Police shut a large section of Nottingham city centre on Thursday morning after a fire at Rock City forced a cordon around Talbot Street and the junction with Clarendon Street. Crews were called at 8.41am on May 28, and by about 9.30am two fire engines were at the scene with an aerial ladder deployed to the building on the junction of Stanley Place.

At least four ambulances and at least seven police vehicles were also in attendance as officers closed off the area around the busy road. Nottingham City Transport said at 9.01am on X that buses were diverting because of the incident, adding to the disruption for anyone trying to move through the city centre during the morning rush.

George Akins said everyone inside the building had been evacuated and that the fire was out. “No one is inside, everyone has been evacuated - we will wait to make sure we are all safe before we open tonight,” he said. He added: “Everything is fine, I’m sure it’s all fine. It’s nothing major, and compliments to the fire brigade.”

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was suspected to have started in the roof space of the building. A spokesperson said crews from Stockhill, London Road, Highfields, Arnold and Eastwood fire stations were working at the scene and asked people to stay away while they carried out their work.

Rock City is one of Nottingham’s best-known music venues, and the response suggested crews were treating even a small fire there as a serious interruption. The immediate question now is not whether the building was cleared, but how quickly the venue and the surrounding road can return to normal before the night’s plans are tested.