Venues: More Spaces For Live Music, Mojo Crowd Funding A Hit, NSW Expands Precincts, Musical Chairs & More

MOJO’S FUNDRAISER A HIT

The GoFundMe drive by the new owners of Mojo’s in Fremantle to keep it going as a live music venue is a triumph.

Within weeks of its launch, it bypassed the $16,000 target with 147 donors, raising it to $18,000.

As a result, work began on the Mojo’s Vinyl Store, to open on July 13, although the first Vinyl Fair was held, with Bauwerk Colour supplying paint and painters. “Don’t worry, we’ve kept the beloved artist signature wall!” the owners emphasised.

Last year, architect Michael Benson, musician and venue manager Tony Papa-Adams and DJ Paul Malone bought the 190-capacity venue from Triple-1-Three. Renos to begin earlier this year stalled due to financial “struggles”. It was for new bar furniture and kitchen, 16 new beer taps, and new sound and lighting equipment.

“Next up: we’re opening from midday all week, installing 16 new beer taps and fitting out the kitchen, so we can extend our trading hours and offer more to the community very soon.” 

MORE LIVE MUSIC COMING

These venues have signalled moves to expand their support of live music.

Bonnie Doon Public House, Fortitude Valley

A consortium spearheaded by Asa Simard and William Suess soft-launched Bonnie Doon Public House in the 19th-century Fortitude Valley (Brisbane) building, which hosted Bloodhound Bar until last October.

DJs are already on hand on the weekends on the lower floor. But Simard said that coming is an upstairs bar, “the pool room,” with live music and DJs. The Bonnie Doon Public House, named after the holiday town in The Castle movie, has Australiana dishes, such as baked damper with Vegemite butter and pork-and-beef rissoles.

The Googong Hotel, NSW

After a two-year delay, construction has begun on the 700-patron, $25 million Googong Hotel. It plans to be a live music venue in the upstairs section. Local property developers Peet and Mirvac teamed with the owners of the Royal Hotel in Queanbeyan, Anthony and Sandy McDonald, for the development, which council says will be a boost to the town’s nightlife.

Club Ryde Ex, Sydney

Club Ryde Ex’s $800 million plan to redevelop its Victoria Rd site includes Chief Executive Dennis Skinner telling the Daily Telegraph it needed to diversify beyond a reliance on poker machines to survive and offer the “whole package” of food and entertainment.

To attract more young members to the venue, there’ll be more music. “We’ve never really been an entertainment hub before, but we’re going to lean that way – and that doesn’t mean it’s going to be doof doof music every week. We’ll have a range of music, a range of shows.’’

Fillmore’s, Kiama

Fillmore’s, a community café and performance space on NSW’s South Coast, already has a reputation for its contribution to the local blues and roots scene and encouragement of new talent. Owner Morgan Lewis was a key figure with the Kiama Jazz And Blues Festival.

Now Lewis has applied to expand live music, up its capacity to 200, extend trading hours, use it as a bar and restaurant, and a retail space.

Townsville Concert Hall

The prospect of the Townsville Concert Hall for classical and contemporary music was dashed last year when Townsville Council decided that the $100 million price tag was too unviable. It voted to redirect funds to the rebuilding of Reef HQ, the national centre for reef education.

But the idea was waved around during the Future Townsville event discussing Far North Queensland’s city’s tourism growth. Port of Townsville Chair Ann Sherry said that the city may end up with a “great concert hall” at some point, but it needed “a venue” that does that job.

Queens Hotel, Ayr

The upstairs nightclub at North Queensland’s Queens Hotel continued to operate while owners Adam and Carly Child put it through a four-month multimillion-dollar transformation, which closed much of the lower level. The Childs say the next round may see the nightclub upgraded.

NSW NIGHTTIME ECONOMY GROWS: SIX MORE PRECINCTS

Following the success of the Enmore Road special entertainment precinct (SEP) from September 2022, and Burwood and Fairfield coming on this year, Inner West Council ticked an unprecedented six new SEPs.

These were:

Darling Street, Balmain and Rozelle

Marrickville Road and New Canterbury Road, Dulwich Hill

Marrickville Road and Illawarra Road, Marrickville

Industrial area along Victoria Road and Addison Road, Marrickville

Norton Street and Parramatta Road, Leichhardt

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said the Inner West "is rapidly overtaking the CBD as the epicentre of entertainment in Sydney. Our main streets are already the coolest night-time destinations in Sydney, and the new Entertainment Precincts will give our artists, pubs, restaurants and bars a big shot in the arm to take us to the next level.

"Venues across the Inner West will now be trading later all week and up until 2:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. We are also legalising the use of footpaths and alfresco dining areas until midnight because we want to see more people out on the street later.”

