It’s been reported by efestivals that The Mean Fiddler Music Group has sold most of its venues, and rebranded itself as ‘Festival Republic’.

The venues Рthe Borderline (300 capacity), Jazz Caf̩ (300 capacity), The Garage (500 capacity), the Old Fiddler, Harlesden (600 capacity), G-A-Y Bar (310 capacity) and G-A-Y Late Club (300 capacity) Рhave been sold to Mama Group. Mama owns seven Barfly music venues around Britain, and as part of the deal to buy these venues also acquires the right to trade under the Mean Fiddler name.

What was the Mean Fiddler Music Group now becomes known as Festival Republic, which will re-focus resources on its existing festivals – the Carling Weekend Reading & Leeds, Latitude, Rise (with the Greater London Authority), St Patrick’s Day, Fleadh, and its involvement with Glastonbury Festival – and the expansion of festivals as well as the two venues it retains (the Astoria and the Astoria2).

Mean Fiddler was started by Vince Power in the eighties, but was sold two years ago jointly to the world’s largest live music group US firm Live Nation (formally part of Clear Channel), and Irish veteran promoter Denis Desmond who has UK festival interests including V Festival through his company MCD.