Cabaret Voltaire owners sue Scottish Water over alleged damage which forced over 30 closures
The owners of one of Edinburgh’s most popular nightclubs claim they have been forced to close the venue dozens of times due to “catastrophic" water damage and flooding from South Bridge.
Scotsman Hospitality, the company behind Cabaret Voltaire on Blair Street, said it has lodged legal action against Scottish Water claiming half a million pounds over what it described as “serious and ongoing” damage to the underground venue.
The nightclub owners alleged the venue initially suffered water ingress following works to repair a burst main in the carriageway above the venue in 2024, with "significant" ingress recurring in November last year.
They said that after several assessments Scottish Water identified and repaired a leak under the pavement outside the PDSA charity shop on South Bridge, but claimed a residual leak was left unresolved.
They alleged the issue escalated into another major ingress into the venue in February, which was made worse by subsequent heavy rainfall in the city.
In recent weeks, Scottish Water has been carrying out works to renew a 46-metre stretch of pipework on South Bridge as part of efforts to prevent further leakage.
However, the hospitality business claimed the process had been “substandard”, alleging Scottish Water had failed to fulfil its obligations to reinstate all excavations at the end of each working day.
They claimed this has led to further water ingress into the building over the Easter weekend. In a statement to press, Scotsman Hospitality described the damage as "catastrophic".
The company, who also operate The Three Sisters on Cowgate and the Scotsman Hotel, claimed the popular venue has been forced to close completely more than six times as a result of the alleged damage, and on more than 30 occasions it said it has had to partially close or reduce its capacity.
Paul Bergson, Operations Manager at Cabaret Voltaire, said: “The water is finding multiple routes into Cabaret Voltaire, making it extremely difficult to contain. We’ve had to close off sections of the venue, yet the problems persist.
“This comes at an already challenging time for the nightclub sector.
“We have recently invested heavily in sound, lighting and stage upgrades to secure Cabaret Voltaire’s future as a leading live music venue—one that has hosted globally renowned acts including Florence and the Machine, Noel Gallagher, Calvin Harris and Frightened Rabbit.
“Protecting culturally significant venues like this is vital, and infrastructure works in Edinburgh must be carried out with greater care and accountability.”
A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: “We are aware of the concerns raised in relation to Cabaret Voltaire and take these matters seriously.
“The issue in this area has been ongoing for some time. A leak on a 4‑inch water main was identified and repaired towards the end of 2025, and since then we have continued to assess whether our infrastructure could be contributing to the issues being experienced locally.
“As a precautionary measure, we made the decision to fast‑track rehabilitation works to mitigate any potential risk associated with our assets. Ordinarily, this type of work would take considerably longer to programme, but it was prioritised given the sensitivities of the location.
"As part of this approach, 46 metres of pipe above Cabaret Voltaire on South Bridge have been rehabilitated over the past two weeks, which has been carried out to help prevent any future leakage from this section of the network.
“Our Service Review Team is in direct dialogue with Cabaret Voltaire to manage the matter as these works are concluded.”
They said permanent reinstatement of the section of work is due to be completed this week.
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