East London venue Space 289 is to close later this month due to rising rent costs.

American investment bank Blackstone, which purchased the property that houses Space 289 from Transport for London in 2019, has more than doubled the rent, the team behind the venue said in a statement shared via Instagram. "We have tried to fight them in court, but with mounting legal costs and no positive outcome in sight, we have no choice but to walk," the statement read. "As a small 200-cap venue trying to push good music, it's not possible for us to generate enough income to survive such high rents."

The venue first opened in October 2019, and reopened in July of last year following the relaxation of COVID-19 measures. As a club and gig space, it's hosted the likes of Loraine James, aya, Nazar, Giant Swan and Iceboy Violet, among others.