Union Chapel has been named ‘London’s greatest music venue’ by Time Out magazine [James Bridle]

ONE of Islington’s most revered music spaces has celebrated the achievement of being recognised as “London’s greatest music venue”.

The Union Chapel, in Upper Street, has been awarded the title by Time Out Magazine, recognised for its “beautiful” interior and “incredible” acoustics.

The grade 1-listed gothic building, first built in the late 19th century, hosts weekly gigs and concerts, and programme manager Brett Pracownik told the Tribune that “variety” was key to their success.

“The type of genres, and variety of acts we have in the space, it’s been expanding over the last few years. It’s gone from being mostly singer-songwriters into having acts like AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith,” he said.

“And not just with music, we’ve tried to expand into other art forms. Recently, we’ve had a talk with Mehdi Hasan, and then comedy acts like James Acaster.

“I just think we’re a really unique venue, historic and with amazing acoustics, and I think that’s why we were recognised with the award.”

The last few years haven’t all been smooth sailing. In 2021, Union Chapel staff said that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was having a “catastrophic” effect on their finances. Union Chapel remains a non-profit venue that reinvests its revenue back into the space.

Mr Pracownik added: “Obviously we were chuffed to receive this award because the space was shut for a period during Covid, and we’ve had to put a lot of work in since then.

“So, it’s really nice to see us reaping the benefits of that work – to be in choppy waters and then come out the other side.”

[Daniela Sbrisny]

It is not just the Union Chapel who have struggled in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. According to the Greater London Authority, London has lost 35 per cent of its grassroots music venues since 2007, with the sharpest increases coming since the pandemic. In January, the government announced that all pubs and music venues would benefit from a 15 per cent business rate relief in an attempt to curb the closure of grassroots music venues.

Figures from the Music Venue Trust (MVT) revealed that on average, music venues were working on a margin as low as 2.5 per cent, despite contributing £500million annually to the economy.

Mark Davyd, the CEO of the Music Venue Trust, said that many music venues were “reaching the limits” of what they could achieve on such small margins.

He said: “This sector has done all it can to keep music live in our communities, it now needs permanent protection, structural reform, and leadership that recognises grassroots venues as essential national infrastructure.”

Mr Pracownik said that while the post-Covid environment had been very tough for Union Chapel and many other venues, he was hoping the award would raise the venue’s profile across the city.

“If you look at all the amazing spaces across London, it’s so cool to be recognised as the best one for this year,” he said.

“We hope that this award will raise our profile for people who haven’t ever heard of the space, maybe some younger audiences and we might just come onto their map.”

Councillor James Potts, local economies chief, said: “Union Chapel is one of Islington’s cultural treasures, so it is fantastic to see it recognised with this award.

“Venues like Union Chapel do far more than host great performances – they bring people together, support artists and creatives and contribute to the local economy. This award is testament to the hard work of everyone involved and reinforces Islington’s reputation as one of London’s leading destinations for culture and live music.”

Outside of being a gig venue, Union Chapel is the home of homeless outreach charity Margins.