Manchester's Deaf Institute and Gorilla venues to permanently close

16 July 2020, 17:36 | Updated: 16 July 2020, 18:13

The Deaf Institute in September 2015. Picture: Jonathan Nicholson/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Lockdown has meant two of the city's best-loved music venues will not re-open.

It's been announced that two Manchester live music venues will not re-open.

The Deaf Institute on Grosvenor Street and Gorilla, which is located on Whitworth Street in one of the arches underneath Oxford Road station, are to close permanently.

The Manchester Evening News reports that Mission Mars, the company that owns both sites, have confirmed that the lockdown imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic has made the businesses unviable.

M83 performing at The Deaf Institute in 2009. Picture: Gary Wolstenholme/Redferns/Getty Images

Roy Ellis, CEO and founder of Mission Mars told the paper: "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."

Kate Tempest performing at Gorilla in Manchester, February 2015. Picture: Ben Radford/Corbis via Getty Images

The Deaf Institute building originally opened in 1878 and was converted for use as a restaurant in the late 1980s. It became a music venue in 2008 and has since played host to shows by The 1975, Carl Barat, The xx, Metronomy, Tame Impala and many more up and coming artists. The venue's last show was The Outcharms and The Reytons on 14 March 2020.

Carl Barat performs at The Deaf Institute on October 23, 2010. Picture: Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Getty Images

Gorilla opened in September 2012 to host gigs by the likes of Everything Everything, Idles, James Blake, Fontaines DC and Sam Fender, and also welcomed Radio X's Johnny Vaughan for a live OB last year that saw Liam Fray of Courteeners play a special acoustic set. The building closed its doors on 15 March following a show by Circa Waves.