Venues: Entertainment Precincts, New Launches, Meltdowns, Name Changes & More Gigs

Brisbane Moves Towards Gabba Arena & Precinct

The first shots are fired for the 17,000-seat Gabba indoor arena and surrounding entertainment precinct in the Brisbane inner city suburb of Woolloongabba.

The Queensland Government has opened up expressions of interest from the private sector to deliver a precinct that’s a "global destination for entertainment, sport and housing".

The new arena will replace the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, which Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie, described as “an old, tired facility.”

It will position Brisbane to attract a broader range of touring acts and events, he said.

The 17,000-seat arena is not meant to rival mega-event venues such as the proposed 63,000-seat Victoria Park Stadium, but rather to cater for concerts, indoor sports and entertainment acts “in the mid-tier range, filling a critical gap in the city’s venue mix.”

The precinct will feature the new arena alongside housing, retail, hospitality and public space developments, supported by integrated transport links including Brisbane's Cross River Rail.

Concerts Back At Kooyong?

Moves at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne could see concerts staged there again. In the 1970s and 1980s, that’s where The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Elton John played.

Currently, its board is pitching for funding for its plans that include introducing ten new playing courts and a spa and wellness centre. Plans to put a roof over the Kooyong Stadium have also got the board excited that it could also become a concert venue like the old days.

Opening This Weekend #1: The Graveyard, Melbourne

Melbourne’s North gets a new bar and bandroom, called The Graveyard, this weekend. Located at 942 Sydney Road, Coburg North, the new additions are part of the evolving creative precinct at One.Be Studios/Headstone Records.

“Our vision has always been to grow a strong, inclusive musical community in Melbourne’s north,” explained Dave Warner, Director of One.Be Studios. “The launch of The Graveyard Bar & Bandroom is a major step in connecting local residents with the incredible talent that performs and rehearses here every week.”

A covered beer garden connects the zones, food vans offer Malaysian street food, kebabs and artisan crepes, and acts playing the opening weekend include Electric Mary (rare unplugged set), Truck featuring Dave Leslie from The Baby Animals, Child and A Gazillion Angry Mexicans.

Opening This Weekend #2: Above, Brisbane

Above is the latest rooftop bar in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, which Daniel Sprange describes as inspired by the rooftop bars of Beirut. Located above Ovolo The Valley on Ann Street, it features four nights of live entertainment, with a focus on Australian-Mediterranean cuisine and inventive cocktails by the pool. It opens from Wednesday to Sunday.

Opening This Weekend #3: Home House, Geelong 

Long-time Geelong, Victoria, nightclub Home House, which closed its doors last November after 22 years, returns to action this weekend. Recently, it was put on the market for between $4.8 million and $5.2 million. The new operators, who run Cairns' Club Xclusive, have reappointed the previous venue manager, Hayden Leech.

Universal Hotels Buys Up Moko

Moko in Sydney’s Eastwood, which turns on a thriving seven-night-a-week live music program from 8 pm to 10 pm, is now in the hands of Universal Hotels. Located in Koreatown at 75 Rowe Street, it was previously run by Paul Dirou, who was hailed for his support of live music.

More Live Music Set For NSW

The third tranche of NSW’s vibrancy legislation continues to focus on rejuvenating its night-time economy by jettisoning outdated restrictions, allowing rooms providing entertainment, such as pool tables, jukeboxes and amusement machines, to apply for liquor licences and stage live music.

Regional venues are up for extended trading hours. They can also apply to trade longer in the 24 hours before a Special Event.

Venue operators will no longer be required to eject drunken patrons. They conveyed to the Government that throwing them out would make them vulnerable to being assaulted or run over when out in the street. 

An amendment to the Liquor Act will give venues the choice of keeping drunken patrons there and monitoring them, after transport or ambulances are called. The rules regarding not serving drunks or allowing them into gaming rooms will remain in place.

Zach Bryan Sets New Record

Country superstar Zach Bryan set a new US attendance record for a ticketed event after drawing 112,408 fans at Michigan Stadium. 

The previous record holder was fellow country music star George Strait, who sold 110,905 tickets at Kyle Field in Texas on June 15, 2024, and grossed $25,691,650.

The Bryan show also set a merchandise sales record with $5 million.

30 Inquiries For Revolver On First Day

The "For Sale" sign slapped on the building of the renowned Melbourne nightclub Revolver Upstairs, as reported in TheMusic, has created a storm.

