Nightclub entrepreneur Billy Reilly, the man behind the legendary Bagleys
‘Who needs Ibiza when you’ve got King’s Cross?’
A CLUBBING paradise in King’s Cross that will be lost to developers at the end of the year is the “last of its kind”, according to the entrepreneur who created it. Once the home of the legendary 1990s nightspot Bagleys, which hosted gigs by Prince, Madonna and the Rolling Stones, the freight yard Good’s Way now houses The Cross, Canvas and The Key clubs.
Developers Argent, who start work in the new year, plan to turn the sprawling site into offices, shops and homes within four years, as part of £2 billion “regeneration” of King’s Cross.
Entrepreneur Billy Reilly said the development will change London’s club scene forever. “You’ll never find another place like it in London,” he said. “I can’t see anywhere else that gives you the freedom or flexibility and independence to be able to do this, and really that’s why it’s worked for 14 years. The interior, the garden, it’s all the best holidays you’ve ever had. As someone quoted, ‘Who needs Ibiza when you’ve got King’s Cross’.”
But while Mr Reilly, who also owns Pacha in Victoria, is sad to see his “little utopia” go, he is optimistic about the plans. “It’s really good for King’s Cross,” he said. “I do believe in progress, things need to change. I’m quite optimistic about what’s going to be done. I think Roger (Madelin, Argent chief executive) is quite a cool guy.”
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