MAMA Festivals

{{short description|Live music and lifestyle entertainment company}} {{multiple issues| {{Advert|date=July 2013}} {{Primary sources|date=January 2013}} }} {{Infobox company |name = MAMA Festivals Limited |logo = MAMA Festivals logo.png |type = Private, Subsidiary |founder = |fate = |area_served = UK<ref name=About/> |key_people = Adam Driscoll, Dean James (co-founders) Rory Bett (CEO) Kirsty Mcshannon, COO |industry = Entertainment |products = Concerts |owner = LN-Gaiety Holdings Ltd |num_employees = |divisions = Venues Festivals & Events Supporting Services |subsidiaries = Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen The Forum The Institute The Garage The Ritz The Arts Club The Great Escape Festival Lovebox Festival Somersault Festival Wilderness Festival Global Gathering Godskitchen Eclectricity |footnotes = |founded = 2005<ref name="About">{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/about-us/our-history/ |access-date=29 January 2013 |publisher=MAMA & Company}}</ref> |caption = |hq_location_city = London, England |hq_location_country = UK |num_locations = 9 venues (2014) |website = {{url|http://www.mamafestivals.com/}} }}

'''MAMA Festivals''' is a live music and entertainment company which owns and operates a number of live music venues and festivals in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2005, it has acquired many other venue-holding companies, expanding its reach significantly across England.

The company owns six London venues and three regional venues: Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, The Forum in Kentish Town, The Garage in Islington, The Institute in Birmingham, The Ritz in Manchester, and The Arts Club in Liverpool. The venues range in capacity from 300 to 2,300.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

In addition, MAMA operates several festivals and events, including Lovebox (London),<ref>{{Cite web |title=MAMA acquires 100% of Lovebox |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/mama-acquires-100-of-lovebox/053266 |access-date=4 April 2013 |publisher=Music Week}}</ref> Wilderness (Oxfordshire), The Great Escape (Brighton), Somersault (North Devon), Global Gathering (Stratford-upon-Avon), Godskitchen, and Future Gods events.

==History==

MAMA was founded by Adam Driscoll and Dean James in 2005 via the reverse takeover of Campus Media by Stonesthrow Media (Channelfly Group). The newly re-branded MAMA Group was admitted to AIM in December 2005. MAMA stands for Music and Media Assets. On 11 June 2007, the company purchased the Hammersmith Apollo<ref>{{Cite web |title=Announcements: MAMA Group Plc announces purchase of the Hammersmith Apollo |url=http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/18/section.aspx/download/50 |access-date=21 January 2009 |publisher=MAMA Group PLC}}</ref> and The Forum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mama Group acquire the Forum |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/mama-group-acquire-the-forum/035517 |access-date=4 April 2013 |publisher=Music Week}}</ref> The same year, MAMA Group acquired Mean Fiddler Holdings Limited<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bowers |first=Simon |date=14 August 2007 |title=The Mean Fiddler comes to Mama |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/aug/14/musicnews.music |access-date=4 April 2013}}</ref> the company which owned The Jazz Café, The Garage, The Borderline, and held a majority share in G-A-Y.

On 6 March 2008, the group acquired The Picture House, Edinburgh from Luminar Liquid Limited, a subsidiary of Luminar Group Holdings plc.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Announcements: MAMA Group announce acquisition of Edinburgh venue |url=http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/18/section.aspx/download/85 |access-date=21 January 2009 |publisher=MAMA Group PLC}}</ref> On 1 April 2008, MAMA acquired The institute, Birmingham and on 13 June 2008, they acquired a majority share in Global Gathering Group Limited (formerly Angel Music Group Limited),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Announcements: MAMA Group announce completion of acquisition of Angel Music Group Limited |url=http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/18/section.aspx/download/92 |access-date=21 January 2009 |publisher=MAMA Group PLC}}</ref> the company which owns GlobalGathering, Godskitchen, and Future Gods brands. MAMA acquired 100% of Global Gathering Group Limited in 2011.

