News

Manchester gig venue and restaurant Canvas suddenly and silently shuts down

A short-lived run on the busy city centre and student strip.

Danny Jones - 22nd February 2024

Canvas, a Manchester gig venue, event space, restaurant and bar, appears to have suddenly shut down less than two years after opening.

A notice has been put up in the window of the Oxford Road space, which only opened in May 2022.

Right in the heart of the not-long-open Circle Square neighbourhood, with neighbours including Federal, Hello Oriental — whose supermarket area is also closing to make space for a new gaming hall — Bird of Prey and North Taproom, Canvas had a busy programme of live music and club nights running all week every week.

The venue also did a roaring trade for the months that Gorilla was closed, with many shows being relocated around the corner to Oxford Rd.

Nevertheless, a sign posted at the entrance now simply reads, ‘This venue is now closed’.

Canvas on Oxford Road appears to have closed down — Canvas on Manchester’s Oxford Road appears to have sadly shut down.

A closure notice in the window of Canvas in Manchester — Canvas on Manchester’s Oxford Road appears to have sadly shut down.

A spokesperson for Bruntwood SciTech said: “We, along with many others, are saddened by the closure of Canvas, an ambitious business that we have supported since its launch in 2019.

“We continue to invest heavily in our Circle Square community and have a number of exciting brands due to open in the coming months to ensure that it remains a vibrant pillar of Manchester’s wider innovation district.”

The three-storey hangout was billed as a ‘next-generation’ venue boasting live music, club nights, a members’ lounge, and a sleek bar and restaurant.

The 600-capacity gig venue was open into the early hours seven days a week and had played host to the likes of both Neighbourhood and Year’s End Festival.

They did initially promise a plunge pool too, but that never rather materialised.

why has Canvas closed down in manchester? — Canvas’ ground floor late-night bar and restaurant space.

gig venues in manchester closing — Canvas’ ground floor late-night bar and restaurant space.

It was launched by the team behind two legendary London venues, The Pickle Factory and Oval Space, as well as the MAMA Group, which operated Lovebox and Wilderness festivals as well as the O2 Manchester Ritz, G-A-Y and Hammersmith Apollo.

We’re sad to see it go before we feel it ever really had the chance to properly get off the ground but given the lovely upstairs restaurant and bar interior, as well as the state-of-the-art gig and entertainment space downstairs, there’s definitely still plenty to be done with the place.

Fingers crossed that the venue comes back in some shape or form again soon.

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Featured Image — The Manc Group