London churches, with their wonderful acoustics, are becoming gig venues
London churches are becoming arts venues… and it’s making money, says Adam Bloodworth
“These spaces were built for their acoustics,” says Sammie Ellard-King, marketing director at K&G Hospitality. It’s an obvious statement to make about a church, but then again, why haven’t more been turned into music venues?
It’s predicted that 350 churches will close before the end of 2026, as fewer and fewer Brits identify as Christian or attend services. Amazing Grace is one new gig venue and bar that’s acting as a template for what the future of London churches – and arts spaces in general – could look like. In short, we could all be saying “take me to church” more often.
Opened within the 17th century St Thomas Church in Southwark and developed by K&G Hospitality in collaboration with the Cathedral Group, the multi-functional space is gorgeous on both the eye and the ear. The lease has been signed for 15 years, a sign of how confident the backers are in the gig venue-cum-bar, and they say reimagining churches in this light is providing vital new spaces for the arts. They plan to roll out more across London and the South East over the coming years.
“Our sound system has been mapped so the experience is first class,” says Ellard-King. “We’re very careful about that – we get nothing but positive feedback from bands that play here.” DJs and live bands play until 1am at weekends and there are gigs most nights, ranging from R&B bottomless brunches to ‘take me to church’ evenings where a live band collaborates with a DJ. Food from Northern Thailand is prepared by street food vendors KraPow and there’s an Amazing Grace lager on tap as well as all your typical favourites.
Contemporary mosaic flooring contrasts with original fixtures to give a taste of the old and a slab of the new. “We’ve brought our own touch,” says Ellard-King, but the stained glass windows, doors and woodwork from the 17th century set the tone.
We’ve not really dealt with any private landlords yet who are willing to put their money where their mouth is
Sammie Ellard-King, marketing director at K&G Hospitality behind the Amazing Grace church
The popularity of the Southwark venue may be a signifier of London’s desperate need for more arts spaces. Gig venues and pubs are in almost as sharp decline as churches. Around 50 pubs close each month in the UK and it’s estimated that a fifth of London’s music venues could be forced to shut due to increased costs, even though the UK live music industry is worth £4 billion a year.
Ellard-King believes Amazing Grace is proof that London churches turned into arts venues can be profitable: “It’s paramount that landlords provide opportunities for the arts industry or it wont continue to thrive,” he says. “Some of the best artists in the world come from the UK and we need to provide platforms for them.”
However, there’s a hesitancy from landlords when it comes to funding church conversions for public use for things like bars and gig venues. “We’ve not really dealt with any private landlords yet who are willing to put their money where their mouth is,” he says. “I think more of them are looking at flats or rented accommodation, Airbnb style. That’s made people a lot of money over the years.”
But the message is investors are missing a trick on a new venue concept that has it all. “You used to go round the corner for a pint, you might grab a quick burger then you’d go to a show,” says Ellard-King. “We’re bringing all of that under one roof, in a church.”
Read more from City PM Life&Style; visit Amazing Grace online to make a booking