Kettering Conference Centre Closes, EPIC.LAN Seeks New Venue for Event in July

Kettering Conference Centre, a popular venue for major UK esports and gaming LAN party EPIC.LAN, has announced its unexpected closure on May 31st due to a ‘challenging operating environment’. EPIC.LAN organisers have said they are making efforts to find a new venue to host its 39th iteration event scheduled between July 20th-23rd, 2023. The venue, located in Kettering, England, houses a leisure complex comprising a theatre, health club, and conference venue. EPIC.LAN is a UK-based event organiser renowned for hosting LAN parties that feature gaming tournaments in popular titles like VALORANT, Rainbow Six: Siege, and CS:GO.

EPIC’s LAN parties are sponsored by leading gaming and hardware brands such as Intel and Overclockers UK and attract thousands of visitors. Jon Winkle, EPIC.LAN’s Managing Director, made a call for assistance in finding new venues in the Midlands region of the UK. The closure of the Kettering Centre is due to rising operational costs. Despite exploring alternatives to remain viable, the Centre’s management noted in a letter to venue members that its venues are not financially viable and cannot continue to operate.

The closure of Kettering Conference Centre is an unfortunate development for the gaming and esports industry in the UK, where there is a growing demand for such events. The search for a new venue in the Midlands region of the UK is underway, and EPIC.LAN will need to find a suitable location quickly to host its upcoming event in July. The support from gaming and hardware brands and the community through fundraising has been impressive, and it is hoped that EPIC.LAN will find a new home soon.