Gorilla, one of the city’s best-loved live venues, looks all set to reopen, after shutting its doors more than five months ago.
The venue, on Whitworth Street, has been shuttered since April, after it closed its doors unexpectedly.
Gigs that were already booked were suddenly being bumped to other venues around the city, before the venue’s diary dried up completely.
Operators at the venue said that the archway club, bar and restaurant, whose landlords are Network Rail, was undergoing ‘essential building work’.
But now, it looks like it’s set to return to the fold, following a series of cryptic messages posted on social media.
“Have you missed us?” reads one, with a video of crackling TV static over a bassline. It appears music fans have indeed missed the venue.
One replied: “OMG!! Are you coming back?! We’ve been sitting howling at the doors for months like lost souls!”
There are also new dates for gigs being published on ticketing websites, including a show from Girl Scout on September 30, The Hoosiers on October 3, This Will Destroy You on October 7, and another from Ali Sethi on November 17.
In a statement released back in June, venue operators said: “We are so excited to continue having the best gigs, with the best bands and by far the best fans for a very long time.
“We get that we’ve been quiet the last couple of months and moving the gigs that we have has been sad, but we are so thankful to all our music industry friends for supporting us while we have been unexpectedly closed. Keep an eye out for some exciting news and big parties, see ya soon!”
It’s not the first time that the venue has had to close due to repairs on the rail tracks above, having also closed for several weeks in summer, 2022.
