The 8×10, a longtime staple of the Baltimore, MD music scene and a go-to tour stop for rising bands for decades, will close its doors for good in 2026. The independent venue’s owners, Brian Shupe and Abigail Janssens, announced the news in a Facebook post on January 1st.
“The New Year is a time to look forward and make new plans,” the post reads. “With that energy in mind, we are announcing the closure of The 8×10 on June 30th, 2026. We have happily spent the last 20 years serving the music community of Baltimore, even extending our lease in hopes of finding a new owner to carry on the live music tradition in Federal Hill. While we still hold out hope for that to happen, we are planning these next six months as the end of our stewardship of The 8×10.”
“We cannot thank all the patrons, bands, and staff who have helped us to celebrate music and togetherness at The 8×10 for the last 20 years,” the post continues. “So… look forward and make plans to come say goodbye to the venue before the lights go out on Cross Street for the last time.” The post also includes the full lyrics to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac.
The Baltimore Banner explains in a report on the venue’s closure that “the husband and wife duo are retiring, shifting focus to taking care of their aging parents,” adding that “20 years at the helm of the business was always the plan, [with Shupe] describing it as their ‘stewardship’ of a venue that first opened in 1983 as Joe’s Organic Juice Bar.”
The report by The Baltimore Banner also notes some of the many bands that have played the cramped but beloved room—among them, Phish’s first-ever Maryland concert on December 7th, 1989—and includes a quote about the room from “Scrambled” Greg Ormont of Baltimore-based jam favorites Pigeons Playing Ping Pong: “I always described The 8×10 as the ideal intimate venue, where the spring-loaded dance floor had bands and fans bouncing in unison, and that’s how I’ll always remember it,” Ormont said.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – “On The Rise” – The 8×10 – Baltimore, MD – 7/25/12
Read the full post about the coming closure of Baltimore, MD’s The 8×10 below. Read the Banner‘s full report here.