Quadratic Sound cancels all events as zoning issues shut down venue

Victoria music fans are grieving the loss of another local venue—the third event space to end programming this year. Quadratic Sound posted a statement on social media saying that while they have been operating as a private club, which would typically be allowed in a similar type of space, the property that leases the spot on Queens is only zoned for warehouse and industrial purposes. Bylaw officers informed the operators after a visit to the Rock Bay site last week.

“Changing this would require a complex rezoning process that only the property manager can initiate and unfortunately, they have no motivation to do so,” read the post.

Quadratic Sound plans to continue using the space for musicians to rent as a practice studio or recording spot, but concerts will not move forward, ending one of few paid performance opportunities for local musicians in the city. Since opening, the venue has hosted 300+ events, with 10K attendees, generating $71K paid directly to artists, according to venue staff. The team says finding a new location for Quadratic Sound events is possible but not a priority at this time.

Victoria Coun. Matt Dell said he was “very saddened” to hear about the sudden closure.

“They’ve been an incredibly important arts venue in the city, both for rehearsal and recording space and for the diverse events they host,” said Dell. “It’s becoming more difficult for music venues to operate in all cities, due to a variety of factors.”

Dell has reached out to city staff to see if there are any options to help solve this issue for Quadratic Sound, saying: “We need to ensure small arts venues can thrive in Victoria."

Earlier this year, Hermann’s Upstairs closed its doors after the non-profit group running the space struggled to cover operational costs. The venue was quickly bought by the city, with the search for a tenant currently taking place.

Last month, the Victoria Event Centre shut down due to increased rent costs. The VEC team says it is looking for a new space to continue hosting events, but it’s not clear when or where that would be.

All three venues were known to host community events, especially concerts featuring local artists and underground nightlife performers. Before this year, two other popular venues were shuttered: the Carlton Club last year; and Logan’s Pub in 2021.