OUR STORY
The venue at 15 Bastion Square has been a staple of Victoria’s vibrant nightlife scene for decades. In 1974, the venue first opened its doors as Harpo’s Cabaret. Harpo’s would quickly establish itself as a live music mecca, hosting artist like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, The Tragically Hip, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, Jann Arden, k.d. lang, John Lee Hooker, Our Lady Peace, The Wallflowers, Goo Goo Dolls, and Melissa Etheridge. Harpo’s would close its doors in 1995 after over two decades of operation.
The venue would eventually reopen its doors as Upstairs Cabaret. While Upstairs Cabaret would primarily become known for its busy weekends, with DJs and packed dance floors, it still retained its live music roots. Over the years Upstairs Cabaret would host artists like Hopsin, Conway the Machine, Sebastian Bach, Gord Bamford, Aaron Pritchett, and Lee Fields. However, after surviving years of sold-out shows, busy weekends, and closure due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the venue at 15 Bastion Square needed some well-deserved TLC. As a result, Upstairs Cabaret would close its doors early in 2023 for a much-needed renovation and rebrand.
This brings us to the current iteration of this storied space. In December of 2023, the venue would open its doors as Upstairs Entertainment. The goal of Upstairs Entertainment is to seamlessly meld the best aspects of both Harpo’s and Upstairs Cabaret, retaining busy weekend dance floors while focusing on promoting premium live performances.
OUR ROOM
Located in what is believed to be one of British Columbia’s oldest buildings, Upstairs Entertainment overlooks Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbor. The room itself is full of heritage touches. The wooden pillars and iconic spiral staircase leading to the staff areas were salvaged from estates being razed in James Bay and Fairfield. When paired with the original brick walls, these aspects give the room an elegant, historic feel.
When Upstairs Cabaret closed its doors, Edda Creative took on the task of transforming the room into what would become Upstairs Entertainment. Edda wanted to highlight the heritage feel of the space while updating it so it could handle the foot traffic that goes hand-in-hand with a busy venue. Over the course of their renovation Edda uncovered the original slate flooring in the restrooms, completely revamped the bars and VIP seating area, refinished the floors, and added commercial grade fixtures throughout the space.
In addition to this extensive revamp, the lighting and sound system was overhauled so that Upstairs Entertainment could provide a premium experience for any event, whether it be a live show, private function, or a busy Saturday night with a DJ.
We are incredibly proud of this venue and its history, and hope you can come by, check it out, and help create some new memories.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
In accordance with British Columbian regulations, all patrons must be at least 19 years of age with two pieces of valid ID, one of which MUST be government issued and include a photograph. Upstairs is a member of the BarWatch program, as such, entry can be denied based on previous incidents at our venue and other participating venues.
Upstairs does not allow any gang or fight related apparel on its premises.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding our entrance requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].