21 Venues That Victoria Doesn’t Want Bands To Know About

Last week, the Carlton Club announced its closure. With its shuttering, goes another venue for live music. For too long, Victoria has had a problem with venues. Musicians have been forced to work small gigs in the backs of coffee shops, and the night clubs that open up a stage for performers.

One local politician suggested that the City of VIctoria may have to create several purpose built venues for live music. But is that needed? What if we could find twenty or so venues for live music events? Who would have 20+ venues wired for sound and frequently available? The City of Victoria.

The City of Victoria owns and/or manages a number of venues in the city. The spaces are frequently used for public events, for profit events, events with liquor licenses and music events. They’re also frequently dormant. Given the option of building new venues versus making changes to policies and rental rates to allow the music scene to flourish, the decision is clear. Some bands may not be able to sell 2000 or 3000 tickets, but maybe they could given the venue and favorable conditions. In the list below there are venues available seat 35 to 3000 attendees.

The City of Victoria is spending millions in grants and similar to support the local arts. They could put some of that budget into staffing their own venues and give music acts a place to perform to their public. As a side effect, the draw will bring attendees into the downtown core and that could have side benefits to local businesses who, like performers, need patronage.

Here’s a list of stages with performance space, amenities, controlled access and adequate seating. They’re already managed by the City of Victoria and they’re frequently vacant. There’s little stopping these venues from being offered up to local bands in need of a stage.

Royal Athletic Park

Royal Athletic Park is a stadium in Victoria, British Columbia and is used for baseball, soccer, softball and football, but also hosts special events, such as the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival and previously the Rifflandia Music Festival. It is home to The Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Club of the West Coast League. It is located 1km from the city center nestled in Fernwood. From the 3000 seats, a band could perform during good weather. As Rifflandia has been hosted there multiple times, it’s proven itself as a music venue.

Save-On Foods Arena

Save-On Foods Arena has played host to live acts of all sizes: Rod Stewart, Jann Arden, Blue Man Group, The Killers, Russell Peters, and dozens of others. Smaller draws have been allowed to set-up to use half of the arena to keep the venue more intimate. While it can host 9000 concert goers, the half arena configuration could play host to 1000–4000 attendees.

McPherson Theatre

The McPherson Theatre backs of the Centennial Square and is in plain view from most of the councilor office windows. It has been the home of intimate theatre in Victoria since opening in 1914 as part of the Pantages chain of theatres found across North America. Evolving from its vaudevillian roots, the McPherson hosts a variety of professional, community and amateur events throughout the year. The 772-seat theatre is one the finest examples of a venue of its generation. It has almost 50 weekend dates available and dozens of weekday dates available for bookings.

Royal Theatre

Similar to the McPherson, the Royal Theatre plays host to events from opera and theater to rock bands and stand-up comedians. Its downtown venue on Blanshard at Broughton can hold over 1400 guests. Like the McPherson it has 50 weekend dates available per year and dozens of weekend booking openings.

Council Chambers

The City of Victoria ante chamber plays host to a number of events every year. Most of them are in service of the City of Victoria initiatives and priorities. There is nothing precluding the space from being available for small music and art performances given that the space is unused for 200+ nights per year.

VCC (16 Venues In One)

The Victoria Conference Centre is made for public gatherings. It boasts a large number of meeting rooms, but it also has 16 theater spaces. The spaces can seat from 1500 people down to an intimate 35 attendees. In 2023, there are almost 100 dates for some or all of the 16 stages housed at the Convention Centre.