'World renowned' nightclub with cult following up for sale for £1.7m

Yahoo

3 days ago

A "world renowned" Southampton nightclub with a cult following has hit the market, as it has been listed for £1.7 million.
The freehold for Jesters Nightclub on Bevois Valley Road is up for sale, which includes the famous nightclub itself, the Clowns "wine bar" it is connected to and an 11-bedroom house of multiple occupancy.
Current owner Alan Green first opened Clowns in 1987 before buying Jesters two years later, and has run the nightclub beloved by students ever since.
The listing for the property suggests that the new owners could make "around £100,000" per year by renting out the 11-bedroom HMO.
The Clowns wine bar - as pictured - is also included in the sale. (Image: Zoopla / Hunters) But the building has been put up for sale just one month after a fundraiser was launched to save the nightclub with a cult-following.
Owner Alan Green told the Echo that the campaign was launched to help battle a repossession notice which was served for the building.
READ MORE:
Alan said the matter was set to go to court, which could result in the property being taken back by the bank, resulting in Alan losing the club which he opened in 1989.
Downstairs at Jesters. (Image: Zoopla / Hunters) A target of £200,000 has been set by those running the fundraiser, which will cover essential operating costs over the summer period while students are away.
The money will be used to maintain and improve the venue, while also trying to recoup costs against "some of the biggest financial challenges" in the venue's history.
Alan told the Echo that a loan was taken out and has now had its interest increased to an "unpayable" 35 per cent.
The nightclub is currently closed while students are away for the summer. (Image: Zoopla / Hunters) Jesters is closed right now, as it always does for 12 weeks while students are away from university over the break.
READ MORE:
"It's usually a bit of a bleak summer, this is why we're tyring to raise the money," Alan previously said.
"It's not quite over just yet. The repossession notice gives us the chance to plead our case in court. We're going down fighting."
The news of a potential closure has broken the hearts of former students across the city.
Cam Burns, who started the fundraiser on behalf of Alan, said Jesters is "not just a club".
"It is a part of Southampton's DNA," he said.
"It is the first social, the last night out, the best memories."