Moth Club in London has confirmed that, after over two years of uncertainty, it is “out of the woods” and remaining open.
The iconic Hackney venue came under threat of closure first back in 2024, when owners reached out to local residents and asked them to support opposition to a development that could “pose a serious threat” to the venue.
They then shared another update, confirming that there was a second wave of planning applications for flats underway, which needed to be rejected by the local council if they wanted to remain open. This was because, if the developments were to go ahead, they would have raised the chances of a resident lodging a noise complaint – something that the Music Venue Trust has repeatedly said causes an “existential threat” to all grassroots venues.
By December 2025, the council had received over 27,000 emails of objection, and in March 2026 owners of Moth Club confirmed that they were halfway there with progress, as one of the applications was rejected. While they celebrated the “huge win”, they also added that the “fight is not over” as the second remaining request for development could still have a devastating impact on them.
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Now, owners have revealed that the second range of plans have also been rejected by Hackney Council, meaning they can continue business as usual without the threat of closure.
“We got some great news this morning! WE’VE DONE IT! The second planning application next to the venue has been refused now too,” owners shared on Instagram. “This is the news we’ve all been waiting for. Thanks so much to everyone who helped us with the case, got the word out and kept coming along to support grassroots music.”
They went on to thank the Mayor of Hackney, Zoë Garbett and her team, plus the Hackney Green Party “for standing with us and pushing on forward at a pivotal stage”, as well as the “35,000 of you who signed our petition”.
“Of course, a massive thank you to everyone who crusades to support nightlife every single day. We couldn’t have done it without Hackney Nights, Save Our Scene, the NTIA, and the Music Venue Trust for everything they’ve done for us,” the statement added, also sharing that they will be planning “the greatest party Moth has ever witnessed” to celebrate the news.
“Remember, this was never just about Moth Club,” they concluded. “It’s about every space like ours, in every town and city on the planet. If we can do it here, we can do it anywhere. We got there, and we plan to stay here.”
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The MOTH Club has supported countless emerging artists since opening in 1972, and hosted performances from the likes of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, IDLES, Jarvis Cocker, Lady Gaga, Caroline Polachek, Sprints, Wunderhorse, Amyl and the Sniffers and more. It has also become a hub for comedy, film nights and club events under LNZRT’s programming.
Fans of the venue include Everything But The Girl, who reformed in 2023 and came back to the stage with a residency there. Speaking to NME earlier this week about their new album ‘Blue Reservoir’, the duo – singer Tracey Thorn and multi-instrumentalist Ben Watt – spoke about their love of the venue and why they hoped to see it thrive.
“I love the booths down the side of the room,” said Watt. “That gives it that slightly sleazy, port bar, jazz club kind of feel, which I really like when you look out into the room with the little lights on the tables. I like the people who run it. I like that when people turn up, it doesn’t even look like a club or venue.
“You won’t believe where people have come from for these shows. Sometimes we talk to people in the queue and we’ve had people from San Francisco, Sao Paulo, someone flew in from Australia for the weekend. It’s really wonderful that it means that much to people and they’ll travel.”
Upon its first call for support, a spokesperson for the Music Venue Trust (MVT) shared a statement with NME about the situation, and explained how they are looking to help protect the Hackney live music space. “We’re really pleased to see the enormity of the public reaction, and how many people agree with us that the Moth Club must be protected,” they said.
The Hackney space is just one of the numerous UK grassroots music spaces that have come under threat in recent years, including Manchester’s historic Night & Day venue. That venue was first saved after a hard-fought battle against a noise complaint back in 2014, and then had to reach out in 2021 to rally support yet again. This came after it received a notice from the council, which reportedly claimed that it was “a noise nuisance” to a resident that had moved into a nearby property during the lockdown.
Eventually, over 94,000 people signed a petition to remove the Noise Abatement Notice (NAN) – including Johnny Marr, New Order, Courteeners, Frank Turner, Mogwai and more – and it was ruled that the venue could continue to operate.
