A grassroots music venue in Margate marks its eight birthday this month.
Where Else? was launched in 2018 – originally under the name of ElseWhere- and was founded as a space for Margate to gather, experiment, and nurture emerging talent.
It was one of the first venue to make its home in the rejuvenated The Centre.
Run under Night Harvest CIC, headed up by promoter Sammy Clarke, the venue has become a destination for early-career musicians, experimental artists, industry newcomers, and a wide demographic of music fans from teens to long-established gig-goers.
Across eight years, Where Else? has programmed live music, club nights, comedy, film screenings, supper clubs and more and is home to Margate Radio, broadcast from an on-site studio.
It managed to survive the covid closures and gained community support through crowdfunders in 2022 and 2025 to keep the venue alive during difficult times.
A member of the Music Venue Trust’s Music Venues Alliance, Where Else? has established itself as one of the UK’s essential independent spaces.
To celebrate, the venue has assembled a cross-section of its extended family: returning faces and fresh voices that represent the next chapter.
The party takes place on September 26, doors open at 5pm for a full evening of live music, with DJs Reggy Brown, Jerry and Lu Kirnon, carrying things through from 10pm until late in the bar for a free entry dance party.
Birthday line-up
DNA TEST
Members of Snapped Ankles, Loggsplitter and the Thurston Moore Group. Part band, part art experiment, DNA Test is what happens when post-punk lineage meets electronic ritual. The trio – Martina Spetlova (Loggsplitter / Facekini), Jem Doulton (Thurston Moore Group / Au Pairs / Melos Kalpa) and Austin (Snapped Ankles / Loggsplitter) – combine live drums, thunderous Latvian Pērkons drum machinery and wild Soma Terra synths.
FRUIT BAND
Fruit Band is a one piece band comprised of band leader James Gale. What started as a bedroom project has turned into a full fledged force to be reckoned with. Last year Fruit Band released one album ‘b-sides’ and played extensively around the UK.
MOINA MOIN
Moina is a multimedia artist working across kinetic sculpture, sound, performance and curation, currently based at Goldsmiths University.
TBH
Margate’s own bright new hope. TBH, are a young band whose presence in the local scene has been making waves, and WhereElse’ birthday gives them one of their biggest platforms yet.
JUMBO SHRIMP
Margate punk’s new shining light. Jumbo Shrimp bring noise, momentum and conviction to the birthday bill exactly the kind of act Where Else exists to platform.
BLACKHOUSE HILL
Formed at Canterbury College in spring 2025 by students Sam, Rick, Beau and Joe, Blackhouse Hill won Battle of the Bands within months of forming and have since built a growing live reputation across Thanet and Folkestone. Their debut single ‘Pale Green’ marks their first step into sharing their sound more widely.
DJs FROM 10pm — FREE ENTRY IN THE BAR
Reggy Brown / Jerry / Lu Kirnon
Tickets for the 8th Birthday are available on a sliding scale via Gigantic: gigantic.com — Where Else? 8th Birthday, 26 September 2026
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