Lost takes over former London College of Fashion complex, wants 24-hour license
The phone-free London party has secured a full block on Oxford Street and is asking supporters to back its bid for a premises license from Westminster Council.
Lost has secured the former London College of Fashion complex and wants a 24-hour license to run it. The party announced the move on Instagram on October 22: “An entire block on Oxford Street to reimagine the heart of London, we want to build this with you.”
A day later, Mixmag reported, Lost emailed its subscribers and asked them to contact Westminster Council in support of a premises license. The party calls the plan a “24-hour district” in Central London.
Lost left its previous home in May. That was the disused former Shaftesbury Theatre and Odeon cinema on Shaftesbury Avenue, where a temporary license ran out. Inside, the party mixed DJ sets with live performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. Charli xcx and Skepta were among its surprise performers. Lost teased its return with the words: “A 24-hour district in the heart of London. We want to build it with you. No phones. No line-up.”
Westminster Council has regularly pushed back on license applications. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has criticized the council’s plans to stop new nightlife venues opening in Central London’s busiest nightlife districts and to outlaw “vertical drinking,” despite “overwhelming” disapproval in a public survey. The council says the changes are needed to “discourage excessive drunkenness,” and Deputy Leader Tim Barnes told The Guardian they are necessary because of a “lack of investment” in the Met Police. It is not yet known how likely Lost’s bid is to succeed.