Up to 30 inquiries were made on the first day, the Herald Sun reported, with the price tag revealed as $15 million. The building, with 29 tenants, is on the Chapel Street precinct. There are a number of other buildings in the precinct, also on the market, and the excitement is that it could expand into a major entertainment strip. The auction is scheduled for 4:30 pm pm on November 13 at the site.

The building served as the long-time home and studio of Revolver founder and Thai pop star Tan Punturaumporn, who is returning permanently to Thailand for charity projects.

Newcastle’s King Street Unveils Charity Move

Newcastle live music venue King Street unveiled a new initiative, Applause For A Cause, to raise money for charities. The first of these is Jenny’s Place – an organisation that has been assisting women and children in crisis since 1977.

Through October, King Street will be donating $1 from every ticket sold. The $1 donation is coming directly from King Street’s ticket split, as a way to give to such a worthy cause. 

Punters who attend each show in October also have the opportunity to donate if they feel like it, via some in-house campaigns that will also take place during the month.

The venue’s Angus Harper said, “We are Newcastle people, committed to our city and its people. There is a rich culture in Newcastle of supporting one another, especially those in need. 

“This is our way of giving back to the community that has supported us and live music for so long. In October, buying a ticket to a show will not only support the artists, it will also support Jenny’s Place thanks to the Applause For A Cause initiative. We’re encouraging everyone to get out and about in October, buy a ticket to see your favourite artist and help a great cause.”

Jenny’s Place provides direct relief and support to women and children experiencing domestic and family violence and/or homelessness; the non-profit organisation also assists women and children who are at risk of homelessness. 

Its services include a Women and Children’s Crisis Refuge, a Single Women’s Crisis Refuge, Supported Transitional Accommodation, an Outreach Homelessness Support Program, and a Domestic Violence Resource Centre.

Jenny’s Place Communications and Engagement Specialist, Nicole Morwitch, stated that in 2024, the service assisted 1,211 women and 526 children.

AFA Wins Over Centennial Park Cap

The decision by the NSW Government to increase the number of music events at Sydney’s Centennial Park – as reported in TheMusic – was a win for the Australian Festivals Association (AFA).

The AFA has run a campaign for over 12 months to increase the cap from 8 events a year to 12, as well as to gain more flexibility from the park authority in scheduling and greater support for festival viability.

The AFA noted a significant factor in the changes: “Importantly, the new rules also allow multiple events to take place over a single weekend, enabling infrastructure sharing and reducing costs.”

The previous cap was also a win for the Showgrounds. Good Things moved there from Centennial for this year (December 6), joining FRIDAYZ Live, Knockout Outdoor: Return of the Circuz, and Bad Bunny’s debut.

Glastonbury Buzz Song Made By Aussie AI Act

Not surprisingly, there have been dozens of songs about the Glastonbury festival.

They include Beans On Toast’s Can’t Get A Gig At Glastonbury, The Waterboys’ Glastonbury Song, Fink’s Pills In My Pocket, The Rolling Stones’ Glastonbury Girl and Gracie Petrie’s Ivy.

But they’ve tended to be English acts. Currently creating waves in Japan and Europe is Glastonbury by Project Luna Z. It’s an Australian act using AI vocals and programming by a 48-channel record producer and tech-head, who tells us, “The project started out as a way to make devices talk and developed from there.

“The song is equally about the vibe, the magic and freedom at great Australian festivals as Big Day Out and Beyond The Valley and about how you became best friends over the weekend … and never heard from them again.”

Pink Pony Club Changing Name

Forthcoming Sydney gay bar Pink Pony Club will make its debut in December under another name – still to be decided – after a backlash.

Palms nightclub owner Kevin Du-Val and manager Michael Lewis took the name from the Chappell Roan song. It was about arriving in Los Angeles from a small town, and the joy and freedom she felt while visiting the gay bar The Abbey.

It’s become an anthem for the LGBTQI+ community. But things got hostile when Lewis revealed the club would "unashamedly be targeted at the boys, pretty much 18 to 35. Of course, the girls will be welcome. But it would certainly be our desire that it is predominantly gay boys, and when I say predominantly, I'm sort of talking 90% plus.”

Social media went into bug-out mode over this alleged hypocrisy, and it was decided a fresh name would be the best course of action.

Casablanca In Receivership

Casablanca in Surfers Paradise went into receivership after moves by a secured creditor. Hall Chadwick’s Marcus Watters and Richard Albarran are now in control of the business.

They briefly took control in May when parent company Xlea Investments was injected with fresh $182,000.

