Latest news with #SarahWillingham
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
the all-request music bar that's replacing Dirty Martini in the heart of Cardiff's party scene
Here in Cardiff, we are totally spoilt for great ways to spend a night out. From great activity bars like Golf Fang and Flight Club, to traditional pubs like The Cottage and places to bust your dance moves like Bonnie Rouge and Barbara's Bier Bar. And now, there is a new bar on the scene. The Piano Works opens on St Mary Street on Friday, May 30. The venue will have crowd-led setlists and high-energy performances from a live band and duelling pianos. Piano Works will offer "something different" to Cardiff's nightlife with a mix of live music, audience-requested songs, and a late-night DJ. The venue will focus on creating an interactive, high-energy atmosphere that keeps the music going into the early hours. It also serves food and has a special Sunday 'roasts and rhythm' menu where you can dine on roast beef and bloody Marys while two duelling pianos duke it out on the main stage. Owned by the Nightcap Group, who also own Blame Gloria, The Cocktail Club, and Tonight Josephine, The Piano Works takes over the former location of Dirty Martini, which is also owned by the Nightcap Group. The Nightcap group is run by former Dragons' Den dragon, Sarah Willingham. She was on the show from 2015 to 2016. Speaking about opening The Piano Works in Cardiff, Sarah said: "We love Cardiff... we've really invested in it, it is beautifully done. "That street in Cardiff is just a great street and the people of Wales love to go out they love a good sing song and we feel really confident that this is bringing a concept that the Welsh are going to love... we know the Welsh love a sing-song, love a good drink and love some great food and we are bringing all three in one venue." Bringing a fresh twist to the city's music scene, The Piano Works promises a non-stop, singalong experience where the audience decides the playlist. Every night, guests can scribble down their favourite songs and hand them over to the live band. There will be no setlists, just back-to-back audience requests played by a talented roster of musicians and vocalists. Once the live music wraps up, late-night DJs will take over to keep the energy high into the early hours. Inside the dark bar there is plenty space to sit, with tables with benches, an illuminated stage, a photobooth and a very well stacked bar that runs the length of the wall. Pride of the venue is the elaborate stage which has two pianos, a drumkit and other instruments. You will also be joined by Welsh icons Sir Tom Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey who are illuminated and lit up on the walls. There are other Welsh nods with neon signs that read The Cwtch and 'oh, what's occurring?' In another part of the venue, near the windows, it is lighter and there is another bar with comfy high stool seating available. Outside follows a red theme, with font and text used like old style Hollywood and geometric patterns, and there is some seating right on St Mary street, so you never miss out on the hustle and bustle. The Piano Works is open now at
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Brighton i360 owner Sarah Willingham reveals purchase price
The new owner of the Brighton i360 viewing tower says she paid £150,000 for the company Nightcap, run by ex-Dragons' Den judge Sarah Willingham, announced its purchase of the site in Willingham claims to have spent £400,000 to get the pod working again, in addition to £150,000 to take the attraction out of administration, a spokesman confirmed to the BBC, after The Argus first reported the story on & Hove City Council wrote off £51m worth of debt in January to facilitate the purchase. Brighton i360 entered administration in November 2024 before closing suddenly the following month, with the loss of over 100 reopened in March following Nightcap's company plans to invest an additional £1.5m in hospitality space at Brighton i360 by September 2026, according to a March trading city council agreed to finance construction of the observation tower in 2014 after planning permission was originally granted in 2006. The tower opened in 2016.
