The independent live music, gallery and cabaret venue is one of London’s best-known entertainment brands and was first opened in 2001 by CEO Alex Proud. Today, Proud announced that the venue will close on Sunday 4th March so that he can focus on new ventures elsewhere in the city. Following a hard decision to close the Camden location, a month of farewell parties has been announced including a fundraiser for the Night Time Industries Association later in February.
“After more than 17 years at the Stables Market in Camden, and having been part of the transformation of a town that is now thriving with visitors from across the globe, we have decided to move on. I’m dedicated to keeping the Proud venues fresh and we have found 2 new venues which will open in due course. The first called Proud Embankment is located underneath Waterloo Bridge and we’re also opening a brand new Proud venue in Camden High Street. This is another chapter in our story, but I do think it’s a sad one for Camden to lose a venue with such a rich musical heritage”
Alex Proud, CEO, Proud Camden.
The Proud name became synonymous with Camden’s nightlife scene in the late 90’s when Alex launched his first art gallery in the town. The gallery was an incredibly popular drinking haunt for A-list celebs and rock stars such as Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss, Liam Gallagher and Pete Doherty. The gallery then moved premises to a site within Camden Stables Market in 2001 when the Proud Camden name was established. It was part of Camden’s alternative movement and spearheaded the transformation of the area into hip status.
In 2006, Proud Camden embarked on its next chapter moving to the current location, a 200-year-old former horse hospital at Camden Stables Market. Alex Proud continued to develop the site throughout its tenure, creating a multi-faceted entertainment experience incorporating a roof garden and bar, art gallery, live music hall and pioneering cabaret restaurant all on the same site. During 10 years of curating diverse events – from exhibitions to live music, as well as multi-genre DJ events and award ceremonies, Proud Camden has welcomed performances from superstars such as Sting, Jarvis Cocker, Ray Davies, Florence & The Machine, Moby and Coldplay amongst others. The venue also hosted the wake of punk rock pioneer Malcolm Mclaren which included a performance from Adam Ant. It was the location of Ed Sheeran’s first ever live performance.
Proud Camden has a wealth of resident promoters and party brands who have announced farewell parties over the forthcoming weeks. Proud has contributed to Camden’s culture for 2 decades and the farewell parties will welcome special guests and impromptu performances to commemorate this end of an era. Details of those events can be found below;