NYC's Copacabana Closes Due To Coronavirus: Reports

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Iconic Manhattan nightclub the Copacabana will close its fourth location, with plans to eventually make a comeback in a fifth home, due to economic pressures caused by the coronavirus outbreak and ensuing restrictions on the entertainment business, according to reports.

The Times Square nightclub has been closed since March in accordance with city and state directives banning businesses such as clubs and movie theaters from operating, but there's no immediate plan to reopen when those ordinances are lifted, the New York Post first reported. The Post's report framed the closure as permanent, but staff members told Eater New York that the Copacabana plans to reopen sometime next year.

The Copacabana has been operating out of a two-floor space on Eighth Avenue and West 47th Street since 2011. The club's original location opened in 1940 on East 60th Street. Legendary acts such as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Harry Belafonte and Sammy Davis, Jr frequently played at the club. The venue has been immortalized in both song and film with Barry Manilow's 1978 hit "Copacabana" and the 1947 Groucho Marx musical "Copacabana." Stars such as The Supremes and Marvin Gaye recorded live albums at the club.

Read the full New York Post report here.