Incredibly sad news for fans of the beloved venues.
After a long four months of music venues and clubs being forced to remain closed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been announced that much-loved music venues The Deaf Institute and Gorilla will be closing their doors for good.
The venues ranked two of the best in the city for seeing live music, attracting huge names in the world of entertainment including comedians such as Steve Coogan at Gorilla, and global bands such as The 1975 at The Deaf Institute.
The company behind both venues, Mission Mars – who also own Rudy’s and Albert’s Schloss – confirmed the sad news today after rumours circulated of the sad news, revealing that they were unable to weather the turbulent storm that has been the UK lockdown.
Announcing the news in a statement, Roy Ellis, CEO and founder of Mission Mars 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.
Continuing: “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.
“We are extremely grateful to our hardworking teams and guests and followers for their loyal support over years.”
The two venues are among the first COVID-19 casualties in Manchester city centre – with no further news from the government regarding when indoor gigs and club nights may resume.