After four months of music venues and clubs being forced to remain closed due to the coronavirus, many independent venues are beginning to suffer the fallout. Among them is the Deaf Institute and Gorilla, two of Manchester’s much-loved music venues, which have closed their doors for good.

Mission Mars, the company behind both sites, confirmed the news today in a statement. “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,” said Roy Ellis, CEO and founder of Mission Mars.

“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,” he added.

The Deaf Institute has been part of Manchester’s music scene for over a decade, while Gorilla opened in 2012. 

“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,” said Ellis.

“We would encourage any industry and music entrepreneurs who might be interested in this as an opportunity to please get in touch.”

In May, we spoke to six independent venues affected by the lockdown – read it here.