Edinburgh Corn Exchange to become O2 Academy in takeover deal
The venue is getting a rebrand
The company which runs O2 Academy venues across the UK is taking over Edinburgh's Corn Exchange.
Academy Music Group (AMG) has already invested in a new sound and lighting system as it plans to bring more gigs and rebrand the 3,000 capacity site in Chesser.
The category B listed building was built in 1909 and over the last two decades, Marco’s Leisure Ltd has transformed the venue.
Its reputation for live music began with a sell-out show by Blur in 1999.
They were followed by major acts, including Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro, Oasis, Coldplay, Faithless, Arctic Monkeys, Garbage, Grace Jones, Radiohead, Paulo Nutini, Pulp and Calvin Harris.
Graham Walters, Chief Operating Officer, Academy Music Group said, "We’ve been keen to expand our O2 Academy brand in Scotland for some time and we’re delighted to now be in Edinburgh.
"We see huge potential with this venue, it fits with our ethos of investing in heritage buildings, with the right capacity of 3,000 to bring world-class entertainment to the city.
Paul DeMarco, Managing Director, Marco’s Leisure Ltd said, "When Marco’s Leisure bought the Corn Exchange in Chesser 22 years ago, we started with a plan to be Edinburgh's go-to concert venue.
"We are happy to pass on the baton to the top professionals in the live music industry who will ensure it continues to play a major role in Scotland's events industry for many more years to come".