Koko Camden fire – Legendary music venue goes up in flames as 60 firefighters tackle huge blaze

LEGENDARY music venue Koko in Camden has been left gutted by fire after erupting into flames last night.

Around 60 firefighters were scrambled to extinguish the blaze shortly before 9pm last night and fought for nearly six hours to bring the fire under control.

Koko – previously called Camden Palace – is currently closed and undergoing a refurbishment.

London Fire Brigade said at its peak around 60 firefighters were battling the blaze on Camden High Street.

The flames are believed to have spread through the roof of the building and fire crews fought to save the rest of the building.

Part of the road remains cordoned off this morning as the area is made safe and an investigation has been launched.

It is not yet clear what started the fire or full extent of the damage.

Dramatic pictures show flames shooting from the top of the iconic venue, where bands such as The Rolling Stones and Coldplay have performed.

ICONIC VENUE

Koko had been due to reopen in April this year after a huge £40m refurbishment.

The venue originally opened on Boxing Day, 1900, as the Camden Theatre and was one of the largest outside the West End.

It became a live music venue named The Music Machine in 1977 and hosted a string of new wave and punk bands – including The Clash and The Jam.

In 1982, Camden Palace was born and was the location of Madonna's first UK performance before becoming a rave event in 1990s.

The venue closed in 2004 but saw a multi-million restoration and became Koko – featuring live music, corporate events, TV production and club nights.

Famous acts to perform at Koko include My Chemical Romance, Prince, Coldplay, The Killers, Kayne West, Oasis, Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran.

Veteran BBC radio DJ Tony Blackburn tweeted: "I've only just heard about this. This is terrible news particularly as it was going through a refurbishment and we were hoping to hold our next BBC Radio London Soul Night Out there when it opens.
"Let's hope nobody has been hurt in the fire at KoKo it's such a great venue."

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