Printworks “hopes to return in three years” says Broadwick Live after massive closing weekend
The venue's final party for the foreseeable future took place on 1st May
The team behind Printworks has announced there are plans for the London superclub to return within the next few years following this past weekend's closing events.
The Surrey Quays venue, which opened in 2017, shut its doors for the foreseeable future on Monday night (1st May) after revealing back in September 2022 that its 2023 spring season would be its last for a “number of years” due to planned development in the area. At the finale of the closing weekend parties, Broadwick Live revealed that Printworks "hopes to return in three years" and has made a "provisional deal" with property development company British Land to reopen on the same site in 2026, according to a Guardian report by journalist Ed Gillett.
Broadwick Live's strategy director Simeon Aldred told the Guardian that he's "heard a lot of the classic gentrification narrative the last few weeks: terrible landlords closing you down, those kinds of negative vibes. But to be honest, British Land invited us in, [the creation of Printworks] was as much their idea as ours. So I want to give them some credit for that. We can’t announce that [the reopening] is definitely happening, we haven’t signed any contracts, but the shape of the principles for a deal are there, and we’re going to be putting in for planning permission in the next few weeks'."
Aldred also told Gillett that the next iteration of Printworks would aim to honour the signature aesthetics and history of the venue as a former newspaper printing plant by keeping plans for the next main room as similar to the Press Halls. This idea was also shared in the initial September 2022 closing announcement.
Aldred reiterated that concept in a later press statement: “We are delighted to announce that Printworks hopes to return in three years and that we will continue to work with our partners at British Land to create the future cultural venue that retains the essence of the iconic Press Halls. Printworks has brought lasting impact to our scene, to our city, to artists and our local community. The future Printworks venue aims to build on this, bringing together all the best in all electronic music and visual arts, both as well as hosting some of the world's best orchestras, ballet companies and other art forms.”
The final Printworks event took place last night with surprise guests Bicep closing out the Press Halls on a line-up that included Peggy Gou, Dixon, DJ Koze, Róisín Murphy, I. JORDAN & SHERELLE, Shy One and more.
Developers British Land and AustralianSuper plan to "flatten" the 53-acre Surrey Quays site where Printworks calls home and rebuild the area with luxury flats, shops, offices and restaurants. Learn more in Gillett's in-depth report for the Guardian.
Printworks ranked No.4 in DJ Mag's 2022 Top 100 Clubs Poll.
Watch a clip of Bicep's closing set on Monday night below.
