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In an undeniably tough climate for independent venues across the UK, we love a good news story. And it doesn’t get much better than the fact that the Columbo Group – the team behind Brixton’s Phonox and Camden’s Jazz Café – has acquired the Rex on Stratford High Street.
The Victorian building is set to become a 2,300-capacity venue, which the company says will showcase ‘a wide range of artists’.
The building dates back to 1896, when it was used as a theatre and opera house, before closing its doors in 1933. After that, it became a cinema – though this, too, closed in 1969. A series of attempts was made to revive the fortunes of the poor old Rex, though none of them quite stuck. It was a bingo hall, then another cinema – the Ace, which ran through the ‘80s and hosted reggae nights – before falling into disuse, partly due to a fire that had damaged the building in 1975.
The venue was reborn as Stratford Rex for a decade from 1996 to 2007, during which time everyone from Gregory Isaacs to Foo Fighters graced its stage. Since, the building has hosted a short-lived club, Sync London, and a humble trampoline park, which closed after the pandemic.
Now, at last, the space looks set to return to its former glory, as the Columbo Group is investing £15m into its redevelopment. ‘The Rex has been part of London’s musical heritage,’ said the company’s CEO Steve Ball, ‘and we’re delighted to have the opportunity both to breathe life back into it and to grow our portfolio of spaces’.
When Newham first announced that it had accepted the Columbo Group’s bid to buy the art deco building, the Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said in a statement: ‘[The move] promises to let residents in Newham have world-class entertainment on their doorstep. It is a show of confidence for the future of the borough, which will bring with it jobs and prosperity.
‘Businesses are waking up to see all that the borough and its people have to offer. It is vitally important to get the right partners in as part of our Building Newham’s Creative Future cultural strategy which is a big part of our plans for Building a Fairer Newham’.
As it’s early days, details remain scarce on the Columbo Group’s precise plans for the venue, though we’ll bring you the news as soon as we have it.
Did you see that the Half Moon in Putney is making a comeback too?
Plus: This legendary north London music venue is for sale.
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