Popular Aylesbury live music venue shut after landlord enacts enforcement order

The future of a live music bar and eatery in Aylesbury is uncertain after its locks were changed by an enforcement team this morning.

The Petri Dish on Aylesbury High Street is closed today after the venue landlord hired an enforcement team to close the building.

The closure was confirmed on the venue’s social media page. The Petri Dish says: “The Petri Dish is a little bit closed...“I mean locked...If there is a time to act then the time is now...”

Those behind the music venue admit it has been shut down over rent money arrears. But the management of the bar still hope to reach an agreement with the landlord.

The Petri Dish insists the issues are not down to bad management on their part but rather the problems plaguing the industry across the country. A number of similar independent businesses have closed over the past 12 months due to rising costs. While many family-run companies are still adjusting to loss of earnings suffered during the pandemic.

The management team are requesting donations and have published bank details on its Facebook page. The Petri Dish states it has decided not to set up a fundraising page due to the week it takes for money to be processed from crowdfunding sites.

A number of local punters have taken to social media to voice their dismay and disappointment at the potential closure of the popular high street venue.

It is one of the places in Aylesbury best known for regularly hosting live bands and music acts, continuing the town’s history of being a place quality guitar sounds thrive.

One person said on Facebook: “We’re so sad to hear this, it’s such a great family friendly venue and atmosphere and a must need for Aylesbury. We have made a donation and hope everyone else can do the same.”

Another said: “Terrible news, The Petri Dish has been a real bonus to the town.”

Many people commenting on the venue’s Facebook post are members of bands and acts that have played at the venue in recent years. Other comments lament the potential damage the closure could cause Aylesbury, if it were to lose one of its most prominent live music spaces.