Manchester venues Gorilla (600) and The Deaf Institute (260) have been saved from closure by bar and venue operator Tokyo Industries.

Tokyo Industries said it had acquired the venues from former operators Mission Mars and would continue to run them in “much the same way as in the past”.

The company’s founder Aaron Mellor said, “These are extremely difficult times for all grassroots music venues around the UK. It’s vital venues like Gorilla and The Deaf Institute are kept alive, the cultural fabric of our city centres depends on venues like these.”

Mellor said he has worked with promoter SSD Concerts and The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess to help save the venues and retain their existing operating style in a post-Covid world: “We’re not so keen on this ‘new’ normal and want to keep the ‘old’ normal alive for when we all get through this.”

Among Tokyo’s notable properties is the FAC251 – Factory Manchester venue, co-owned by New Order’s Peter Hook it is located in the former Factory Records HQ.