Palais fate is confirmed.

One to be sold, the other demolished - all change for Hammersmith venues

by Jim Larkin

Hammersmith's two most prestigious venues are preparing for transformation, with one likely to go under the hammer and the other under the wrecker's ball.

Last week, local authorities gave developer Parkway Properties permission to demolish the Hammersmith Palais to make way for new office blocks and a restaurant. The decision last Tuesday came on the same day the Competition Commission upheld its ruling about the Live Nation/MCD takeover of Academy Music Group, which is likely to result in the sell-off of the nearby Hammersmith Apollo, together with The Forum in North London.

The Commission ruled that combining Live Nation's venue interests with those of The Academy Music Group would cause a severe loss of competition on London's live map, which would result in higher rentals and, therefore, higher ticket prices for consumers.

Its final ruling upheld preliminary findings and called for a partial divestment of venues if the takeover is to be given the go-ahead. Live Nation must choose between selling either the Hammersmith Apollo or Brixton Academy, as well as either The Forum or Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Because Brixton Academy and Shepherd's Bush Empire are AMG-owned venues, Live Nation would have to sell its own interests before it could proceed. "It's very difficult to sell what you don't own," says Live Nation CEO Paul Latham. "The Apollo and The Forum would be the more likely of the two to sell."