Wales Online
23-04-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Two huge Cardiff city centre bars close down
Two huge Cardiff city centre bars close down You can no longer book a table at the popular venue from the end of next month The Alchemist is set to close its only Welsh branch (Image: Mark Lewis ) After seven years of being a key feature on Cardiff's St Mary's Street, a popular bar has confirmed its closure. The cocktail bar and restaurant chain The Alchemist, will be closing the doors of its only Welsh branch. The bar took over the large site of the former NatWest bank on the Cardiff high street in 2018, making it the first and only The Alchemist in Wales. Now after almost seven years of serving customers in the capital, The Alchemist have confirmed its closure. Whilst a date has yet to be announced for the closure of the venue, the last date available to book is Sunday, May 25. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Customers are unable to book from this date onwards as the site reads: "Our venue is currently closed—sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your understanding!" The Alchemist is known for its creative cocktails (Image: Mark Lewis ) Article continues below When it opened in 2018, the cult bar and restaurant brought a unique experience with creative theatrical cocktails along with classic dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner that have an "Alchemist twist". Cardiff is known for its bustling nightlife and wide selection of bars, pubs and clubs along the high street, bringing people from across the UK to Wales capital. However, the closure of popular venues is not uncommon for different reasons whether that's financial struggles, a company going into administration or to make way for new features. As well as The Alchemist closing on St Mary's Street, popular cocktail bar Dirty Martini also closed its doors this month - April 2025 - after being open for almost a decade. Dirty Martini announced the closure to make way for a new exciting addition to the city centre, The Piano Works, opening in May 2025. The Piano Works is a live music venue, offering "something different" according to the Nightcap Group, the company behind both Dirty Martini and The Piano Works. The venue also promises a space where the crowd shapes the soundtrack, making each night unique. (Image: Nightcap Group ) Dragons Den's, Sarah Willingham, who founded the Nightcap Group, said: 'We are all very excited to bring The Piano Works to the wonderful people of Cardiff. "It's always been one of my favourite cities and I know the Piano Works will find a good home there." Article continues below
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Brighton's i360 reopens with new owners after two-month closure
Brighton's i360 is back up and running two months after it closed amid financial problems. The tourist attraction was bought over by Nightcap Ltd in February after Brighton & Hove City Council wiped the i360's £51m debt. Sarah Willingham, Nightcap Ltd founder and CEO, opened the tower's pod, gift shop and cafe at 11:00 GMT on Saturday but said there is more to come. Former Dragons Den judge Mrs Willingham told BBC Radio Sussex ahead of the opening that she wanted the i360 to be "the heartbeat of the prom". A pre-booked ticket for an adult over 16 will remain at £18.50 but the attraction has introduced £5 tickets for adults and £2.50 for children who live in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41 postcodes.A bar on the site is due to open in the summer, says Nightcap Ltd, and there will be further refurbishments. Mrs Willingham said: "This is very much a phased opening." The original owners of the 531ft (162m) tower, which opened in August 2016, suddenly closed the viewing tower in December, making 109 staff redundant the week before Christmas. In order to secure a sale Brighton & Hove City Council announced in January they would wipe the venue's £51m local Sarah Willingham's firm took over the tower in February in a deal which will see 1% of i360 tower ticket sales revenue go to Brighton & Hove City Council.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seafront tourist attraction bought by hospitality chain
A seafront tourist attraction which closed suddenly after facing a series of financial problems has been bought by a hospitality chain. Nightcap, which runs more than 40 venues including The Cocktail Club and Tonight Josephine bars, confirmed it had purchased observation tower Brighton i360 on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Nightcap takes over the remaining 115-year lease of the i360. It comes after Brighton and Hove City Council agreed to write off the i360's £51 million debt last month so that it could be sold and get back in business. Brighton i360 had filed for administration after it failed to find a buyer, just days before Christmas last year, closing with immediate effect and making 109 employees redundant. Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader of the Labour-run Brighton and Hove City Council, said: 'We are delighted that Nightcap has taken such a keen interest in revitalising the i360, and their passion and commitment to the city is evident. We think this is the best option for the city – giving a fresh start for the attraction, and helping to ensure this important stretch of seafront can thrive.' Sarah Willingham, founder and chief executive of Nightcap and former Dragon on Dragons' Den, said: 'We couldn't be happier to welcome the i360 to the Nightcap family and delighted that Brighton and Hove City Council has paved the way for us to keep this iconic landmark open. 'We pass the i360 every day and were as disappointed as everyone else when it went into administration and no buyer was found. The impact of its closure would have been catastrophic to our local businesses and a blemish on this important part of the Brighton seafront. We hope we will get the support of our tight knit local community as we embark on this new chapter for the i360.'
