Camden's Jazz Café Set to Transform Former East London Theatre Into New Music Hub

London's renowned Jazz Cafe plans to revamp a previous site. theatre into a new location in East London.

The Jazz Café has been at the centre of Camden has been at the forefront of the music scene for decades, with the venue having played host to artists such as Jamiroquai, Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott-Heron, and numerous others over the years.

The Art Deco Rex Theatre on Stratford The High Street premises, vacant for more than two years, will now become Jazz Cafe East as declared by Newham Council.

The Rex was constructed in 1896 and initially served as both a theatre and an opera house until it shut down in 1933, after which it was transformed into a cinema.

Once the cinema shut its doors in 1969, it transformed into a bingo hall and subsequently evolved into the Stratford Rex nightclub until that also ceased operations.

In 2013, Newham Council took possession of the building, which has mostly remained unoccupied since then.

The venue will be revitalised by the Colombo Group, which operates several locations across London, such as the party pub The Old Queen’s Head in Islington and the nightclub Phonox in Brixton.

The Jazz Cafe has recently extended its reach by launching the Jazz Cafe festival in 2024 at Burgess Park and is scheduled to make its comeback for a second time in August.

Newham referred to the proposals for the new Jazz Cafe site as "a significant economic shot in the arm that demonstrates faith in the locality," and anticipates it might assist in turning Stratford into London’s latest center for culture.

The Jazz Cafe has become the newest addition to London’s iconic establishments by announcing plans for a location in Stratford, coinciding with the V&A's scheduled opening of their new East End museum on May 31st.

Affordable workspaces for new artists will also be constructed close by at the Grade II-listed North Block of Alice Billing House.

The site has received £2.9 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for renovation purposes and will feature a public café, gallery, and courtyard area along with new studios.

This project will remove the structure from Historic England’s At-Risk list and comes after the successful completion of the work done on the South Block of the ex-firefighters' quarters.

In response to the announcement about Jazz Café’s new initiative, Newham’s Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, commented: "The launch of Jazz Café East ensures that people living in Newham can enjoy top-notch entertainment right where they live."

It demonstrates faith in the borough’s future, bringing along employment opportunities and economic growth.

Companies are beginning to realise everything that the borough and its residents can provide.

It is crucial to bring aboard the correct partners as part of our Building Newham’s Creative Future cultural strategy, which plays a significant role in our initiatives for Creating a More Equitable Newham.

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