2 More Venues Secured - Our First Yorkshire Venues

Music Venue Properties has now completed the acquisition of the buildings that house both Northern Guitars in Leeds and Gut Level in Sheffield, bringing the total number of Grassroots Music Venues secured up to nine and welcoming our first Yorkshire venues to the Own Our Venues portfolio.

Both cities have an amazing musical history and these purchases represent another significant milestone for the campaign, the local music ecosystems and for everyone who has invested in Music Venue Properties since our launch. The venues play a key part in their community with teams that are committed to championing music and supporting local creative talent and it’s wonderful to welcome them to the MVP family.

For more than three decades, Northern Guitars has been a fixture of Leeds' music community. Alongside its renowned guitar shop, the venue has spent the last ten years providing an important platform for emerging artists, touring musicians and local audiences in the heart of the city. When the building's previous owner decided to sell the building last year, the future of the venue became uncertain and the operators, Rick and Dave, reached out to MVP and joined the last share offer campaign. Thanks to your community investment through Own Our Venues, the building has now been secured for the long term, ensuring Northern Guitars can continue supporting artists and audiences for years to come.

"If we had to sum up Music Venue Properties taking ownership of our building in one word, it would be: relax. This purchase protects a rare grassroots music venue in Leeds city centre and ensures local and touring artists will continue to have a stage for years to come."

— Dave Baguley and Rick Wade, Northern Guitars

Gut Level has quickly become one of Sheffield's most distinctive grassroots cultural spaces. Combining live music, community organising, creative activity and nightlife, it has built a reputation as an inclusive venue that champions new ideas, emerging artists and underrepresented voices. The acquisition of the building means Gut Level can now plan for the future with the confidence that comes from permanent community ownership and a landlord whose priority is cultural and community value rather than commercial return.

"Having long-term security and a supportive landlord is a gamechanger, giving us the confidence to invest in the space, plan for the future and continue supporting Sheffield's grassroots music scene."

— Frazer Scott and Katie Matthews, Gut Level

Together, both these purchases demonstrate the breadth of venues that we are able to support. While every venue is unique, they share a common role as vital cultural assets that bring people together, nurture creativity and help sustain local music ecosystems. Most importantly, they show what can be achieved when music fans come together to invest directly in the future of grassroots music, so thank you for helping make this happen.