Lancaster Music Co-Op to reopen in 2027 after £90k boost

A vital hub for musicians in Lancaster will reopen in 2027 after years of hard work and the award of a £90,000 grant.

Renovations on Lancaster Music Co-Op can now be finished and the Lodge Street facility - a home for musicians to record, rehearse and perform - will reopen next year for the first time since 2021.

The money has been secured from Arts Council England and the National Lottery, it was announced on Wednesday.

"We are absolutely over the moon to announce that we have been awarded a funding grant...we are incredibly grateful to them!" said a statement from the Lancaster Music Co-Op.

"This is huge news as it means we can now complete our scheduled renovation work and get re-open again next year!

"It was made possible through a match fund that was raised by YOU. Everyone who has donated, bought merch, come along to our gigs or bought our compilation. We can't thank you enough and we can't wait to be open again."

Lancaster Musicians' Co-Op

Lancaster band The Lovely Eggs, couple Dave and Holly Blackwell who are part of the Music Co-Op team, also posted about the news on Wednesday.

"It gives us GREAT pleasure to announce that after eight years of hard slog, Lancaster Music Co-op will finally re-open in 2027.

"Trying to save this place has nearly killed us but we have never given up because of what it means to us and our community.

"Being in bands is important to people round here. It’s a means of escape from normal life. Places like LMC keep the flame of alternative culture burning in small grey northern towns like ours, where there’s not much doing.

"We think everyone should have the right to drop out, form a band and follow a dream. That’s why we’ve fought so hard to save the place, because we believe in the transformative power of rock and roll.

"Thanks to Arts Council England, Lancaster Music Co-op will now be able to re-open again next year. Cheers to everyone who has got behind the co-op and donated over the years. Your support throughout it all has been monumental!

"Long live Lancaster Music Co-Op!"

The Musicians' Co-Op provided a safe, accessible and affordable space for musicians, from beginners to professionals, to rehearse and record since it opened in 1985.

Lancaster MP Cat Smith visiting the Co-Op renovations earlier this year

But the building deteriorated to the point where the cost of major structural repairs rendered it unusable and it was forced to temporarily close.

In 2023, after 20 years of campaigning, Lancaster Musicians' Co-Op signed a 100-year lease on the building and a funding agreement with Lancaster City Council.

The Co-Op was also granted £250,000 of funding from the government's community ownership fund and £50,000 of project management funding to help it get back on its feet after several years of closure.

Planning permission was also granted for a new roof on the Lodge Street building.

A major renovation began as community fundraising continued.

There was a setback in June after vandals caused extensive damage to the new roof and other parts of the exterior including windows.

But today's news is a major boost for the city's creative community, who in 2018 rallied together and fought hard to save the Co-Op after an eviction notice was served by Lancaster City Council.

Following public pressure, councillors voted unanimously to save the Co-op, repair the building, issue a long-term lease and protect its future.

Read more: 'Kick in the teeth' as vandal attack sets back Lancaster music facility’s re-opening plans - Beyond Radio

Lancaster Music Co-Op signs "momentous" 100-year lease after 20-year battle - Beyond Radio