On 22 September 2008, MAMA Group acquired Heaven (London) Limited, the company which owns the leasehold of the Heaven Nightclub.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Announcements: Mama Group announce Acquisition of Heaven (London) Limited |url=http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/18/section.aspx/download/99 |access-date=21 January 2009 |publisher=MAMA Group PLC}}</ref>

On 15 January 2009, HMV Group purchased a 50 percent stake in MAMA Group. The new company, Mean Fiddler Group Limited, operated 11 venues across the United Kingdom, including the Hammersmith Apollo, The Forum in Kentish Town, The Garage, Jazz Café, The Edinburgh Picture House, Digbeth Institute in Birmingham, Heaven, G-A-Y Bar, G-A-Y Late, The Borderline, and Aberdeen's Moshulu.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Leroux |first=Marcus |date=15 January 2008 |title=HMV Group plugs into live music market |work=The Times |location=London |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article5519903.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612095924/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article5519903.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 12, 2011 |access-date=21 January 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Announcements: MAMA Group announces joint venture with HMV in the live venue market |url=http://www.mamagroup.co.uk/18/section.aspx/download/109 |access-date=21 January 2009 |publisher=MAMA Group PLC}}</ref> In January 2010, HMV bought the whole of the MAMA Group in a deal worth £46m.<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 December 2009 |title=HMV buys MAMA Group in live music takeover deal |publisher=BBC News online |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8428713.stm |access-date=4 April 2013}}</ref>

HMV sold the Hammersmith Apollo to AEG Live and Eventim UK in May 2012 for £32 million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 May 2012 |title=Hammersmith Apollo in London sold by HMV to Stage C |work=BBC News Online |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18284304 |access-date=8 October 2012}}</ref> It sold the remainder of MAMA & Company to management backed by Lloyds Development Capital in December 2012 for £7.3 million, which also included the company's 50% stake in Mean Fiddler Group (excluding Heaven and the G-A-Y businesses).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anne-Sylvaine Chassany |date=3 December 2012 |title=HMV sells Mama Group music arm to LDC |publisher=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/8bd9b3a8-3d6d-11e2-9f35-00144feabdc0 |access-date=22 January 2013}}</ref>

March 2013, MAMA acquired East Village Arts Club (formerly The Masque), Liverpool on 5 February 2013<ref>{{Cite web |title=Liverpool venue The Masque to join MAMA Group |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/liverpool-venue-the-masque-to-join-mama-group/052608 |access-date=4 April 2013 |publisher=Music Week}}</ref> and Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-03-19 |title=Mama buys Hoxton Bar & Kitchen for £1.9m |language=en |url=http://www.cityam.com/article/mama-buys-hoxton-bar-kitchen-19m |access-date=2017-03-20}}</ref>

In 2015, MAMA was acquired by LN-Gaiety, a joint venture of Live Nation UK and the parent company of MCD Productions.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-08-05 |title=Live Nation acquires UK's MAMA through Gaiety Investments JV - Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US |work=Music Business Worldwide |url=http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/live-nation-acquires-uks-mama-through-gaiety-investments-jv/ |access-date=2017-03-20}}</ref> Three MAMA venues, the Ritz in Manchester, the Forum in Kentish Town and the Institute in Birmingham, would be rebranded by Live Nation as the O2 Ritz Manchester, O2 Forum Kentish Town, and O2 Institute Birmingham respectively.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-10-12 |title=Live Nation re-brands 3 ex-MAMA venues as 'O2' in the UK - Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US |work=Music Business Worldwide |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/live-nation-re-brands-3-ex-mama-venues-as-o2-in-the-uk/ |access-date=2017-11-08}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

== External links == *{{official website|http://www.mamafestivals.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:MAMA Festivals}} Category:Live Nation Entertainment Category:Event management companies of the United Kingdom Category:Companies based in the City of Westminster Category:Entertainment companies established in 2005 Category:2005 establishments in England Category:Festival organizations