As pledged donations continue to be collected, it is unclear if the two iconic establishments will be able to keep operating
Photo by Sabina Mendoza-Brown.
On March 19, Arts On View Society officially announced they will be closing View Street Social and Hermann’s Jazz Club after a review of their financial position. In 2024, the City of Victoria invested $3.95 million by buying 751-753 View Street, which houses both venues.
Since then, the establishment has worked to stabilize the organization and improve operations. Times Colonist reported that the City of Victoria was aware that the society would be shutting down, which leads me to question why they aren’t doing more.
Hermann’s, an all-ages music venue, has been a foundational business in Victoria’s music scene since 1986. View Street Social, which occupies the space below Hermann’s, offers free karaoke nights six days a week and hosts local bands and open mic nights.
The 2024 purchase of both View Street Social and Hermann’s Jazz Club aligned with the city’s 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said in her 2024 statement on the purchase.
“This purchase demonstrates Council’s commitment to preserving and investing in music spaces downtown as reflected in our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan,” she said. However, in light of the closure announcement, the city’s efforts feel unsuccessful or insufficient.
“This venue’s importance was also identified during development of the Victoria Music Strategy,” Alto continued, “and I hope it will continue to contribute to Victoria’s vibrant arts and culture scene for years to come.”
She’s right, however, hope is often not enough when it comes to rising rents and operational costs in Victoria. Live music, communal spaces, and performing arts are so important to the quality of life of those living in Victoria — a city which sorely lacks venues for performing arts, with the number of spaces dwindling due to rising costs.
Live music is more than just a fun activity — attending live music events has positive effects on listeners’ well-being because it fosters “collective effervescence”, a sense of connection to others that is felt when people engage in a shared experience.
To combat this closure, the Arts on View Society began a community pledge on March 24, with a goal of raising $450 000 by April 26. On March 26, they announced that their fiscal goal had been met. Of the $537 693 they’ve received in pledges from the community, $464 673 has been verified, and $126 678 has been collected so far.
The pledges that have been made don’t include a monetary contribution until they are verified through emails, so the society is now working towards emailing the people who’ve made pledges to ensure the collection of funds.
Recently, I’ve noticed both View Street Social and Hermann’s Jazz Club have been unusually busy. I went with a few of my friends on Saturday, April 4, for karaoke, and had never seen it so swamped.
Before the community pledge, it was easy to secure a spot for karaoke and sing multiple times in one night. Now, it was a challenge just to get a table. This new traffic is amazing for both establishments, and hopefully is a sign of good things to come.
If you want these establishments to continue running, it’s important to support them both online and in person. Hermann’s is typically closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and open the rest of the week, while View Street is open seven days a week.
You can find their upcoming events on their website. It’s so important to keep iconic spaces alive and thriving. So, if you can help keep arts flourishing in Victoria, you should show your support for View Street Social and Hermann’s Jazz Club.
