The Welly, The Polar Bear and Hull Box Office to Close as a Result of the Coronavirus Pandemic

VMS Live took on The Welly, The Polar Bear and Hull Box Office in 2018 but has now gone into administration, meaning all the staff working for these venues will lose their jobs.

The Welly was a long established venue and nightclub which welcomed guests every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night as well as hosting their own events, including some of the biggest names in rock, indie and hip hop over the past 20 years.

The Polar Bear was one of the most popular cultural pubs in the city, holding live performances and bringing together people who visited The Welly and Fruit in one place by offering something for everyone.

Hull Box Office was a central place to book tickets for upcoming events in other venues, promoting new acts visiting the city.

The websites for each venue have been taken down, indicating closure for good as it prevents people from booking tickets or viewing upcoming events. After 115 days of enforced closure due to coronavirus, CEO of VMS Live announced the following statement: “I am deeply saddened that we had to make this decision, following the completion of the yearly accounts, the announcements of the government and the bank reconciliation, which led us to be at immediate risk of trading whilst insolvent.” Mr Horck then went on to say: “I would like to thank all of our staff on behalf of Kate and I for the magnificent efforts made to try and save these companies, between September and March during normal trading and beyond into the COVID-19 enforced closure.”

The remaining VMS Live companies will continue to operate under Kate Forster and Bert Van Horck’s directorship as before.