning and development threats, and instability from landlords, to name a few.
“There are then more localised issues within London – some venues face issues relating to planning departments who fail to alert them to developments that would impact them or who need reminding about Agent of Change and national planning policy framework.”
One such venue threatened by developers was MOTH Club in Hackney, which was due to be knocked down and replaced with residential flats until it was saved by a widespread public campaign.
The Music Venue Trust supported the V&A with the development of Lost Music Venues, which aims to balance highlighting the loss of venues with foregrounding the ongoing efforts to support the future of the sector.
Harriet Reed, Curator of Contemporary Performance at the V&A, said: “Music venues – be they gig spaces or nightclubs – are not only the lifeblood of the music industry but an integral part of the creative sector.
“As sites of experimentation, entrepreneurship and artistry they nurture talent and provide vital spaces for connection and community.
“Lost Music Venues joyfully celebrates this vital sector and raises awareness of the challenges it faces.”
The sense of connection is something Dylan Saville has experienced first-hand.
The 26-year-old combines his day job as an Assistant Film and TV Editor with documenting his attendance at live music events across London on social media.
As a teenager, Dylan regularly went to gigs with his dad, which became a portal to discovering new music.
When his dad passed away three years ago and Dylan moved from Leeds to London, he was inspired to start his ‘Spin the Gig’ series on TikTok.
For each video, he puts every live music event in London on his chosen day into a wheel and attends whichever one it lands on.
The series has taken Dylan to all sorts of venues, from stalwarts of the scene like the Electric Ballroom in Camden to more unusual spaces, such as Morocco Bound – a former bookshop converted into a venue.
One of Dylan’s favourite venues to visit was the Black Heart in Camden.
Dylan said: “Even though the Black Heart is a real community point for metal and death metal fans, it is still accessible to everyone.
“I’m really grateful that you can go to these places and no one cares who you are – you can just rock up and people appreciate that you’re going to experience the music.”
The series has also exposed how venues are struggling across London. Dylan’s most popular video features his visit to The Amersham Arms, where there were only around 10 other people in the audience.
He said: “The arts need to be saved. London is the greatest city in the world when it comes to live music and it would be such a shame to see that dwindle away.”
As more is done to draw attention to the importance of such locations – by both institutions like the V&A and individuals like Dylan – there is still hope for the future of the city’s live music scene.
Lost Music Venues is running at the V&A South Kensington until 30 October 2027.
Featured Image Credit: David Parry
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