Not only do live music venues receive a two-hour trading extension on nights when live music is offered and one hour on other nights, but all businesses can host small-scale music and arts events without a development application.

REPORT: WHAT DO VENUES MAKE?

Music Australia’s ground-breaking Bassline report in June on the music industry’s economic contribution revealed there are 2,700 music venues nationally, and 795 in NSW alone.

In a deep dive of the sector, live music venues earned an estimated $1.8 billion in revenue in 2023. Of this, $1.31 billion was from food and beverage sales and the remaining $490 million from venue fees and commissions on artist merchandise sales at shows.

LIGHTS TURN OFF

The Bearded Tit, Sydney

After being a sanctuary for the LGBTI and POC communities and other marginalised groups for “eleven years of magic”, owner Joy Ng posted that The Bearded Tit in Redfern, Sydney, will close in November.

Ng explained: “I am at a stage in my life where I want to expand my horizons and explore a career outside of hospitality. It has been the privilege of a lifetime to be part of this community, to witness the joy, creativity, and resilience that has filled this space night after night.”

After the final date, Ng will hold a “market day” at the bar, selling off memorabilia and décor.

Foundry616, Sydney

The long tail of the pandemic claimed another victim at the end of June, this time, the dedicated jazz mecca Foundry616 in Harris Street, Ultimo. 

Peter and Elizabeth Rechniewski explained, “Despite considerable effort, Foundry616 has struggled to cope effectively in the very challenging post-COVID trading environment.” 

The Rechniewskis started the venue in 2013, quickly making it central to Sydney jazz and the principal venue for the Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival until 2019. Peter co-founded The Sydney Improvised Music Association in 1984 and served as its Artistic Director.

VICTORIA’S SPACES ON SALE

Music hosting pubs in Melbourne are hitting the market, as owners call a timeout on the high cost of business.

They include Geelong West’s Telegraph Hotel whose freehold and leasehold has a price tag of up to $5 million, The Quarry Hotel in Brunswick East, with leasehold for $300,000, Port Melbourne’s The Cornerstone leasehold for $125,000, while also on the market are The Fox Hotel in Collingwood, the Limerick Arms in South Melbourne and Mount Dandenong Hotel, Olinda.

The freehold in Newtown’s St. Lord's Hotel on West Fyans Street is on the market after 45 years, and is forecast to pull in $15 million.

HONKY TONK BAR INCREASES CAPACITY

Fremantle’s Honky Tonk Blues Bar has received the official Okay to open its upstairs area and increase its capacity by another 300. Joshua Paparo (co-owner with Ben Bell and Elvin Hang) said the immediate impact was to lessen long queues outside, especially on Saturdays when the line “goes all the way down the street from 6 pm until midnight.”

It will also mean the bar, which first opened in July 2023, can host more private functions and additional line-dancing classes.

Council approval was set for mid-May. But at the last minute, it deferred a decision due to concerns from some West End neighbours about noise and waste management behind the bar. But these were quickly addressed, and the council gave it a unanimous thumbs-up.

THEBARTON THEATRE TO HOST ADELAIDE MUSIC MUSEUM…

The historic Thebarton Theatre will host the South Australian Music Museum, the first officially registered nonprofit organisation dedicated to honouring and preserving SA’s musical heritage, both past and current. This not only includes performers but also venues such as the Palais Theatre, Largs Pier Hotel, Apollo Stadium, The Old Lion, Tivoli Hotel, and Le Rox.

Curation activities begin right after Thebarton Theatre’s grand reopening following renovations, in October. Set up 18 months ago, it now has a tax-deductible gift recipient status, allowing it to accept tax-deductible donations.

Among the museum’s supporters are Adelaide’s live sector identities as Victor Marshall of The Grape Organisation, Jordan Lennon from Lennon Entertainment, Rino Cufone from the House of SAP, and veteran Bob Lott, who ran Central Booking Agency and Thebarton Theatre.

…WHILE ADELAIDE TOWN HALL HOSTS HoF EXHIBIT

The Adelaide Town Hall is hosting the AMC SA Music Hall of Fame Exhibition over two levels from July 1 2025, to July 1 2026. It marks Adelaide’s 10th anniversary as a UNESCO City of Music and is presented by the City of Adelaide.

Founded in 2014, the Adelaide Music Collective (AMC) South Australian Music Hall of Fame inducted 160 individuals, 24 bands and 17 venues, including Crown and Anchor, The Gov, Her Majesty’s Theatre and Elder Hall.

