Iconic music venue that hosted Arctic Monkeys and Ellie Goulding converted into shisha cafe

The building is due to be turned into a shisha cafe, with Leicester City Council approving an application from Saqib Kataria to turn the venue on Yeoman Street to an establishment called Saracens.

Shisha cafes are typically where customers smoke flavoured tobacco through water pipes known as hookahs, a pass time that has originated from south east Asia and the Middle East.

Such venues typically operate as late-night lounges where people gather to smoke and socialise.

Leicester City Council has awarded the application conditional approval, allowing the business to stay open until 1am on weekends and requiring a special ventilation system to be installed over smoke and smell concerns.

In a Facebook post, the owners of The Shed had shared they had explored “every possible avenue” to keep the music venue as it is, the BBC reports.

The post said: “Our team, management, and staff have all worked tirelessly, both publicly and behind the scenes, to help keep The Shed operating.

“Despite these sustained efforts, we have reached a point where continuing is no longer viable.”

The post continued by saying how it was a difficult announcement to make, the owners want to focus on what The Shed has meant over the past 30 years and that it to be remembered as a hub for live music, artistic expression and community connection.

As part of their final night on New Year’s Eve, The Shed hosted a free event, to give their customers one last chance to enjoy the venue.

One artist who’d played at The Shed wrote on social media when the venue announced its closing, that it was “hard to overstate the importance of The Shed… during this period”.

Another wrote: “Playing at The Shed was a real rite of passage for generations of Leicester musicians and bands, and some great touring acts used to pass through too.

“So sad to hear of another iconic part of the city scene leaving us, thanks for the memories.”

The November Budget confirmed that the Covid-era 40 per cent business rates relief for companies will end in April.

Live gig venues and pubs were then thrown a lifeline at the end of January, with the Chancellor agreeing to a £80million a year support package after scathing backlash against plans to overhaul business rates.

However, the situation is still dire for those in the industry, with 36 pubs closing on Monday.

The hospitality industry has warned that the situation combined with increases to the minimum wage and a rise in employer National Insurance contributions from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent, could lead to hundreds of venues shutting down.

Meanwhile, in her Spring Statement, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted the Labour Government’s economic strategy is delivering “growth and stability”.

Addressing the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on Wednesday afternoon, Reeves said Labour’s economic plan remains “the right one”.

She told MPs she had confidence in the country’s ability to overcome current challenges, adding that the strategy she has pursued since the election focuses on maintaining stability in the public finances, boosting investment in infrastructure and reforming the UK economy.

Leicester City Council said they have "acted positively and proactively" in coming to the conclusion of the application.

They continued by saying that it was "a positive outcome" as long as the conditions of a "sustainable development" was met.

It is not known when works will start on the shisha cafe.