Four much-loved UK music venues close permanently

Two celebrated music venues in  Manchester and two in Hull have been shut down, after four months of enforced closure due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Venue operator Mission Mars confirmed on Thursday that Manchester venues Gorilla and the Deaf Institute 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.

The announcements came as the Southbank Centre in London said up to 400 roles have been put at risk of redundancy.

The live entertainment industry is feeling the effects of being closed to the public since coronavirus restrictions were imposed in mid-March.

The Deaf Institute and Gorilla have been popular with fans and artists over the past decade. The Deaf Institute has hosted the likes of Florence & the Machine, Haim and Tame Impala, while Gorilla has witnessed shows by Blossoms, Foals and Sam Fender.

"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," said Roy Ellis, chief executive of venue operator Mission Mars.

"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."

In Hull, The Welly has played host to the likes of U2, Pulp and The Housemartins over its long history.

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.