Picture: Chris Moorhouse.
Music Venue Properties (MVP), the pioneering Charitable Community Benefit Society, today (6/11/25) announces the purchase of The Joiners in Southampton under its Own Our Venues initiative with support from Arts Council England.
Dubbed “The National Trust for Grassroots Music Venues,” Music Venue Properties, originally created by Music Venue Trust (MVT), focuses on removing venues from vulnerable leases by purchasing their freeholds and placing them into community hands.
Despite being a legendary venue on the U.K. touring circuit – where artists including Arctic Monkeys, Frank Turner, Coldplay, PJ Harvey, Oasis and Wet Leg played early in their careers – and a creative institution for the city of Southampton for almost sixty years, The Joiners was facing an uncertain future. Now, following the purchase, the iconic venue will have permanent protected status and long-term security under community ownership.
“We want to thank every single person who has bought a share in the scheme and ensured The Joiners’ future,” said Ricky Bates, The Joiners venue operator (pictured below).
“As one of the most important live music venues ever to exist in the UK, this is a win for all independent live music across the globe – with this now in place we will be here for another sixty years and potentially FOREVER! There are still more venues that need to be secured so please do invest if you can, much love and stay true,”
His words are echoed by Frank Turner, who also credits The Joiners as instrumental in shaping his early career: “I grew up going to, and later playing, shows at the Joiners Arms, and I simply would not be doing what I do today without that space, and spaces like it. Music Venue Trust has long stood at the forefront of saving our vital cultural heritage in the UK. Three, if not four, cheers for Music Venue Properties and the Own Our Venues campaign, long may it thrive.”
Dr Claire Mera-Nelson, Director, Music – Arts Council England, said: “We’re thrilled that another couple of iconic grassroots music venues have had their future secured by Music Venue Properties through the investment of Arts Council England and the incredible community support shown by music fans and the local community. Both The Croft in Bristol and The Joiners Arms in Southampton are legendary touring venues that have launched the careers of our most treasured musical artists, highlighting the importance of these spaces, and we’re looking forward to them continuing to provide outstanding experiences for artists and audiences for many years to come.”
Since launching in 2022, the Own Our Venues campaign has raised almost £4 million through a combination of community investment — with music fans buying shares from as little as £50 — and vital funding from cultural partners. This includes £500,000 from Arts Council England, which played a key role in securing the purchase of these two iconic venues. The Joiners and The Croft join The Snug in Atherton, The Ferret in Preston, Le Pub in Newport, The Bunkhouse in Swansea and The Booking Hall in Dover in the growing portfolio of venues now owned by the music community.
More than 2,000 music fans have now invested through the Own Our Venues Community Share Offer, including Marshall Amplification’s Terry Marshall and his wife Lesley, singer-songwriter Katie Melua and Squeeze co-founder and frontman Glenn Tilbrook.“We must do everything we can to ensure that these buildings are protected from development and the venues safeguarded for generations to come. They are essential, not just for fostering local talent but to ensure that our communities have access to cultural hubs and affordable live music,” said Glenn.
The current phase of the Own Our Venues campaign, running until November 14, 2025, has reached 80% of its £1.5 million target to bring seven more vital grassroots music venues into permanent community ownership. These venues are Esquires in Bedford, The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, Peggy’s Skylight in Nottingham, The Pipeline in Brighton, Northern Guitars in Leeds, Gut Level in Sheffield, and Little Buildings in Newcastle.
“The purchase and securing of The Joiners, an iconic building that has launched international careers and sits at the heart of its community, marks a historic milestone for Music Venue Properties,” says Matt Otridge, COO, Own Our Venues (Music Venue Properties). “With the addition of The Joiners and The Croft, seven grassroots music venues across the country are now permanently protected for further generations and it proves the power of community ownership.”
“But the work isn’t over and there are still many more venues under threat. This phase of the Own Our Venues 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. Every contribution helps us to secure more venues and each investor can then stand alongside those who already proudly say: we own these venues.”
The ‘cultural lease’ that MVP has created provides long-term security for operators by offering stability and support not afforded by most typical commercial tenancies. It ensures fair, sustainable rent, annual contributions toward essential maintenance, and ongoing support in areas such as financial sustainability and operational best practice. This comprehensive support and having a supportive and benevolent landlord helps venues focus on their mission to bring music to their local communities while ensuring that communities have permanent cultural spaces for future generations.
Band of Skulls’ Emma Richardson, now performing with The Pixies, also reflected on the venue’s pivotal role in her own musical journey: “The Joiners was one of the very first venues to give us (Band of Skulls/Fleeing New York) a break when we were getting started as a band. A demo tape through their door and we got our first ever support slot. We cut our teeth in that room and went on to play and watch so many shows in that transformative space and then eventually around the world. It is incredibly important to the future of the music scene in Southampton and beyond, that this legendary venue is now secure, allowing for a whole new generation of musicians to hone their craft and find their tribe. The Joiners is a place for community, revelation and euphoria and is needed now more than ever. Long live The Joiners!”
More information and other supporting documents are available on the Music Venue Properties websites: ownourvenues.com musicvenueproperties.com
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