Four much-loved UK music venues close permanently in one day
Extremely sad news
Last updated 16th Jul 2020
Two music venues in Hull and two in Manchester have sadly shut their doors permanently today (16th July) after four months of enforced closure due to COVID-19.
Venue operator Mission Mars confirmed earlier today that much-loved Manchester venues Gorilla and the Deaf Institute are shutting for good.
Similarly, popular Hull venues The Welly and The Polar Bear are closing forever after two companies behind the VMS Live umbrella went into administration. Additionally, the Hull Box Office has closed.
Commenting on the Manchester closures, Mission Mars CEO Roy Ellis said: “The Deaf Institute and Gorilla have been at the forefront of the music scene in Manchester for many years and it is with great sadness that we announce that we will not be reopening.
“This difficult decision has been made against the backdrop of Covid-19 and the enforced closure of all of our sites and with continued restrictions upon opening of live music venues.
“We appreciate that these music destinations are well loved and have provided an early stage for many acts in the North West and are therefore well known in the world of music.
“We would encourage any industry and music entrepreneurs who might be interested in this as an opportunity to please get in touch.”
Bert van Horck of VMS Live said of the Hull venues: “I am deeply saddened that we had to make this decision, following the completion of the yearly accounts, the announcements of the government and the bank reconciliation, which lead us to be at immediate risk of trading whilst insolvent.”
Earlier this month, the Government announced a £1.57 billion support package for the arts, with music venues, theatres, museums, galleries, independent cinemas and heritage sites eligible for grants and loans.
The Music Venue Trust, who cautioned in April that 556 grassroots venues are at risk of closure, said of the venues in Hull and Manchester: "We have been warning for months that the situation faced by grassroots music venues was unsustainable and would result in the closure of spaces people love and artists need unless there was concerted, strategic action.
"That action now needs to be accelerated to prevent hundreds of other venues from being lost right across the country."
In other sad news, the Southbank Centre in London has revealed that 400 roles are at risk of redundancy.
They said: "It is with great sadness that the Southbank Centre announced that up to 400 roles have been put at risk of redundancy as part of a comprehensive management action plan designed to stem the financial losses being incurred as a result of Covid-19, and to help safeguard the future of the UK's largest arts centre."