all about HMV
About HMVHMV is the UK and Ireland’s leading entertainment brand, enabling comprehensive access to much of today’s popular culture through its chain of stores and online and digital sites as well as through its growing live venue, festivals, ticketing & promoting and artist management operations.
Established in 1921 through its landmark store in Oxford Street, and famous for its iconic ‘dog-and-gramophone’ trademark, 90-years-on entertainment brand HMV gets customers even closer to the artists and to the music, film and games they love whether in the home, on the move or via the ‘live’ experience. Unique in its ‘360-style’ offer, HMV enables choice through 250 stores offering a specialist selection of entertainment content and technology products; an online store at hmv.com and a download service at hmvdigital.com powered by 7digital (50% HMV owned).
HMV is now also the country’s second-largest live music and ticketing operator: through its ownership of MAMA Group it has 13 venues and bars, including the iconic hmv Hammersmith Apollo, the hmvforum, the Jazz Café, Heaven, the Borderline, the Relentless Garage and Upstairs at the Relentless Garage in London as well as the hmv Picture House in Edinburgh, the hmvInstitute in Birmingham and the Ritz in Manchester, while it also operates G.A.Y. nights/bars in London and Manchester in association with legendary promoter Jeremy Joseph. HMV’s MAMA Group also owns and stages the annual Lovebox, High Voltage, The Great Escape, Global Gathering, Wilderness and the hmv Next Big Thing festivals, and also has an artist management division – SuperVision, that is home to the likes of Franz Ferdinand and The Kaiser Chiefs. HMV’s ticketing operation – hmvtickets offers an extensive range of tickets for sale online at hmv.com and via instore and phone box office kiosks to gigs, events and festivals – whether at HMV/MAMA owned or third-party venues and sites.
About the hmv Next Big Thing festival
HMV’s annual Next Big Thing festival is now firmly established as the definitive start-of-year showcase for new talent, and takes place in February at HMV-owned MAMA Group venues in London, including the Borderline, Heaven, Jazz Café and Relentless Garage, as well as at the hmvInstitute in Birmingham and the hmv Picture House in Edinburgh. The festival was set up in 2010 to give fans an early and, at just £10 a ticket, an affordable opportunity to see many of the acts tipped by HMV and media commentators, including the BBC in their Sounds Poll, for breakthrough success. Artists who to date have appeared to great acclaim include Ellie Goulding, Paloma Faith, Professor Green, Eliza Doolittle and recently Jessie J, Clare Maguire, Lauren Pritchard and Wretch 32. The festival, which has been supported by Ted Baker and Gaymers and media partners Xfm and Time Out, also comprises special label and dance nights in association with the likes of Moshi Moshi, Communion, Mute and Transgressive Records.
