Shoreditch music venue to transform into bike park to survive coronavirus lockdown

An independent Shoreditch music venue is set to be transformed into a cycle storage space during the coronavirus pandemic.

Having been forced to close during the UK’s lockdown, the team behind Village Underground in Shoreditch and Evolutionary Arts Hackney in Dalston have thought outside the box to weather the pandemic.

They have temporarily converted Village Underground into a storage space for more than 400 bikes, with all the profit directed towards supporting the venue to survive the crisis.

READ MORE: Shoreditch venue Village Underground to host its first weddingREAD MORE: Shoreditch music venue Village Underground is here to stayHoused in the site’s converted Victorian coal warehouse, adjacent to the former Broad Street railway viaduct, the new cycle park will be accessible via the Great Eastern Street entrance.

Patrons can drop off their bike for collection later or book in for a bike surgery from local specialist Look Mum No Hands!.

Auro Foxcroft, founder of Village Underground and Evolutionary Arts Hackney, said: “With music venues empty of artists and fans and struggling to survive, we wanted to do something positive with the situation.

“Local streets have been closed to encourage cycling and people are coming back to their work and social spaces, so we decided to put our venue to good use as a socially-distanced bicycle park, helping people to travel easily and safely until we can welcome audiences back to live music.”

It will be open Monday to Saturday from July 20, 6am to 10pm. Prices start at £1 for an hour, then £5 for a day, or £7 if collecting after 6pm.

Businesses can also block book spaces for employees.