The former Jumpin' Jaks nightclub in Glasgow caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called to the three-storey derelict building on Sauchiehall Street at approximately 1.36am on September 1.
Nine fire appliances and one height appliance, as well as three specialist resources, appeared on the scene at the once-bustling music venue to put out the blaze. There are no reports of injuries, but local roads were locked down and the public were told to avoid the area while police investigate the fire.
A venue with a long history
The history of Jumpin' Jaks began in the late-1960s, when the ABC 2 was constructed next to the old ABC Regal. It spent the next few decades as a cinema, and was at one time the largest in Scotland. It had then-state-of-the-art features such as multi-track sound and 70mm projection.
The cinema would change hands several times between 1967 and the end of the 20th century, being owned by Cannon and MGM at various points. The building's time as a cinema would come to an end in 1998, however, when it was shut and its interiors gutted for conversion into a music venue.
Jumpin' Jaks opens and closes
Jumpin' Jaks officially opened its doors in 2002, and quickly became popular amongst Glasgow locals and visitors alike. The nationwide chain featured performing staff and a unique New Orleans theme. It was known amongst regulars for its cheesy pop music and costumed staff.
The good times would not last for long, however, as Jumpin' Jaks locations all across the UK closed throughout the late-2000s and early-2010s. Its fate was sealed in 2018, when a devastating fire erupted at the nearby Glasgow School of Art. While the next-door O2 ABC bore the brunt of the damage, the Jumpin' Jaks building has been vacant ever since.
Recent fires and redevelopment plans
The blaze at the former Jumpin' Jaks is the latest in a string of major fires in the area in recent years. As well as the Glasgow School of Art suffering fires in both 2014 and 2018, the beloved Shack nightclub on Pitt Street in the centre of Glasgow previously burned to the ground in 2004.
In 2016, plans were put forward to Glasgow City Council to convert the former site of Jumpin' Jaks into student accommodation. The plans included 185 beds, roof gardens, study rooms, various common areas, a cinema room, and even a selection of retail and leisure units.
Reminiscing about Jumpin' Jaks on Reddit, one visitor previously wrote: "Genuinely one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on a night out was some guy absolutely off his face getting handed a jelly shot in Jumpin' Jaks and just putting the full thing in his mouth and started chewing, plastic shot glass and all, just standing absolutely melted crunching plastic with jelly running out his mouth."
"Jumpin Jaks was a class nightclub," another former visitor shared on Facebook, while a third commented: "What a place that was in its day."
