Kensington Roof Garden: When London celebrity nightclub will reopen after Monday morning fire
A famous nightclub in London that is a celebrity favourite, will reopen within days after a significant fire sent 80 firefighters to the scene in the early hours of Monday.
The fire broke out shortly before 1am at Kensington Roof Gardens, known for hosting stars such as Madonna and Sir Cliff Richard, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB).
By the time they arrived at the venue in west London, around 40 people had been safely evacuated.
LFB confirmed that the fire completely destroyed the factory room on the roof of the nine-storey building. The cause of the incident “remains under investigation.” The place was also famous for being home to four flamingos before the pandemic.
A spokesman for the nightclub said: “No one was injured and there is no fire damage to the building. We are carrying out safety checks as a precaution and hope to reopen within the next few days.”
“We would like to thank the Kensington and Chelsea fire crews for their quick response.”
A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said: “Twelve fire engines and approximately 80 firefighters responded to a blaze at a commercial building on Kensington High Street in Kensington.
“Due to the fire, a factory room on the roof of the nine-storey building became unusable. Approximately 40 people left the building before the brigade arrived. No injuries have been reported at this time.
“One of the brigade’s 32-metre spiral staircases was used as an observation tower at the scene to provide the Incident Commander with an aerial view of the fire.
“The first call was received at 0057 (26/01) and Control Officers mobilized crews from Kensington, Hammersmith, Chelsea and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was under control as of 03:36. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”
A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “We would like to thank the London Fire Brigade for their rapid response to a loft fire in Kensington High Street in the early hours of Monday morning.
“We are very grateful that no-one was injured and the fire was extinguished and Council experts will be supporting ongoing safety checks at the building.
There may be some disruption in the area this morning while emergency services complete their work.
Kensington Roof Gardens first opened in 1938 and reopened in 2024 as an exclusive private members club. The gardens were closed to the public in January 2018 after leaseholder Virgin Limited Edition and the property owner could not agree on a lease renewal. The renovated venue now hosts celebrity and fashion events, social gatherings and club nights.
