TODAY: Wednesday 30th April 2025, Brighton’s beloved Concorde 2 announces its huge celebratory plans for its 25th anniversary. Described as “the perfect venue” by Dave Grohl, of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame, the renowned grassroots venue has been home to unforgettable performances from local acts and globally recognised bands, solo artists and DJs for an impressive 25 years!
Nestled on Brighton seafront, Concorde 2 first opened its doors to music fans and the local community on New Year’s Eve 1999. Rescued from an uncertain future, the grade II listed venue originally started life as a Victorian seafront shelter, and before its transformation to its current glory was known as The Waterfront Café, frequented by bikers travelling along the coast. More recently, it has been acquired by JOY Entertainment Group after 18 years of service to the venue.
Nick Cave (of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), at one time a longstanding resident of Brighton, revels in the memory of the venue: “Concorde 2 is intrinsic to Brighton’s cultural scene and a beautiful space where music lovers can come together”.
In its 25 years as a widely-adored music venue, Concorde 2 has welcomed the likes of Amy Winehouse, Carl Cox, Florence & The Machine, Ed Sheeran, Fatboy Slim, Kaiser Chiefs, Chase & Status and Calvin Harris, to name just a few. Music fans have had the chance to discover now-internationally famous artists on their route to global recognition, as well as experience once in a lifetime intimate performances.
Sam Carter, of Architects, calls Concorde 2 “the most important venue in Brighton.” He recalls fondly, “It was the place I dreamed of playing as a kid, since it was the first venue where I ever saw a band perform. It’s always been a pleasure to be there—from starting out as a local opener to headlining multiple nights. It’s not just the building that’s special; the staff are incredibly dedicated and brilliant, which always makes for a great show.”
Orlando Weeks, of The Maccabees, takes a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the sheer impact of the venue: “My first Concorde 2 gig was Franz Ferdinand supported by Fiery Furnaces. I was new to Brighton and new to art school. The gig was revoltingly sweaty and loud and brilliant top to bottom. Afterwards I hung around wanting to see if I could sneak backstage. But both bands came out and went to drink their rider around a beach fire. I tagged along. Paul Thompson complimented my shirt. That night remains a high watermark gig memory for me. I was finally at art school, watching my favourite art school band, in this totally unique venue under a promenade dug into the cliff.”
Similarly, Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, waxes poetic on the longstanding legacy of the venue: “Concorde 2 stands as a cornerstone of Brighton’s rich musical and cultural identity. For 25 years, it has championed grassroots talent, iconic artists, and a sense of community that defines the best of the UK’s live music venues. Spaces like Concorde 2 are vital not only to the local creative economy, but to the national cultural landscape—offering a platform for expression, discovery, and connection. The NTIA is proud to support venues like this, which continue to inspire and energise generations of music lovers. Congratulations to the entire team on this incredible milestone.”
To celebrate the venue’s 25th anniversary a series of special events are being planned, as well as a run of digital content that will highlight the rich cultural history of the venue. To sign up for first access to news around the anniversary, music fans can sign up to an exclusive mailing list here.
Some of the many exciting shows in store for this anniversary series include Twin Atlantic on Wednesday 4th June, Gary Numan on Tuesday 24th June and Wednesday 25th June, The Brand New Heavies on Thursday 10th July, Incognito on Tuesday 16th September, John Digweed on Friday 3rd October and much, much more, promising an action-packed summer and autumn 2025!
Concorde 2’s landmark anniversary doesn’t come without acknowledgment of the ongoing plight of the grassroots industry. Like many other similar venues, Concorde 2 has faced struggles resulting from the pandemic, a declining economy and a huge number of industry and local complexities which put extreme pressure on these essential and vulnerable cultural hubs. According to Music Venues Trust, in 2023 the sector returned an entire gross profit of all 830 such venues in the UK of just £2.9million. 43 percent of grassroots music venues made a loss in 2023. Said Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venues Trust, “Brighton has an international reputation as a beacon for fantastic live music, and nothing has been more central to creating that reputation in the last 25 years than Concorde 2 and the incredible team that run it. Places like Concorde 2 don’t just programme an astonishing range of music and create special moments of connection between artists and fans; they play a central role in the music ecosystem of a city, creating aspiration, inspiration, community and social cohesion. 25 years is a long time to be at the forefront of breaking new acts and supporting artists to achieve their goals – here’s to the next 25!”
The Autumn 2024 budget saw changes to business rate relief that has since put over 250 grassroots music venues at risk of immediate closure. This would lead to a loss of more than 12,000 jobs and over £250m of economic activity.
You can support Music Venue Trust and learn more about the plight of grassroots venues by visiting www.musicvenuetrust.com/donate/support-mvt
Sign up HERE to find out more about the Concorde 2 25th anniversary celebrations. Tickets for Concorde 2 shows can be found HERE.
