San Francisco Frontiers - London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening

The London Museum has secured a license permitting extended operating hours, including the potential for 24-hour access, as it prepares to open its newly refurbished home in Smithfield later this month. The institution is scheduled to welcome its first visitors on November 28, marking the conclusion of a decade-long restoration project of the iconic Victorian General Market.

The space, which has remained empty since traders relocated in the 1990s, will be divided into three distinct sections: Real Time, Our Time, and Past Time. The museum’s opening features a combination of permanent displays and temporary events developed in partnership with entities such as Fabric nightclub and Morley’s chicken shop. Lord Sadiq Khan has described the project as proof that London is the cultural capital of the world.

The Poultry Market, located adjacent to the Victorian General Market, is expected to open in 2028.

Prior to the November unveiling, the London Museum applied to the City of London Corporation for a license covering various event spaces, cafés, bars, and restaurants. The application sought permission to host performances including plays, film screenings, and live music, as well as to sell alcohol for consumption on and off the premises around the clock, Monday through Sunday. The museum also requested late-night refreshment services until 5 a.m.

Cameron Leslie, co-founder and director at Fabric, was among five individuals who wrote in support of the plans. Leslie described the London Museum as a genuinely important cultural institution and stated that the restoration of the Victorian General Market—derelict and closed to the public since the early 1990s—is exactly the kind of regeneration the area needs.

"Bringing a magnificent but neglected building back into public and cultural use, as a social and cultural hub connecting the museum’s collection with London’s communities, is a significant public good," Leslie wrote. "I can think of few better outcomes for that site."

The Greater London Authority also backed the application, although one resident submitted an objection. Greg Callus raised concerns regarding the proposed 24/7 alcohol sales, the scale of late-night events, and discrepancies between his understanding of off-premises sales restrictions and the actual plans.

Callus, a former off-license licensee, noted that off-premises sales require specific training and management to prevent underage and unlawful sales. He emphasized that staff must be under the direct supervision of the licensee, even when the shop is open but the bar is not. He argued that age checks applicable to bars cannot be assumed for museum shops and pointed out that no premises in the area currently sell alcohol for off-premises consumption after 11 p.m.

Callus proposed three conditions to address his concerns: limiting on-premises alcohol sales to bars and restaurants at earlier hours, restricting off-sales to the shop, and adjusting licensing hours. However, he told the City of London Corporation’s Licensing Sub-Committee that he supports the museum’s plans and its operation as a 24/7 venue.

After engaging with the museum, Callus stated that only one concern remained: the on-premises licensing hours. He amended his proposal to suggest alcohol not be sold after midnight during the week and 2 a.m. on weekends. He acknowledged that living in Central London requires tolerance for public nuisance, stating, "You should tolerate a certain degree of public nuisance. People will throw up on your garage door from time to time, people will urinate in your doorway from time to time. Such are the facts of living in Zone 1. It is a privilege to live here."

Callus added that a late-night license could create challenges in managing crowds leaving the museum’s immediate confines and questioned whether a 24/7 license was wise.

Alun Thomas, representing the museum, stated that the application was intended to legislate for day-to-day operations as well as the wider program of cultural events. He noted that each event would have a bespoke risk assessment and that the museum is ideally located from a transport perspective. On the appropriateness of a 24/7 license in the area, Thomas pointed to Fabric as evidence that it can be effectively implemented and enforced.

"So there is the start of your evidence base," Thomas said. "Fabric, in this location, 24 hours, large capacity, doesn’t cause a problem. So the question is whether there is any likelihood that our proposal will undermine the licensing objectives."

Thomas told members that without the 24/7 license, the museum would be operating "in the dark" regarding its cultural events program. "It shouldn’t be a why," he said. "It should be a why not."

Committee members did not make a decision during the meeting, but the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands they have since approved the application.

A London Museum spokesperson said: "In our new home, we set ourselves the ambition to be just like London, with extended opening hours fitting for a 24-hour city. With markets, a hospital, and nightclub nearby, Smithfield is active around the clock, and this license gives us the opportunity to create great moments for people to experience the museum, whatever their shift or schedule."

The spokesperson added: "We look forward to opening later this month and creating a brilliant new cultural destination for the capital."

B.Turner--SFF