Pipeline Brighton Becomes Next Building Saved By UK Own Our Venues Campaign

Music Venue Properties (MVP), the UK’s pioneering Charitable Community Benefit Society, today announced the acquisition of The Pipeline in Brighton, England. The purchase brings the total number of grassroots music venues secured through the Own Our Venues initiative to ten.

“The acquisition places The Pipeline into permanent community ownership, protecting it from the uncertainties of the commercial property market and ensuring it can continue serving Brighton’s music community for generations to come,” according to a press release from the Music Venue Trust, which created the MVP initiative.

Through Own Our Venues, Music Venue Properties acquires the buildings that house grassroots music venues, providing operators with long-term security while safeguarding these vital cultural spaces for the communities they serve. This pioneering model has earned the organization the nickname “The National Trust for Music Venues.”

The Pipeline is one of many grassroots venues in Brighton that have built a reputation for championing emerging artists and providing an essential platform for live music in one of the UK’s most vibrant musical cities. With the building now held in community ownership, the venue has the stability to continue supporting artists, audiences and the city’s wider music ecosystem long into the future.

Speaking about the purchase, the venue’s operator Thomas Evrenos said, “The Pipeline has always been more than just a venue. It’s a home for live music, emerging artists and the alternative community that has grown around it. I’m very proud that Music Venue Properties chose The Pipeline to become part of its portfolio. Everyone here is really happy about this, not just the team at The Pipeline but the wider Brighton music community, our staff, regulars and the musicians who have made this place what it is.

“Knowing the building is now secured means we can focus on what matters most: putting on great shows, supporting grassroots talent and giving people a place to belong. Community ownership has given this venue a future, protecting it from the uncertainty of the commercial property market and ensuring The Pipeline can continue to play its part in Brighton’s music scene for years to come.”

DJ, producer and long-time Brighton resident Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, who has invested in Music Venue Properties himself, is encouraging fellow musicians, music fans and investors to support the organization, invest in community shares and help secure the future of the UK’s grassroots music venues.

He said, “Our thriving music business needs grassroots venues. The next Coldplay or Radiohead need places to hone their skills and find their audience. The grassroots venues continually struggle in the current financial climate and landlords are not always their friend. Community ownership means they pay fair rent and have security, knowing their venue will not suddenly be turned into a block of flats. MVP is ethical investment that protects venues but also has a sound business model.

“I have invested a substantial sum and I am proud to be able to help protect the nurturing environments for future musicians & DJs. I urge anyone to join me, whether you are successful musician wanting to give something back to the lower rungs of the food chain or a music fan who wants to feel part of the wonderful community. It’s not a donation, it’s an investment in the future of our wonderful music industry.”

See: Music Venue Trust UK Purchases Welsh Venue Through ‘Own Our Venues’ Scheme

The acquisition of The Pipeline marks another significant milestone in Music Venue Properties’ mission to secure the future of the UK’s grassroots music venues through community ownership. Following the previous purchase of The Snug in Atherton, The Ferret in Preston, Le Pub in Newport, The Bunkhouse in Swansea, The Booking Hall in Dover, The Croft in Bristol, The Joiners in Southampton, Northern Guitars in Leeds and Gut Level in Sheffield, The Pipeline becomes the tenth venue announced as permanently protected through the scheme.

Since launching in 2022, Music Venue Properties has raised around £7 million ($9.4 million) through a combination of community investment and vital support from cultural partners including Arts Council England, the UK Government and Figurative.

More than 2,500 music fans have invested in the organization – including Squeeze co-founder and frontman Glenn Tilbrook, Marshall Amplification’s Terry and Lesley Marshall, singer-songwriter Katie Melua, and the UK prime minister Andy Burnham – helping secure a growing portfolio of venues through the Own Our Venues campaign. In addition, Music Venue Properties has secured £1 million ($1.3 million) from The UK Government’s Creative Foundations Fund to support much-needed renovation, and improvement works across its venues.

With further acquisitions already being targeted through the Own Our Venues initiative, Music Venue Properties is inviting music fans, artists and investors to become part of the movement to secure the future of the UK’s grassroots music venue network through community ownership.

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