The landlords of the underground venue for the Vault Festival has asked the festival to leave next year.
The current festival, which is now running to 19 March 2023 in Waterloo, will not be affected.
The Vault Festival has only just returned to London after a 2 year break because of the pandemic, and has been running in the tunnels below Waterloo station since 2012 – attracting 3,000 shows and over 400,000 audience members.
The festival has been advised by its venue-landlord, The Vaults, that it must find a new home for future festivals.
The Vault Festival is run by not-for-profit charity Vault Creative Arts, who have said they repeatedly sought a long-term commitment from The Vaults, but the venue is instead looking at other more commercial projects – meaning the festival will need a new a home for 2024 and beyond.
This decision is a significant threat to Vault Festival’s survival and the wider creative industry, with Vault being a major London-based alternative and companion to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Director and Co-Founder Andy George said in a press statement:
“The response to the return of VAULT Festival in 2023 has been incredible. Over the past three years, as we’ve battled to survive through cancellations, postponements and a pandemic, it’s become extremely clear that the creative industry needs VAULT Festival to thrive and the artists we champion need VAULT Festival to springboard their careers. This devastating blow comes after three of the harshest and hardest years of the festival’s life; but we’re determined to make sure this isn’t the end. We can only survive if we receive support, and I’m asking for your help. Help us make this the end of a chapter, not the end of VAULT Festival. Help us save VAULT!”
In order to continue its support of independent live performance artists from underrepresented backgrounds, Vault Festival has launched a #SaveVAULT fundraising campaign with the goal to raise £150,000 by the end of 2023’s festival on 19 March. The funds raised will support the organisation’s survival during this period of significant transition, be allocated to the cost of finding and securing a new home for the festival, and once found, help make that new home accessible to all. Donations can be contributed via vaultfestival.com/save-vault (see link below). All financial support offered will be invested into doing everything the festival organisers can to make the spirit and mission of VAULT Festival continue.
The festival is also appealing to anyone who may have access to large (20,000+ square feet) spaces or multispace venues in the wider London area.
We have reached out the landlord of The Vaults for comment.
