Built for television. Loved for live music.
The building started out as the Brunswick bowling alley. In the late 1970s Anglia Television bought it and turned it into Studio E, a fifth studio for its largest productions. Children's TV classic Knightmare was made here, and later Trisha and Anglia's regional news.
Since 2012 Epic has been owned by Norwich production company Extreme Video. The broadcast DNA never left. Gigs here are lit, mixed and filmed to TV standard, which is why so many of the nights below still exist on film.
1970s–
2006
Anglia Television went on air from Anglia House in Norwich on 27 October 1959. As production grew, four studios weren't enough, so the company bought the former bowling alley on Magdalen Street and built Studio E for its bigger shows.
- 1987 – 1994KnightmareAll eight series of the CITV fantasy game show were filmed in Studio E, on twin bluescreen sets the crew called "voids". The pilot was shot in January 1987 in Studio A at Anglia House.
- 1999Anglia's newsroom moves inThe regional news service relocated to the Magdalen Street complex, with its twin news studios.
- 2006EPIC is bornAnglia sold the complex to Norfolk County Council. With the East of England Development Agency it became EPIC – the East of England Production Innovation Centre – and over £1m was spent upgrading the facilities.
2012
Norwich production company Extreme Video bought the studios. Owner Jonathan Thursby, a camera engineer whose minicam work ran from Top Gear to the deep sea, kept the TV infrastructure and opened the doors to live audiences. Within a year Epic was filming headline gigs as well as hosting them.
2013
Epic's first big run of shows leaned into the legends of the New Romantic and 2 Tone years – and every one was captured on camera.
- 13 Sep 2013VisageSteve Strange's Visage, touring Hearts and Knives – their first new album in 29 years.
- 28 Nov 2013Howard Jones – 30th anniversaryThe opening night of Howard's "HJ30" celebrations, and the first Howard Jones show ever live-streamed.
- December 2013Bad MannersBuster Bloodvessel and co. – an Epic favourite in the run-up to Christmas.
- Christmas 2013Midge UreThe co-writer of Band Aid performing Do They Know It's Christmas, plus Ultravox's Vienna.
2014
From punk and mod revivals to West Coast rock royalty, a Norwich TV series and a festival takeover, 2014 put almost everything that happened at Epic on screen.
- Early 2014The Sherlocks, Max Splodge & Mari WilsonIndie newcomers, a punk original and the beehived star of Just What I Always Wanted.
- Early 2014Let's Eat GrandmaTwo Norwich schoolgirls playing Sax in the City – more than two years before it became their debut single on Transgressive.
- 29 Mar 2014March of the ModsNorwich's night in the national mod celebration.
- Spring 2014Jefferson StarshipSan Francisco psychedelic legends on the Studio E floor.
- 9–11 May 2014Knightmare comes homeA crowdfunded convention brought the cast and crew back to the studios where the show was made.
- Summer 2014Norwich Late & LiveA late-night live music TV show, recorded in front of a studio audience at Epic.
- October 2014Norwich Sound & VisionThe city's music festival and conference, in its fifth year, brought the BBC Radiophonic Workshop – the team behind the Doctor Who theme – to Epic.
The Radiophonic Workshop, live in a TV studio
The pioneers of British electronic music played Epic as part of Norwich Sound & Vision 2014. A fitting booking for a room built to make television.
2016
Magdalen Street has thrown its own celebration since 2010. Epic hosted the Big Flyover Stage for the street party – our neighbours, our street, our stage.
2018–
2019
- 10–12 May 2018WOS Wrestling for ITVITV brought World of Sport wrestling back as a ten-part series, taped in front of a live audience at Epic – network TV back in the old Anglia studio.
- 2018 – 2020Contenders MMAEast Anglia's Contenders mixed martial arts shows filled the studio floor.
- 2019Epic Broadcast launchesA dedicated broadcast facilities arm, led by director of photography Jamie Knights, bringing Epic's crews and kit to studio and location shoots.
- March 2019Blind Tiger – Closed DoorThe band shot the official video for their single in the studio.
- 2019Bongo's BingoBy 2019 the bingo-meets-rave night was a regular at Epic, and it is still one of our biggest nights.
2023
- June 2023ElvanaThe Elvis-fronted Nirvana tribute sold out the room.
- Summer 2023Silent Disco TwoNorfolk's biggest silent disco returned, with four DJs battling across the wireless channels.
2024–
2026
Club nights and party brands have become a big part of the Epic calendar, with headline DJs, tribute spectaculars and Bongo's Bingo specials – filmed by local videographer AJ Digital.
- Late 2024Martin KempThe Spandau Ballet bassist and actor behind the decks.
- Winter 2024I Have A Dream – The ABBA PartyA full cast of vocalists and dancers, and a room full of sequins.
- Autumn 2025Gok WanA house and disco DJ set, filmed in 360°.
- December 2025Bongo's Bingo Christmas CrackerThe festive edition of Norwich's favourite bingo rave.
- Spring 2026Best of Trance with Dave PearceThe Radio 1 trance pioneer on a Friday night.
- September 2026ChicaneNick Bracegirdle brought his Balearic sound to Magdalen Street.
Still a studio. Always a stage.
Epic is now East Anglia's favourite venue for live music, comedy, sport, club nights and private events, with a Martin Audio MLA sound system and broadcast-grade lighting looked after by our own technical team.
The next chapter is on the listings page.
+What's onSources
Video dates are the release dates on the Epic Studios YouTube channel unless an event date is known.
- ITV Anglia – Wikipedia (1959 launch, bowling alley, Studio E, 1999 news move, 2006 sale and EPIC)
- TV Studio History – Ex-ITV regional studios (£1m upgrade, 2012 acquisition, WOS 2018)
- Knightmare.com – The Anglia Studio (series filmed in Studio E, pilot in Studio A)
- Knightmare – Wikipedia (May 2014 convention at Epic)
- Epic Broadcast – Our History (Extreme Video, Epic Broadcast 2019)
- Concert Archives – Visage (13 Sep 2013)
- howardjones.com – News (28 Nov 2013, first live-streamed show)
- NME – Let's Eat Grandma, I, Gemini
- The Shift Norwich (Sound & Vision, 9–11 Oct 2014)
- Magdalen Street Celebration (started 2010)
- World of Sport Wrestling – Wikipedia (taped 10–12 May 2018)
- ITV News – wrestling made in Norwich
- Epic Studios Events (sound system)
- Epic Studios on YouTube
- AJ Digital on YouTube (event films 2018–2026)
- Tapology – Contenders East Anglia (Contenders shows at Epic)
- Bongo's Bingo – Norwich
- Epic Studios galleries (The ABBA Party)