Sunshine Coast Venue Solbar To Permanently Close Its Doors

In devastating news for punters along the Sunshine Coast, live music institution Solbar has announced its impending closure.

This morning (24 February), venue owners shared that, after more than two decades, Solbar will permanently close its doors after this Saturday (28 February). The saddening announcement arrives a month after fellow Sunshine Coast venue, The Station, shut down.

The Solbar team informed punters that the decision to shut down the venue “has not been made lightly, nor quickly.” Still, after fighting hard, permanent closure has become “the only available option.”

Venue operators cited “challenges” unlike anything else the music industry has faced thus far in their announcement, with inflation, rising costs, and declining attendance majorly impacting independent regional venues. While the decision to close hasn’t been easy, the team expressed gratitude for the community that grew within Solbar.

“Solbar has always been more than just a venue. It has been a home, a family, and a place where countless memories were made,” said Katie Mateus, Solbar’s Marketing Manager, who has been part of the team for 12 years. “Many of our staff have dedicated over a decade of their lives to this space, and the reluctant decision to close has been heartbreaking.”

Solbar co-owner and co-founder, Dimitris Limnatitis, added, “Solbar was created with nothing more than a genuine passion for live music. Fifteen years on, we’ve watched artists take their first steps on our stage and go on to perform on the world stage, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of.”

Melissa O’Bryan, Solbar’s Entertainment Manager, remarked, “For 15 years, we have worked hard at nurturing artists, to sound engineers, bar managers, chefs and more, and couldn’t be more proud of our place in the local community and the music industry at large. To everyone that supported us back, thank you.”

For one final night, punters can head down to Solbar this Saturday to say farewell and reminisce on the good times. Organisers noted that a show from The 046, originally scheduled for this Saturday, has been cancelled, and all ticketholders will be contacted and receive refunds.

Other shows scheduled at Solbar throughout the year will either be moved to another venue or automatically refunded if another space can’t be found—ticketholders will be contacted via Oztix for final details.

Authority Zero’s show on Friday is happening as planned. The venue will host its final open mic and comedy nights this Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Solbar’s statement reads:

Today, with incredibly heavy hearts, we’re announcing that Solbar will be closing its doors permanently after this Saturday.

 

The decision has not been made lightly, nor quickly; we’ve fought hard right up to the point that this has become the only available option.

 

For over two decades, Solbar has been a Sunny Coast institution. It’s been a home, a community, a place where lifelong friendships were formed, where first gigs turned into careers, and where thousands of unforgettable nights unfolded.

 

Many of our team have spent years and years of their lives here, some well over a decade. We’ve grown up in this venue together.

 

We’ve poured everything we had into it; every show, every late night, every encore, every quiet moment after the ugly-lights came on.

 

This isn’t just the end of a business. It’s the end of an era for us, and we know it is for so many of you too.

 

The live music industry is facing challenges unlike anything we’ve seen before, and while this decision has not come easily, we are endlessly proud of what this community has created together for so long.

 

To every artist who played our stage.

 

To every team member who gave their heart.

 

To every person who walked through our doors and became part of the story;

🫶 thank you.

 

We’ll be putting on one last farewell gig this Saturday night* which we’ll be sharing more about later today.

 

So keep Saturday free, we’d love for you to come say goodbye and tear the roof off one last time ❤️🤘

 

*The 046 this Saturday has unfortunately been cancelled, all ticket holders will be contacted by Oztix and refunds processed automatically.

 

Our other shows will either be rehomed with the option of a refund, or will be automatically refunded if the show cannot be rehomed. Ticketholders will receive communications from Oztix once finalised.

 

This Friday's show will be going ahead as planned. Last ever comedy this Thursday, last ever open mic this Wednesday.