The future of BBC’s Maida Vale studios is secured thanks to group led by Hans Zimmer

The future of the legendary studios in West London was put up in the air during 2018 when it was announced that the BBC, which had controlled the site since 1946, were looking to sell. This prompted Nigel Godrich, Geoff Barrow, and more to pressure the BBC to reconsider. Now, a group led by movie legend Hans Zimmer has taken over the studios in a deal rumoured to be worth more than £10 million

Thousands of musicians have recorded sessions at Maida Vale over the years, including David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, Led Zeppelin, Beyoncé and The Beatles. It is the headquarters for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and many of John Peel’s live sessions were recorded there, along with many of Radio 1’s Live Lounge sessions.

Zimmer bought Maida Vale with his business partner, Steven Kofsky, and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the co-chairmen of the British film studio Working Title Films. The new owners have committed to continuing the complex’s musical legacy. It will remain as a recording studio, with a refurbishment in prospect, and a not-for-profit education centre is also in the pipeline. The building’s original facade will also be retained as part of the agreement.

BBC confirms sale of Maida Vale Studios to Hans Zimmer https://t.co/Xf8oqK8WRi pic.twitter.com/eg7Rh7I06x

— CompleteMusicUpdate (@CMU) August 15, 2023

“The first time I worked for the BBC at their Maida Vale studios was 45 years ago,” said Zimmer in a statement. “I was just a kid, in awe, honoured to be booked to play on one of my first sessions. I still remember the strong pull, the desire to touch the walls, as if that would somehow allow me to connect to the artists whose extraordinary music had resonated against these walls on a daily basis.

“This was a place that inspired you to give your best, where music was performed around the clock and art was taken seriously,” Zimmer went on. “For the people by the people. This was the place that kept a struggling musician like me from giving up.”

“Maida Vale has played such an important part in the BBC’s history, and its significance in popular culture is huge,” said Lorna Clarke, the BBC’s Director of Music. “We are so pleased to secure a sale which looks to continue the bright, vibrant future of music making in this iconic building – not only providing new studio spaces but jobs and an education facility.”