Less than three weeks to go to save Kent venue as crowdfunder nears 50% of £40,000 target

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Where Else?, one of Kent’s most vital grassroots music and cultural spaces, is facing closure at the end of January unless urgent funds can be raised. With less than three weeks to go, the venue is appealing for community support to help reach its £40,000 crowdfunding target and secure its future.

Launched in December, the crowdfunder is currently nearing 50% of its £40,000 goal, but the team warns that without further backing, the venue may be forced to close its doors indefinitely.

The appeal follows a challenging year marked by unpredictable income, rising costs, and a temporary licensing issue that significantly impacted the venue’s ability to trade. Despite continuing to operate shows on a corkage-only basis during the licence disruption, losing the ability to sell alcohol and being required to close by 11pm resulted in a substantial drop in revenue.

The team behind Where Else? have taken extraordinary steps to protect the venue, operating with a skeleton staff, personally absorbing financial shortfalls, and maintaining programming wherever possible. They now warn that without immediate community support; the venue may face closure at the end of January.

Recognising the Importance of Grassroots Venues
Where Else? was founded as a space for Margate to gather, experiment, and nurture emerging talent. It has rapidly become a home for early-career musicians, experimental artists, industry newcomers, and a wide demographic of music fans from teens to long-established gig-goers.

Recent programming highlights include a sold-out Lambrini Girls show at Dreamland, paired the same night with a sold-out Tunng show at Where Else? underscoring the vitality of Margate’s live-music ecosystem and the essential role of grassroots rooms in developing new artists.

A spokesperson for Where Else? Said: “This venue was built for Margate. We’ve done everything we can behind the scenes for the past year to stay afloat, but we are now at a crossroads. With community support, not only can we survive, we can grow, build, and offer more than ever before.”

Why the Funding Is Needed
The venue’s £40,000 target will enable Where Else? to:

· Clear £15,000 of legacy debt

· Pay overdue supplier invoices

· Settle a critical VAT bill

· Recover lost income from the licence disruption

· Repay personal credit used to support the venue

· Stabilise cashflow through the quieter months

The team explained: “Grassroots venues operate on razor-thin margins. A single interruption can destabilise an entire season. The dissolved licence cost us our busiest trading period, and we’ve reached the limits of what we can shoulder ourselves.”

Building a Sustainable Future for Margate’s Music Community
If the crowdfunder succeeds, Where Else? plans to implement a range of initiatives designed to create long-term sustainability and expand community offerings, including:

· A community-focused downstairs space for workshops and local organisations

· Affordable monthly rehearsal space for Margate bands

· Continued support for the in-house community-led radio station

· A new upstairs co-working space

· A communal rehearsal area for local creatives

· Pop-up food events to diversify income

· More consistent opening hours

· A record club and community listening sessions

· Additional club nights following gig events

“These plans aren’t distant ideas,” the team added. “They’re have been in the works for a long time - we just need enough stability to bring them to life.”

Supporters can donate and find out more via the crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-where-else