The Cavill Ave pad, known for its Moorish décor, was the mecca for the party set with a love for house, trance and techno spinning until 3 am. It had high-profile DJs, VIP bottle service and luxury booths. It was accused of underpaying staff but denied the allegations.

New Owner For The Redfern

Will the live music continue at The Redfern Hotel in Sydney’s Inner South? Industry identity Martin Short has sold it off for a reported $20 million to focus on his five pubs dotted across NSW. Very little is known about the new owners, except they’re “an established local private hotelier family.” They have not made any announcement on whether the amps remain turned on.

Crown & Anchor Company In Liquidation

It wasn’t that long ago that Adelaide’s Crown & Anchor, aka The Cranker, was in the national news as petitions and rallies were held to stop its closure after developer Wee Hur Holdings began plans to build a 29-storey student accommodation tower next door on Grenfell St.

The SA Government stepped in with a deal, and in July, the Cranker moved temporarily to the Ed Castle.

The Adelaide Advertiser reported that Crown & Anchor Pty Ltd, the company that previously owned the Cranker, has gone into voluntary liquidation with $1 million in debts. 

Owner Tom Skipper told the Advertiser it would place “too much duress” on his new company, and he made the move as the best way to return to Grenfell St once the student accommodation tour was completed in mid-2027.

According to liquidator Michael van Dissel from Bernardi Martin, as per the Advertiser, “The company had a lot of debt from Covid, and then the rug got pulled out from under them. The large debts owing to the ATO and statutory creditors make up more than 50 per cent of it.”

PS On Ticketmaster/Venues NSW Deal

Further to Venues NSW moving its entire 8-venue portfolio to Ticketmaster from Ticketek, as announced in TheMusic, inside sources suggest that the deal was for seven years.

It could mean more concerts at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and that the NSW State Government would make about $100 million from fees and rebates payable by Ticketmaster.

Melbourne Gallery Returning As Music Venue

After 40 years in the arts sector, the Anna Schwartz Gallery on Flinders Lane will host its final exhibition in December. Under the name Anna Schwartz Projects, it will, from 2026, run music shows as well as performance and publishing, working with collaborations.

Regional NSW Night Time Economy Gets Funding

Following visits to NSW regional towns by 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues, the $2 million pilot Regional Night-time Economy Program will help ten music venues, sporting hubs and hospitality business groups over a two-year period.

They get funding, tailored bootcamps and ongoing support to harness opportunities in their area and deliver initiatives that will create more vibrancy from day to night.

Belgian Beer Café Becomes Laneway Social

Over in Adelaide’s East End, music showcasing Belgian Beer Café returns on October 20 after a $1.45 million transformation, as Laneway Social. The Ebenezer Place venue is focusing on its bar and restaurant under Daniel Mercorella.

Musical Chairs

Deanna Smart, who wound up as Head of Creative Program at Melbourne mid-winter festival RISING, is now Experience Manager at cultural precinct Abbotsford Convent, designing and delivering programs and initiatives.

Promoter Michael Cassel Group appointed Jan Gura as Head of Strategic Partnerships and Investor Relations, working closely with CEO Cassel in shaping the investor engagement strategy across the US, UK, and Australia.

Ticketmaster appointed Saumil Mehta as its new Global President. He comes from a background of technology, including Chief Product Officer at payments giant Square, and advisor and investor to AI startups.

Push To Make Suncorp Stadium A 72,000 Seater

The Queensland Government’s plan to upgrade Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium before the 2032 Games and lift it from its current 52,000-seat capacity has taken on a whirlwind of its own.

The music industry, former politicians, sports bodies and business identities are urging the Government to seize the opportunity and increase the capacity to at least 65,000 to 72,000, and put a roof on.

This would help the state keep up with massive fan demand for events, draw major sports tournaments and stop the likes of Coldplay, Oasis, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, and Olivia Rodrigo from bypassing the city.

Two major promoters were quoted in the Courier Mail, putting forward their case.

Frontier Touring CEO Dion Brant explained, “The economics of bringing major tours to Australia can be challenging for international artists – even at stadium level.

“Additional capacity helps, and a roof will reduce weather risk and insurance costs, so both will help make stadium-level concerts more viable and sustainable in Brisbane.”

Venue owner and operator Legends-ASM Global’s Asia Pacific Chairman and Chief Executive, Harvey Lister, said an increased capacity was a long time coming.

