Relaunching in February, every element of The Garage will be dramatically updated. In addition to refurbishing the main music venue (600 capacity) and adding a brand new sound system, three new spaces have also been created within the building, united thematically under the Garage concept.
The venue will house two independent live music spaces as well as a daytime coffee spot, craft beer and cocktail bar.
Work is scheduled to take place early in the New Year with the main room due to be closed for just three weeks as work continues in the other areas, to ensure minimum disruption to the venue programming.
Harking back to the filling station stores of small-town America, the newly designed ground floor will now feature The General Store, an all-day café and bar serving craft beer and cocktails. The design of The General Store will feature reclaimed gas pumps, huge beer fridges and superlative coffee. Expect a range of cocktails served from items you’d find in the store, such as cornflakes packets and Campbell’s soup tins, alongside a changing selection of American and British craft beer.
Upstairs, Thousand Island will be an intimate space hosting breaking acts and late-night socials featuring an unpretentious programme anchored by collaborative club nights. Operating independently from the rest of the space, the room will feature a mirrorball-stuffed ceiling, faces of friends of the venue across one wall, and a condiment-covered dressing room.
In addition, there will be a new coffee station a new kiosk, serving speciality coffees and teas, alongside a range of freshly made breakfast snacks, cakes and sandwiches, all to-go.
As part of their new programming for the venue, DHP Family has created Precinct Presents…, a series of immersive club events that will take over the whole venue complex every Saturday and change its theme every six weeks. The first event, Precinct Presents… “Lost In Tokyo”, will be a never-seen-before experience that transports guests into a dark and dystopian Japanese-style street scene. Guests will be invited to dress up and enter a multi-sensory world where shady characters lurk behind vitriolic noodle vendors, and anime girls huddled in neon-lit Izakaysas. Think Blade Runner meets Baby Metal via Tarantino, soundtracked by Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show.
Since opening in 1993, The Garage has hosted artists as diverse as Radiohead, Lil Yachty and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. DHP Family will retain this history while also programming the stars of tomorrow and a roster of leading club nights, ensuring that the overall experience is at the high level expected of a world class venue.