Margate grassroots venue Where Else? has launched a crowdfunder to save it from closure.
The 150-capacity establishment is known as one of Kent’s most vital grassroots music and cultural spaces. However, it could shut down indefinitely at the end of this month unless urgent funds are raised.
READ MORE: UK grassroots venues suffering from “the complete collapse of touring” – here’s how you can help
Where Else? launched a Crowdfunder page last month in a bid to raise £40,000 to secure the venue’s future, amid an ongoing concerning time for smaller, independent venues across the UK.
The total donations are currently at £19,316 – 48 per cent of the target figure – at the time of writing, with less than three weeks to go.
Organisers have cited “a challenging year marked by unpredictable income, rising costs, and a temporary licensing issue that significantly impacted the venue’s ability to trade” while urging people to donate.
“Despite continuing to operate shows on a corkage-only basis during the licence disruption, losing the ability to sell alcohol and being required to close by 11pm resulted in a substantial drop in revenue,” they continued.
The team behind the venue have taken some “extraordinary steps” to protect its future, including operating with a skeleton staff, personally absorbing financial shortfalls, and maintaining programming wherever possible.
They have now warned that they need “immediate community support” so that Where Else? remains open beyond this month. You can donate here.
The venue has outlined the reasons why the £40,000 funding is needed. These are to clear £15,000 of legacy debt, pay overdue supplier invoices, settle a critical VAT bill, recover lost income from the licence disruption, repay personal credit used to support the venue, and stabilise cashflow through the quieter months.
“Grassroots venues operate on razor-thin margins,” the team explained. “A single interruption can destabilise an entire season. The dissolved licence cost us our busiest trading period, and we’ve reached the limits of what we can shoulder ourselves.”
Sports Team perform live at Where Else? in Margate. CREDIT: Press
If the crowdfunder succeeds, Where Else? plans to implement a range of initiatives designed to create long-term sustainability and expand community offerings, including the following:
– A community-focused downstairs space for workshops and local organisations
– Affordable monthly rehearsal space for Margate bands
– Continued support for the in-house community-led radio station
– A new upstairs co-working space
– A communal rehearsal area for local creatives
– Pop-up food events to diversify income
– More consistent opening hours
– A record club and community listening sessions
– Additional club nights following gig events
“These plans aren’t distant ideas,” the team added. “They have been in the works for a long time – we just need enough stability to bring them to life.”
Organisers of the fundraiser have highlighted how Where Else? represents “the vitality of Margate’s live-music ecosystem and the essential role of grassroots rooms in developing new artists”.
“This venue was built for Margate. We’ve done everything we can behind the scenes for the past year to stay afloat, but we are now at a crossroads,” a spokesperson said. “With community support, not only can we survive, we can grow, build, and offer more than ever before.”
Last month, the UK live music sector warned the UK government that “hundreds of grassroots music venues will close in the coming years as revaluations drive costs up”. The open letter claimed that this would prevent a new generation of talent from performing live and working their way up to arena level.
In November, Sam Fender donated his £25,000 Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), and recognised the vital role that grassroots venues had played early on in his career. Elsewhere, Music Venue Properties (MVP) called on fans to invest in its ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign to save gig spaces.
At the start of 2025, it was reported that one UK grassroots venue had closed every two weeks in the previous year. It was said that nearly half of such spaces were making a loss, while 200 remained in a state of emergency due to the nation’s “collapse in touring”.
Speaking to NME last summer, Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured that he was “very supportive” of the £1 ticket levy to help support these venues, and said they were “where a lot of people access their music”.
“I’ll be looking at what we can do in order to give them the chance not just to survive, but to thrive,” the PM continued.
Major artists like Coldplay, Pulp, Mumford & Sons, Katy Perry, Enter Shikari and Sam Fender have all implemented a levy of their own on each of their respective tours. Last April, it was confirmed that UK tour ticket contributions had raised £500,000 for grassroots music venues.
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