Fatboy Slim invests in community buyout of Brighton venue The Pipeline

In Brighton, The Pipeline, a grassroots music venue, is on track to become community-owned thanks to a £7 million project supported by DJ Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) and ex-Labour MP Andy Burnham. This initiative, managed by Music Venue Properties (MVP), focuses on acquiring freeholds of music venues to ensure their sustainability. The Pipeline, located on Little East Street, will be MVP's 10th acquisition, joining venues like The Joiners in Southampton and The Booking Hall in Dover. Cook, who performed at the venue during the Everywhere at Once festival in June, described these spaces as essential to the music industry. MVP, dubbed "The National Trust for music venues," aims to protect these vital community assets.