The ideal stadium would likely cost “multiple hundreds of millions of dollars” but confirmed to the Courier Mail that Legends ASM was prepared to contribute. “We would certainly be prepared to consider investing alongside the State,” he said.

Gold Coast Venues Spotlighted

The five nominations for the Venue Of The Year category at the November 20 Gold Coast Awards were Burleigh Town Hotel, Den Devine, elsewhere, Vinnies Dive and Wallaby Hotel.

The Avenue At Club Bayview Trots Off Into The Sunset

One of the most popular and controversial of Perth’s clubs, Club Bayview – later becoming The Avenue At Club Bayview in 2018 – has shut its doors permanently.

Affectionately known as Club Bayspew, the Claremont business was particularly prevalent with college students. But as owner Jon Sainken lamented, there was a generation change, when the new breed of 18—24 year old clubbers no longer got turned on by its vibe.

The building is now taken over by a nearby medical practice, full of doctors who frequented the club in its heyday.

Live Executives Speaking At Turn Up

Organisers of the Sunshine Coast industry summit Turn Up have tapped into major live music executives to share their knowledge.

These include Mark Pico (Big Pineapple), Amanda Jackes (Woodford Folk), Melissa O’Bryan (Solbar and SCMIC), Brodie Popple (Oztix), Andrea Smith (Applause Genie, Crew Care) and David Dean (Hostile Entertainment).

They join former music retailer and author Barry Bull, media identity Ian “Dicko” Dickson, and Eloise Brock (Turn Up Event).

Put together by Turn Up Event and Oztix, it is staged for the twelfth year on Thursday, October 23, at The Presynct, Nambour. Topics include growing careers, impact of festivals and ticketing tips, with roundtable networking and a live set from Elke Louie.

German Stadium Shows Wind Up Sheeran Tour

Three shows at Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, finished off Ed Sheeran’s 3.5 year “+-=÷x Tour” (aka Mathematics Tour). The three shows drew 190,718 fans and generated a gross of US$18 million.

Over the tour’s 160 dates, it clicked over 8.1 million tickets and a tentative gross of $807 million. The Mathematics Tour is now the fourth-highest-grossing tour of all time (after Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Elton John) and the fourth most attended world tour behind Coldplay, Swift and Ed’s own The Divide Tour with 8.9 million.

Gympie Muster Raises Over $100K For Charity

The Gympie Music Muster from August raised $141,780 for its 2025 charity partner River’s Gift, smashing its target of $110,000, it was recently quantified. 

River’s Gift is dedicated to funding medical research and raising awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). It was co-founded by Karl Waddell and Alexandra Hamilton, who lost their son River at four months old.

Muster CEO Greg Cavanagh said, “The Muster has always been about giving back, and this year’s fundraising effort shows the amazing spirit of our patrons, volunteers and partners.

“From doughnuts to cans and auctions, every dollar raised makes a difference, and we’re proud to support River’s Gift in their mission. 

“To raise more than $141,000 is fantastic, and I can confirm it is the single biggest donation the Muster has ever made to a charity partner from one festival.”

The success of the fundraising means that up to 8,000 Finding Hope books will be distributed through Queensland childcare centres to educate people in a light-hearted way about infant safe sleep practices and their importance in reducing the risk of SIDS.

Jazz Grooves At Cairns Speakeasy

NōkNōk, a new hidden speakeasy which opened in Cairns’ Lake Street, has been making a name for itself as a vintage jazz space. Inspired by the US Prohibition era, it was set up by hospitality veterans St, is the brainchild of hospitality veterans Thomas Breitenstein and Tarran Tracey. Aside from serving innovative cocktails, it also holds gin masterclasses.

Meltdowns!

Gold Coast-based musician Orlando Padgett-Delmenico (stage name: Orlae) pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court to nine charges stemming from an incident in February.

Delmenico, who was described by his lawyer as an alcoholic at the time, was thrown out of a hotel for allegedly being disorderly and directing racial slurs at patrons. He allegedly kicked out at the venue’s glass doors, and when four emergency service personnel arrived, he abused them using racial and homophobic language and physically assaulted them.

The court, upon hearing he’d given up the grog and taking treatment, put him on 18 months’ probation and 160 hours of unpaid community service.

Meantime, Tyler Sergent-Hackett, 22, appeared in Southport Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to sexual assault. A resident of Victoria, he had travelled to the Gold Coast for the Ultra dance festival. He approached a woman and allegedly grabbed her by her breasts and bottom, and pressed his erect crotch into her. He was fined $1,000 and also ordered to pay his victim $1,000 in compensation.