New York's landmark Roseland Ballroom to close after 95 years

A general view of atmosphere at Rolling Stone hosts Bacardi Rebels at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. (AFP/Getty Images for Rolling Stone/Dimitrios Kambouris)

NEW YORK CITY: One of New York's best loved music venues, which for nearly a century has hosted stars from Fred Astaire to Madonna, announced Tuesday it would close next year.

The current owners said it had been a "labour of love" to manage the Roseland Ballroom and that they now had plans to redevelop the property after April 2014.

The Roseland Ballroom, which has provided a stage to some of the greatest entertainers and musicians of the last eight decades, first opened in New York in 1919.

It was a time when ballroom dancing was all the rage, but the venue evolved with the times, headlining jazz, rock n'roll, disco, house, grunge, hip-hop and rap.

The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Madonna and Beyonce have all performed live at the venue. Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton had a birthday party there.

The current owners have operated the venue, which has a maximum capacity of 3,500, at 239 West 52nd Street off Broadway for more than 30 years.

"Managing Roseland has been a labor of love, which is why we have deferred major changes for all these years," Roseland Development Associates announced.

"Plans to redevelop the property are now underway and will be made public when they are finalized. Roseland will cease operations at the end of April 2014."

Entertainment company Live Nation, which has had an exclusive music booking agreement with Roseland since 1990, said it would celebrate the venue's history with "an unparalleled closing run of shows."

"One of the best things about New York is how our city continues to reinvent itself and we look forward to sharing our tremendous plans for live entertainment in the city for 2014 and beyond," it added.

Future events are advertised on Roseland's website until February 4.

Among those scheduled are Danzig, Fitz & the Tantrums, Simple Minds, Chris Brown & Danity Kane, Pretty Lights, New World Punx and Panic At The Disco.