Proud Camden set to close its doors after 17 years

London’s Proud Camden nightclub will close on Sunday 4 March after almost two decades at its Camden Stables Market location.

The independent live music, gallery and cabaret venue is one of the capital’s best known entertainment brands and was first opened in 2001 by CEO Alex Proud.

Proud is closing the venue 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,” said Proud. “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.”

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 a popular drinking haunt for UK celebrities 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, its alternative movement spearheading the transformation of the area.

In 2006, Proud Camden moved to its current location, a 200-year-old former horse hospital at Camden Stables Market. Proud continued to develop the site throughout its tenure, creating a multi-faceted entertainment hub incorporating a roof garden and bar, art gallery, live music hall and cabaret restaurant all on the same site. Over the years, the venue has welcomed performances from artists such as Sting, Jarvis Cocker, Florence & The Machine, Moby and Coldplay amongst others, while it was also the location of Ed Sheeran’s first ever live performance.

Details of Proud Camden’s farewell parties over the forthcoming weeks can be found here.