Mercury Lounge, a long standing music venue in Ottawa’s downtown core, is closing up shop after providing entertainment for more than 20 years.

Owner John Criswick announced the closure on his personal Facebook page. The Mercury Lounge ran as a not-for-profit and they, just like many other businesses, were never able to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

The lounge hosted many local artists over the years and was integral in helping start up Capital Slam poetry.

The Mercury Lounge will be missed by the Ottawa music scene.