Hermann’s Upstairs, the sibling venue to the renowned Hermann’s Jazz Club, is set to shut its doors at the end of March.
While the management group intends to continue operations at the cherished Hermann’s Jazz Club and adjacent pub, they are actively seeking “financially viable” options for the upstairs space. The group quietly made the announcement on March 7 via its website.
“The Arts on View Society’s vision remains – to create and sustain a performing arts center in downtown Victoria,” states its website.
The Arts on View Society took over management of the venues in 2015 from the owners, Stephen and Edward Nieweler and Ingrid Reid — the children of the club’s founder, Hermann Niewler. The group secured a five-year lease in 2019.
Fortunately, Hermann’s Jazz Club, a fixture on View Street since 1986 and Canada’s longest continuously running jazz club, will remain open.
However, Hermann’s Upstairs, known for hosting alternative music acts, open mic nights, and DJ shows, will bid farewell on March 31, and it’s definitely a blow to artists seeking mid-sized venues in the city. The venue had a 200-person capacity.
“Upstairs allowed us to create a niche for those who love to dance while maintaining an intimate listening experience downstairs,” Clay Barber, the executive director for Arts on View Society, told Daily Hive.
Barber said the group is still recovering from the pandemic, and that in response, has attempted a few financial options, including group ticket sales and sponsorships. Barber said the group requested rent relief from the owners too.
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“Attendance at Hermann’s Jazz Club is consistently down compared to pre-pandemic, with sales down by more than a third and Hermann’s Upstairs not meeting net revenue targets despite seeing some level of recovery,” Barber told Daily Hive.
“Despite sold out shows, the revenues continue to be a challenge.”
The City notes the lack of mid-sized venues in its 2021 to 2026 Music Strategy. With the closing of Logan’s and the Carlton Club, and a lack of follow through for the new mid-sized Curling Club venue, the options for mid-sized venues are sparse.
Despote Hermann’s Upstairs’ relatively brief tenure since its 2021 opening, Hermann’s Jazz Club, as a whole, adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic by livestreaming performances via YouTube, many of which were by donation and took place in the Hermann’s Upstairs space.