If you have tickets for a Marble Factory event, then the recent news that it and Motion are set to close when the building’s lease expires in July 2025 will have come as a huge shock. Motion and the Marble Factory are both situated within the same premises at 74-78 Avon Street in Bristol – something out-of-towners may certainly not be familiar with.
Dubbed one of the UK’s best venues, Motion announced the news in a statement on Wednesday (November 11) with bosses citing mounting challenges such as economic pressures, changing regulations and social factors that have impacted the business in recent years. The owners of the site in Avon Street have reportedly rejected a request for a lease extension and put the venue up for sale.
The Marble Factory is another ‘cutting-edge live music venue’ from the team at Motion, which has sat side-by-side with the latter since its opening back in 2014, boasting a 550 capacity as part of the Motion complex in St Philips. Up until 2016, the complex also featured a popular skate park.
While news of Motion’s closure has come as a massive shock to Bristol’s music fans and gig goers, and with confirmation that both Motion and The Marble Factory will close its doors in July 2025, it’s worth noting that the Motion team recently opened yet another live music venue and that, for now at least, all events up until July at Motion and The Marble Factory, are still going ahead, while Document remains unaffected.
Document is located on Pennywell Road in St Jude’s, in a former document storage facility from the 1990s, and opened as a multipurpose space for live music, electronic events, and other creative uses, back in 2019. It boasts a capacity of between 200-3,000 people, depending on the event layout.
Motion Bristol’s closure statement said: “We now find ourselves in a challenging position as the property is up for sale. While we are devoted to preserving this cherished space, the owners have expressed their intention to sell to local developers, seeking higher returns.”
They added: “As we navigate this difficult chapter, we earnestly appeal to the community to stand with us. Your voices resonate powerfully; they hold the potential to advocate for a future in which Motion continues to thrive and enrich Bristol’s cultural landscape. Together, we can remind decision-makers of the value of a place steeped in history, love, and community spirit.”