Iconic Preston venue The Ferret saved by MVT’s ‘Own Our Venues’ scheme

The city’s most popular grassroots music venue has been saved by MVT’s ‘Own Our Venues’ scheme and placed into permanent protection status.

Date published: 13th May 2024

Great news for grassroots venues as iconic Preston music hub The Ferret has been saved by the Music Venue Trust’s ‘Own Our Venues’ scheme. In what is a monumental conclusion to The Ferret’s two-year fight for survival, the venue has been placed into permanent protection status following its acquisition by the MVT. 

Since opening its doors in 2006, The Ferret has occupied an everpresent leading role in Lancastrian nightlife. A litany of iconic bands and artists like IDLES, Ed Sheeran and Catfish and the Bottlemen have graced the stage in this Preston hotspot. As one of the most popular grassroots music venues in Skiddle’s hometown of Preston, its contributions to the local creative community are undeniable.

Photo: The Ferret / Facebook.com

In 2022 the venue came up against the harsh climate facing grassroots venues as the building was announced to be going up for sale. To avoid the building potentially falling into the hands of a developer and risking closure, the Music Venue Trust came together with Preston Council and the live music community to save the venue. As part of the #ownourvenues initiative, The Ferret managed to meet its funding goals for the MVT to purchase the venue last year. 

Described as a “National Trust for Music Venues”, MVT’s ‘Own Our Venues’ scheme strives to secure the long-term futures of grassroots music venues by confronting the issue of ownership. The Ferret has signed a “cultural lease”, enabling it to continue using the building as long as it operates as a grassroots venue. 

Now the second venue to be acquired by Music Venue Properties (MVP), we can only hope that many more are yet to come. To find out more about the groundbreaking scheme that saved The Ferret, click or tap here.

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Header image credit: The Ferret / Facebook.com