The Victoria Event Centre, located in downtown Victoria at 1415 Broad Street, is set to close its doors on October 27, marking the end of an era after 20 years of operation.
In a heartfelt message shared on social media, the venue announced, “We’re incredibly sad to inform you all that after 20 years in operation we are closing our doors on October 27.”
The post indicated that new owners would take over the space starting November 1 — but whether that means it will operate as a venue is not clear. Representative at the Event Centre told Daily Hive they are not familiar with the new owners or their intentions for the space.
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Despite financial support from the City of Victoria, the Event Centre cited post-pandemic struggles and a significant rent increase as key factors leading to its closure.
“We could just not weather a substantial rent increase as the owners were no longer able to partially subsidize the space,” the post explained.
“It has been an honour hosting such a range of events and communities in our space over the years.”
The challenges faced by the Victoria Event Centre reflect a growing trend in the region, where rising rent costs have become a common reason for closures.
Just recently, Vancouver Island Brewing announced it would relocate due to a 35% rent increase, while Little Jumbo cited a staggering 40% hike as the cause for its closure.
While the future of the Victoria Event Centre remains uncertain, the organization hinted at potential plans for a comeback in its closing announcement. However, specific details on what that may entail have yet to be disclosed.