Funeral held for Bristol nightclub Motion ahead of its closure in this month

A funeral has been held for the iconic Bristol nightclub Motion, ahead of its closure this month.

After operating for over 20 years, the club announced it will close its doors for good on July 19th.

Crowds gathered outside the venue last week, where a priest performed a eulogy for the beloved club.

Held on July 10th, the funeral was held to give Motion “the send-off it deserves” after it was announced late last year that the venue was due to close.

via SWNS

Crowds gathered to mourn, celebrate and pay tribute to one of the UK’s most renowned venues, with organisers explaining  how Bristol is “losing an icon”. Motion’s final day after 20 years in operation is on July 19^th with The Last Dance, a “final rave for the ages” from Just Jack, due to last from 6pm until 6am.

Dressed in funeral attire, attendees tossed flowers on a coffin as it was borne around Motion, before a priest in a dog collar performed a eulogy.

He began by assuring the crowd that the funeral was held “not in sorrow but in celebration”, but his speech also highlighted the current trend in nightclub and evening venue closures not only in Bristol but nationwide:

“Today, we lay to rest not just four walls in a warehouse but an icon… But Motion’s death isn’t an isolated tragedy. It’s part of a bigger crisis…flats rising where dance floors once stood”.

The priest added: “Clubs aren’t dying from a lack of love. They are dying from being priced out and pushed out in a system that no longer values the spaces that bring us together.”

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The congregation seemed to agree with this sentiment, with some holding up banners that read “Save UK nightlife” and “Not another one!?”

via SWNS

Previously, Motion’s owners insisted that they have “done everything we could to change the outcome”, including submitting a bid to purchase the site. Sadly, their efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

“Despite doing everything right, it has become increasingly clear: We will not be open past July. This isn’t just the end of a lease. It’s the end of an era, not just for us but for the entire community who have collectively built something special here”.

via SWNS

An ambitious fundraising initiative has been launched with the goal of raising two hundred and 50,000 pounds, in a last ditch effort to secure a permanent home for Motion and its sister venue, the Marble Factory.

Featured image via SWNS