‘We are devastated’: London’s Vault festival to close after funding falls through

Launchpad for theatre and comedy talent, which had planned to open its new longterm home this year, announces its closure

London’s Vault festival, which has kickstarted countless theatre and comedy careers in a warren of performance spaces beneath Waterloo station, has announced its closure.

The festival had been under threat after its venue-landlord, The Vaults, decided to pursue alternative uses for the tunnels the festival has used since 2012. Vault festival launched a fundraising campaign in 2023 and had secured a new longterm home in central London that was due to open later this year. However, its funding has now fallen through, leading to the cancellation of plans for a new venue and a continued festival. Redundancies have been made across the organisation.