AMG Expands Bournemouth Ops

Academy Music Group is expanding its operations in Bournemouth, England, adding a 550-capacity venue to the 1,925-capacity O2 Academy it opened in 2009.

Running the Old Fire Station will be AMG’s fourth joint venture with a Student Union, following similar partnerships formed with universities in Leicester, Liverpool and Hertford.

In 1995 the original Victorian Fire Station for Bournemouth, a Grade II-listed building, was converted into a multipurpose venue for the town’s students.

News of the partnership comes soon after the O2 Academy Bournemouth added a fully seated, 700-capacity venue to its various configurations. It recently hosted a show by U.S. singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega and has Beth Orton scheduled for April.

Angus Carter, the Old Fire Station’s marketing and communications manager, says the partnership with AMG means the venue will become “a valuable development ground” for newer artists helping to build a live fan base before they play the larger O2 Academy venue.