The exhibition features vintage guitars, historic sound equipment, gig photography, and honour boards featuring icons such as Cold Chisel, The Angels, and No Fixed Address, with material from the collection of the late radio legend David 'Daisy' Day and the State Library.

STATE BUDGETS KEEP IT LIVE

Recent state budgets for 2025/26 ensured that their live music scenes are acknowledged.

NSW: a $500 million arts package included $20.6 million to support the Office of the 24-hour Commissioner, and $20 million for Sound NSW to continue supporting the music scene.

$1 million went to the 85-hectare Parramatta Park, increasingly used by music promoters for upkeep, and $10 million for Olympic Park.

Qld: the $75.8 million Arts Budget put aside $9.4 million for local festivals and events, music tourism and jobs for arts workers.

The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) got $8 million over four years “for key programming to ensure world-class performances continue to attract audiences.”

ACT: $31.1 million was for planning and detailed design for the Convention and Entertainment Precinct, progressing it to start building. 

Chief Minister Andrew Barr noted the precinct’s integrated 8,000-seat Entertainment Centre for live music, entertainment and indoor sporting events “will enable Canberra’s place on the live music touring circuit and as a destination for business events, growing our economy and creating more jobs.”

WA: aside from pushing on with the sports and entertainment Burswood precinct, “We are continuing to deliver on our commitment to live music and the arts in Western Australia, with commitments that include a $2.7 million Live Music Support package.

“WA’s live music scene will also be bolstered by the $150 million redevelopment of the Perth Concert Hall that will help grow our creative industries and attract investment to Western Australia.”

SA: pushing on its arts and cultural policy ‘A Place to Create’, $1.5 million went to increase existing programs and initiatives supporting more original local music and live music venues, through the Music Development Office.

$3.9 million went to upgrade four regional arts centres, over $3 million to build the international profile of South Australia's arts, culture and creative industries “through showcasing our creative capabilities to the world”, $1 million for grants programs to associations, and $2.3 million for First Nations arts, music and culture.

Tasmania: music got a funding boost, with Strategic Initiatives and Service Organisations Program recipients including Music Tasmania and the Tasmanian Live Performance Exchange. More access to music in regional areas, and greater funding to upskill arts and music workers ’ skills, “to keep up with changing national and international landscapes.”

MUSICAL CHAIRS

New Leadership At Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium

Brisbane’s 52,500-seat Suncorp Stadium gets a new GM later in the year. Darren Burden, who has run stadiums in New Zealand since 2019, led the development and operation of Hong Kong’s US$4 billion 28-hectare Kai Tay Sports Park, which included a 50,000-seat stadium and a 10,000-capacity arena. 

He replaces the dynamic Alan Graham, who headed the stadium since 2022, except for a two-year stint managing the Indoor Basketball Arena for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. He built Suncorp Stadium to be one of the busiest in the world, hosting around 60 events a year of sports, concerts and entertainment.

Bookers for Blute’s Bar

With Fortitude Valley karaoke bar Blute’s Bar expanding to live music, programming is led by Alyssa and Keeley from BallPoint Press. They were behind the recently closed Bearded Lady, where initiatives as Keep The Lady Loud and loyalty bonding kept the place packed.

We’re told to “expect residencies, recurring nights, and community collaborations designed with longevity and meaning in mind.” They can be reached at bookings@blutesbar.com.

Steven Raffen Back At Family

Steven Raffen, the previous owner of the Family Hotel in Bathurst, NSW, is back at the venue which has a reputation for its live music. He bought it back for a reported $13 million from Ashton Waugh’s Watering Hole Hotels, which purchased it from him in 2018 for $5.5 million.

New CD/CEO For Gasworks Arts Park

Theatre director Sam Strong has begun as the Creative Director and CEO of Gasworks Arts Park in Melbourne. Most recently, he was the Executive Director of Creative Industries at Creative Victoria, responsible for all investment in the non-government arts and cultural sector.

As Artistic Director of Queensland Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company, he oversaw seven consecutive seasons of subscriber growth, setting all-time box office records for shows.

New Director Of Programming For MRC

Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) appointed composer, curator and former Perth Festival Artistic Director Iain Grandage AM as its new Director of Programming, effective July 28. It comes as MRC prepares for ambitious expansion with the launch of the Peter and Ruth McMullin Beacon in 2026 and completion of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation in 2028.

NORTON MUSIC FACTORY EXPANDING

The Sunshine Coast's 400-capacity live music venue, Norton Music Factory in Caloundra, is expanding. Bands also currently have the use of guitars made on site in a guitar workshop. Now, it’s applying to expand with a brewery that can provide drinks alongside entertainment.

