WATCH: Inverness public push for new music venue after Ironworks closure
Over the years Inverness has loved and lost many music venues that locals have cherished memories of, including the one and only Ironworks in Academy Street.
From Mad Hatters, which was once part of the popular music venue Hootananny in Church Street and was closed to make way for accommodation, to nightclub Miami where the Vengaboys played, but unfortunately closed around 2014.
But, why did this popular music venue close?
Miami is thought to have closed after the "Cinderella" curfew was axed. This curfew meant that you had to be in a venue by midnight otherwise you couldn’t get into another club.
The Highland Licensing Board scrapped this idea in November 2012 following a campaign by local people despite strong opposition from police, who feared it would threaten public safety and increase violence. The restriction had been in place for almost a decade.
More prominently known was the Ironworks, which shut its doors for good in February 2023 after its final concert headlined by Elephant Sessions.
The Ironworks was known for hosting performances from the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Mumford and the Sons, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and even Calvin Harris.
But, if this venue was so popular, why did it close? It wanted to make room for Inverness to have another hotel.
In 2022, Bricks Group, a UK-based company owned by Hong Kong-based Bricks Capital Limited, won planning permission to demolish the Ironworks and build a £30-million hotel.
The hotel is set to have 155 bedrooms, a restaurant, a café/bar, and two gyms. Bricks Group also said the hotel would create 65 jobs.
Despite its closing in 2023 the building has still not seen any developments.
This closure was highlighted as a major loss for Inverness, and many mourned the end of the venue, including local musicians like Michael MacGillivray (33), who plays gigs in the city when he’s not offshore working on a rig.
He started pursuing music during the Covid lockdown in 2021 and now performs under the name MACGILLI, but believes Inverness could benefit from another music venue.
Michael said: “Unfortunately Inverness has taken away its one and only music venue which was the Ironworks and it’s still lying there empty.
“There could be many more good nights to be had in that venue, but unfortunately that’s not the case. It is quite frustrating, but you can see they’re trying their best with the venues like Upstairs and Eden Court.
“So, it’s good in the respect that it gives small town musicians, like myself, that platform. But, we could do with more venues in the city that’s for sure.”
