Photos courtesy of Rising Sun Presents
Federal Hill music venue The 8×10 has announced it has found new ownership. The venue will be taken over by Rising Sun Presents, an Ardmore, Pennsylvania-based venue operator and concert promoter, in partnership with Baltimore musician Cris Jacobs.
The 8×10 will close at the end of June and will have a grand reopening in October.
The announcement comes after longtime owners Abigail Janssens and Brian Shupe said in January that they planned to close the venue at the end of this month. At the time, the pair said they hoped to find a buyer who would continue operating the music venue.
The 8×10 has been a fixture in Baltimore’s live music scene since opening in 1983. Janssens and Shupe took over ownership in 2005, having operated the venue for the past 21 years.
Located in an approximately 4,000 sq. ft. space, The 8×10 features a full bar, concert stage, standing-room floor area, balcony overlooking the stage, and a basement level with restrooms and storage space.
From Rising Sun Presents on social media:
NEW VENUE: Rising Sun Presents will assume ownership and management of The 8×10, a historic 300-capacity independent venue in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. After the final shows under current ownership on June 25-27, the RSP team will join forces with Baltimore native and acclaimed musician Cris Jacobs to continue the legacy of this amazing space.
We’re taking the summer to round out the team, make thoughtful and focused improvements to the venue, and plan our anticipated October 2026 grand reopening.
We thank Abigail Janssens and Brian Shupe for their dedicated ownership over the last 21 years and we wish them well in their retirement! Follow The 8×10 to stay in the loop on show announcements, our soon-to-launch members club, venue improvements, and more.
From Jacobs on social media:
SOME GOOD NEWS!!
The 8×10 has been an institution in Baltimore for decades. Since I first started playing music on stages, I’ve played that one more than any other. This room has helped shaped my music and my life, and has helped build a truly special community in this city. Thanks to Abigail and Brian, as well as Mother Dave, we’ve had a place we could truly call home for the last 25 years. Today, I am proud to announce that The 8×10 lives on!! Myself, along with Rising Sun Presents, a team of truly outstanding folks from the Philly area that I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout the years, will be taking over ownership of our hallowed music club on Cross Street and stewarding in the next chapter. We are committed to maintaining the vibe and tradition that we’ve all come to love, as well as continuing to evolve and help curate the best possible experiences for years to come. It is an honor to help carry on the legacy of our favorite club. Long live The 8×10!! Stay tuned and follow for show announcements and October grand reopening news!!
In a social media video, Janssens and Shupe held up printed signs which read, “We trusted in the music to the very end. We ask you to continue to believe in The 8×10 and in the vision the new owners bring. We honestly believe the universe guided the right people to the right place, at the right time. We could not be happier and feel The 8×10 could not be in safer hands.”
They added, “It’s hard to say thank you and goodbye, but we’ve said enough over the last 21 years. We would be nothing without the love and generous spirts of you all. The 8×10 is the fans, the artists, and the staff. You brought The 8×10 alive for all these years. We did the best we could.”