BROMBIES RIDES WAVE BACK

Sunset gigs and major live bands and DJs were a major part of the Brombies vision when Harbord Hotel in north Sydney (29 Moore Rd, Freshwater) put together its rooftop party bar. 

Based on ‘70s Californian surf culture and outdoor beach parties, the bar also hosts comedy nights, surf film screenings, mic karaoke sessions and surf cocktails. It takes its name from thrilling offshore waves beloved by surfers.

A recording studio for local artists to jam and make music is set to go live by summer.

OUCH

* The landlord of the Geelong Hotel (69 Yarra St) has kicked out tenant MD Hotel Group Pty Ltd over rent issues and letting it into a “fucking horrendous” state of disrepair, he told the Geelong Advertiser – a claim MD denies.

* With light rail construction in Canberra’s Civic having “decimated foot traffic, and thrown up a wall – quite literally – temporary fencing around our venue”, Mooseheads nightclub is making a playful protest. Every patron who buys a Moose Juice gets a free padlock on which to write messages of “support, dedication and romance” and hang it up on the construction site – renamed “Moose’s Love Lock Wall”.

* In a new study by America’s National Independent Venue Association, 64 per cent of US indies are not profitable. But the venues, combined with indie festivals and promoters, contribute $86.2 billion directly to the US gross domestic product – more than the beer, gaming and airline industries. Over the past year, indie stages put on more than 153,000 events in the US to 183.7 million fans.

* The collapse of Public Hospitality Group (PHG), which runs 20 pubs with $500 million in debt, has seen rivals circling to pounce on places like The Norfolk in Redfern, Darlinghurst’s Exchange Hotel, The Strand in the CBD and The Oxford Tavern in Petersham. The AFR said staff owed $600,000 for superannuation have been paid.

* A 24-year-old ecstasy dealer who supplied to over 114 customers in Cairns nightclubs between June and November 2023 found that the third time was not a charm. On his third appearance in court, he got a three-year jail sentence

* Having a date with the Townsville Magistrates Court on July 9 is a 34-year-old bricklayer who allegedly tore down Flinders Street in the city’s nightclub area, did burnouts, and threatened to drive into the La Vida and kill everyone inside.

THE NAME GAME

After parting ways with Netstrata in March, Georges River Council in Sydney is offering naming rights to Jubilee Stadium for three years, with a further three years available. Expressions of Interest close on Tuesday, July 1.

Hoteliers Ghanem Group, which took over The Fox in Fish Lane in South Brisbane, has a plan to renovate to make it a dining, entertainment and events hub. It’s asking regulars to suggest new name ideas, keep the Fox name, any of the six names it’s had since it opened in 1927 or Terminus, which is what the building was called in the 1890s at the end of a tram line.

RUNNING FOR VENUES

There are several ways to reach a venue. But 37-year-old English emergency worker Andy Hobson ran 252 miles (407km) from his home in Leeds to the London Stadium to catch Sam Fender.

The seven-day huff-puff was to raise £5,000 (A$10,500) for The Music Venue Trust charity, which protects the UK’s 800+ grassroots music venues. 

Hobson believes these venues saved his life when he went through bleak times. "On a particular day, when I wasn't feeling too great, I would book a ticket for the most random gig.”

BEYOND THE VALLEY EXTENDING SITE STAY

Untitled Group’s flagship single-day festival, Beyond The Valley, in Victoria could be staying at its Barunah Plains site in Hesse, 40km west of Geelong, for another ten years. That’s what the promoter has applied to the local council, along with an increase in capacity from 35,000 to 40,000 and the addition of a fourth stage.

The festival generates $18.5 million each year for the local economy. Barunah Plains is its third site, arriving there in 2022 after debuting in Phillip Island in 2014 to 8,000, and then Lardner Park in Warragul, Gippsland.

VICTORY LAPS

Landmark Wins NT Music Venue Gong

Darwin’s Landmark @ Gateway, in Gateway Shopping Centre in Palmerston, took out Best Live Music Venue at the 2025 Hospitality NT Awards for Excellence, held at the Darwin Ski Club before 500 guests.

Landmark, open 3 am seven days a week, is operated by Justin Coleman’s Established Territory group and boasts the Territory’s largest permanent outdoor LED screen.

Other winners on the night included live music venues Sweethearts @ The Cinema Collective (Best Late Night Venue), Monsoons, Walkabout Tavern, Darwin Ski Club, Silks and Palmerston Golf and Country.

Mounties Gets NSW Accolade

Mounties in southwest Sydney took out the Arts, Culture & Entertainment category in the 2025 ClubsNSW Awards. Held at ICC Sydney before 900 guests, Broken Hill Musicians Club also took a trophy. There were a record 142 finalists in nine categories.