COVID’s impact on local venue Bright Box Theater

It’s been estimated by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) that as many as 90% of music venues may never reopen after COVID is finally over. After nearly eight years of being open, over 1000 shows, and countless good times, Winchester, Virginia’s premier entertainment venue, Bright Box Theater, may not see another public performance — at least for a while — without financial support from the community.

Like so many individuals and small businesses, Bright Box has been struggling to make it through the pandemic since mid-March, when nearly all public and private events came to a halt. It’s looking more likely that the venue won’t be able to resume public programming until mid-to-late 2021, making it a full year without a steady stream of funding. Despite the lack of revenue coming in, Bright Box still has expenses accruing such as employee payroll, insurance, utilities, licensing fees, and other basic operational costs.

Since government financial assistance has been nearly non-existent, Bright Box has launched a publicly-funded GoFundMe campaign. Much of the donations collected will be used to first help the venue weather the remaining months of not being able to open.

Once Bright Box can finally get back to hosting events in a similar pre-COVID fashion, any remaining donation funds will be used to assist in getting the venue back up and running; things like cover restocking costs of food & beverage offerings and bringing back beloved Bright Box staffers that have had to sit on the sidelines since March. This would also include booking big name acts and local up-and-comers alike, meaning that community contributions not only help to keep the venue doors open but directly goes back to supporting the arts & culture in and around Winchester, VA.

The venue’s GoFundMe page can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-bright-box

More information on Bright Box Theater can be found at www.brightboxwinchester.com