The Victoria Event Centre, a music and performance venue located in downtown Victoria, will be closing its doors by Oct. 31 with the end of its month-to-month lease.
"Since COVID, our art space, like many art spaces, has been facing a lot of financial struggles getting back on board, and we were starting to see signs of that recovery," said Kurt Archer, president of the board in a phone call with Victoria News. Archer explained that the landlords put the building up for sale, no longer able to subsidize the space, and wanted to raise the rent by 40 per cent to make the space more attractive to buyers. "But we were not able to afford that."
"And we understand; the landlords have helped subsidize the space for years and they've been really helpful, but this decision is for them and so unfortunately we can't keep that up," Archer added.
The building's owners informed VEC late last week that a lease agreement was signed by new tenants.
The venue has served as a multipurpose space for arts, celebration and community for over two decades – the venue turned 20 in 2023. Productions that made regular use of VEC over the years included Soul Club, Art Battle, Jazz Fest, Latin Nights, Fringe Fest and Atomic Vaudeville.
Victoria losing another venue space is troubling, Archer said.
"That's the most tragic part, honestly, is where are these spaces going in the city and many of the communities that use our space, where are they going to go? I'm really hopeful that more spaces can come together," Archer said.
"The board is assessing and nothing is concrete yet, but we're exploring [other options]. We still have a liquor license and if we are able to find a new space, that is something that we bring with us."
Local artists are sure to feel the sting, as the venue's mandate was to provide an affordable, flexible, and accommodating space.
Apart from hosting music, dance, burlesque and theatre shows, the non-profit lived out its values of community-building and supporting inclusiveness and diversity. During the pandemic, the VEC ran a takeout coffee shop that offered free food for people who self-identified as low-income or from a marginalized community.
VEC also rented out its space two days a week to Imagine Cafe, a PSR Collaborative initiative whose mandate is to provide a safe and welcoming drop-in space for those in mental health recovery.
VEC technician and local drag king Robin Wood told Monday Mag in 2023 that she got her start producing burlesque shows at the venue. She spoke to what the space meant to her. “VEC has held a lot of really formative events for me as a person,” she said.
The closure announcement comes after a period of renovations: significant grants in the past few years brought new washrooms, improved sound and lighting, and an elevator, which was installed in 2023 and made the space fully accessible.
“This is a beloved downtown venue and we’re proud to have put in the work towards creating a protective and welcoming space for the people in our community," added Chris Fretwell, VEC's interim executive director in a press release.
