Fear not, dance enthusiasts.
Friday morning brought the news that popular nightclub The Wright Venue will close its doors later this month.
The Swords staple opened 10 years ago and will shut down on 14 January.
Aside from being a notable haunt for clubbers, the venue has also been a popular location for artists to play in with Ellie Goulding, Craig David, 50 Cent and Rihanna all frequenting the venue.
Friday afternoon brought a promising update for those worried about losing another high profile venue with the news that Bodytonic, who promote the likes of Beatyard, Eatyard and various Dublin pubs, are taking over and will revamp the place as a new space for arts, games, food and events.
The new endeavour will go by the name of Jam Park and should pick up the big dance gig slack in quick enough time.
A short note on the official Jam Park website reads:
“Bodytonic presents Jam Park, a new arts, games, eatery & events space coming soon.”
Below that, there’s a mailing list option for anyone who wishes to find out further information.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that existing Wright Venue staff will be offered employment within the new company.
A statement, issued to JOE on behalf of Michael Wright of the Michael JF Wright Hospitality Group, reads:
“After 10 years at the forefront of Dublin’s social scene, The Wright Venue will close at the end of this month. (January 2019). Re-imagined and managed by The Body Tonic Group, it will reopen as ‘Jam Park’ in the coming months, as an exciting new venue for Dublin’s northside. All Wright Venue staff are being offered positions within the company.
“The award winning Michael JF Wright Hospitality Group, which recently announced plans to open St Andrew’s Food Hall in Dublin city centre, plans to re-focus on its growing restaurant and food businesses, which include Marqette at Dublin Airport, The Bloody Stream, Wright’s Anglers Rest, Wright’s Café Bar, Wright’s Findlater Howth and Gilbert and Wright.”
Michael Wright said:
“The Wright Venue has been an incredible journey. Since taking a chance and building a venue in North Dublin in the worst of the recession, we’ve spent a decade welcoming customers in their thousands from all over the country.
“We thrived thanks to the talented and passionate team that helped create the unique Wright Venue atmosphere and reputation and by offering quality entertainment and major stars. I’m particularly proud that we created a safe and enjoyable venue for thousands of young people with our teen events.
“I’d like to thank everyone that supported us and look forward to seeing Jam Park, Bodytonic’s new venture, thrive as we did. For us, our focus now is the food business. We plan to bring the same passion that made such a success of The Wright Venue to new projects such as St Andrew’s Food Hall.”
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