Music / community
‘Historic milestone’ as grassroots venue comes into community ownership
Following a six month campaign, the Croft is among seven music venues across the UK that have become community owned.
The campaign run by Music Venue Properties (MVP) – known as ‘the National Trust for grassroots music venues’ – has raised 80 per cent of its £1.5m target.
“The Croft has always been more than four walls and a stage – it’s part of Bristol’s musical DNA,” Marc Griffiths of World Famous Dive Bars, the team managing the venue, told Bristol24/7.
“Securing it in community ownership, with MVP as landlord, means this space will continue shaping the city’s sound for generations. And judging by the past two months, the next chapter is already off to a roaring start.”
The Croft reopened to much excitement with a weekend of live bands and DJs at the beginning of September, but its future was still uncertain – photo: World Famous Dive Bars
The Stokes Croft venue has been integral to the grassroots scene for over two decades and its indefinite closure at the beginning of summer 2024 was met with consternation.
MVP invited the community to invest in the Croft’s long term future by purchasing shares in the building, essentially becoming co-owners in the property.
MVP act as benevolent landlord guaranteeing fair, sustainable rent, annual maintenance contributions and ongoing support in areas such as financial sustainability and operational best practice.
Matt Otridge, who helped bring the Exchange into community ownership in 2018 and now spearheads the Own Our Venues arm of MVP, started his promoting career at the Croft in 2002 before running the venue for more than six years, putting on Arctic Monkeys and Bastille.
He remembers Ed Sheeran playing there, while Wet Leg, Coldplay, IDLES and PJ Harvey also cut their teeth on the Croft’s stage.
Matt Otridge (right) performed and promoted gigs at the Croft from 2002 and ran the venue from 2007; now he is behind the campaign that has secured its long term future – photo: Matt Otridge
His full circle story concluding with the campaign’s success, Otridge is looking forward to the official event to mark the Croft’s community ownership, taking place in early 2026 to coincide with the venue’s 25th anniversary.
Otridge said the excitement around the Croft’s reopening in September is testament to its significant role in the grassroots scene: “If other venues had set up and filled the void it wouldn’t be so booked up already. It is obviously an integral part of where new bands – from Bristol and elsewhere – get to play.
“It’s really clear that not only is it a key piece in Bristol’s ecosystem but more than that, it’s an integral part of the wider grassroots music ecosystem. The purchase of the Croft marks a historic milestone for MVP.”
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It is the second successful Own Our Venues campaign Otridge has run for MVP, the first raising over £3m to secure the future of five UK venues in 2022. This time investors included high profile figures such as Terry Marshall of Marshall amps, singer-songwriter Katie Melua and Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook.
He told Bristol24/7 community ownership reduced the threat faced by the grassroots: “Over 90 per cent of venues are owned by commercial landlords, which tend to want two things – their rent paid and their tenants to be quiet,” he said.
“Grassroots music venues are not quiet and they’re not commercially lucrative! The needs of both sides are not matched which is why it needs something big like this to make a seismic change.
“I think that’s probably true across most of culture – big schemes like this are about communities effectively taking the power back around, who’s cities are these? They’re our cities, and these are the things we want in our cities. We don’t want to be told by billionaires how they should be run.”
But Otridge is not able to celebrate yet as he feels there’s still work to be done.
“There are many more venues under threat,” he said. “This phase of the campaign closes in just two weeks, and we are calling on everyone – the industry, artists, government and music fans – to come together and invest what they can.
“But I appreciate money is tight. It’s also about taking a chance and going to see gigs. Go and check out something new. Share posts from local venues so people are aware of what’s out there. Help get the word out about the importance of these places to make sure they’re around for generations to come.”
The Own Our Venues campaign runs until November 14. To buy community shares in a grassroots music venue visit crowdfunder.co.uk/p/own-our-venues
Main image: World Famous Dive Bars
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