Venues: New Openings in Canberra & Sydney, Townsville Petition For Foos, Theatre Delay, Jail Sentences, Lady Gaga Numbers & More

ChiChiz, Embassy CBR, Open In Canberra

Canberra has two new clubs while the ACT Government plans to expand its night time economy.

ChiChiz, opening this Saturday (December 14th) in the Sydney Building, is designed to be a safe LGBTQIA+ community. It takes its name from the iconic New York queer club which offered sanctuary especially to people of colour, and which closed in 2010.

US-born co-owner Travis Moore frequented the NY club, as did NSW-born Oliver McLean who was in the Big Apple on work. The third owner is another recent arrival, writer Anastasia Tyler.

The entertainment menu includes live music, karaoke, queer art, drag shows, DJ nights, community takeovers, trivia nights, and themed parties.

Focussing heavily on R&B is cocktail bar and nightclub The Embassy CBR, which launched this month on Northbourne Avenue.

Felons Barrel Room Brings Live Music Hub To Manly Wharf

Dynamic brewing company Felons, which has been operating the Felons Barrel Room as a combined microbrewery, live music space, and dining hub in Brisbane since October 2020, has brought the concept to Manly Wharf in Sydney.

Manly Wharf is being developed as a go-to-destination since Artemus Group took it over last year.

The 700-capacity Felons Barrel Room Manly has a custom-built, steam-powered 18.5-hectolitre brewhouse and Vietnamese dining restaurant for 300, and a hidden cocktail bar.

The entertainment draws on local and emerging talent, covering live music, DJs, comedy, jazz night and acoustic sessions – supported by an advanced sound system and adaptable lighting from German maker d&b audiotechnik.

The venue signalled its commitment to a wide range of music at the long weekend surrounding its December 5th launch when Winston Surfshirt, Mental As Anything and a “dancefloor heat” session with James Pepper, Yolanda Be Cool, Bella Backe, Joel Cantone, and Ashlea Milinkovic of dance troupe Sweat It Out lined up for the event.

Thursday December 11th marks the Jazz Club and the 14th with Hondeyslidders, with January’s slate including The Growlers, Canada’s Tops, and Norway’s SMERZ.

Foo Fighters Fans Push For Townsville Show

With 24,000 Foo Fighters fans snapping up  all tickets for the band’s one-off Tasmanian show next at the UTAS Stadium “in record time” of 20 minutes on its day of sale (Wednesday, December 10th),a gaggle of Townsville fans set up a Facebook group pushing for Frontier Touring to get them to play at the 25,455 seat Queensland Country Bank Stadium 3,000 kms away.

Group administrator Michael Chamberlain says big turnouts for Pink and Jelly Roll in Townsville proves there’s a substantial crowd for the rock’n’Grohlers in the Far North Queensland.

The band's one-night-only UTAS Stadium show on Saturday, January 24th has sold out in record time, fans from across the country snapping up tickets today for what is gearing up to be the hottest show of the summer.

Spilt Milk Attracts Record Number Of Brands

As Kicks Entertainment & Live Nation’s Spilt Milk festival currently plays Ballarat, Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast led by Kendrick Lamar, Doechii, and Sara Landry, Live Nation reported that it attracted a record amount of brand partners.

They include Red Bull, Smirnoff, Vodafone, Coopers, American Apparel®, Jim Beam, Liquid IV, Rimmel London, Schwarzkopf Got2b, White Claw, Platypus and Transport Accident Commission. 

“Each partner will deliver a uniquely tailored activation, promising to elevate the festival experience and foster authentic connections with Australia’s next generation of cultural tastemakers,” the promoter said.

The Red Bull Capsule, a high energy, boutique-turned-party destination features exclusive Spilt Milk merchandise and customisation courtesy of American Apparel®. The space has DJ sets, signature Red Bull drinks and an outdoor zone designed to keep the vibes high into the night.

Vodafone was the first brand to partner with Spilt Milk this year, giving Vodafone customers exclusive pre-sale access and the chance to win a ticket upgrade. 

Coopers’ Finders Coopers provides roaming bar service of Coopers Aussie Lager cans.

Official merch supplier American Apparel® joined Spilt Milk as the presenting partner of the festival app, keeping fans connected and in the loop from first act to final set. 

Liquid I.V. offers bold new flavours for punters. Makeup partner Rimmel London returning with its London bus is offering complementary makeovers, product drops and a resident DJ.

White Claw’s Shore Club serves up refreshments and DJ sets. NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrates is serving up chilled coffee to help festival goers cool down and recharge.

Official footwear retail sponsor Platypus’ Kicks Club members win VIP tickets by getting festi-ready, shopping the edit in-store and online. 

After more than a decade on the road, the Transport Accident Commission’s Vanessa bus had a major glow up and debuted as ‘Vanessa’s Place’ at Ballarat Victoria as a share-house with giveaways and safer choices on the road. 

Live Nation said the partner line-up “reflects deep insights into the values and expectations of Gen Z, with this audience shaping the festival’s identity and driving year-on-year demand.”

According to its latest Love Song study, 92% of Gen Z crave in-person experiences and nearly 88% say music is central to their happiness and sense of identity.

Kristy Rosser, Senior Vice President and Head of Media and Sponsorship at Live Nation ANZ, “We know Gen Z value real-life experiences that are both authentic and relevant, so our goal is to create spaces where brands can connect with fans in a memorable way.”

ICC Sydney Invests Over Half A Million Dollars In Lighting

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by Legends Global, is investing $554,000 in its lighting assets to open up visual creativity for shows. A substantial part of the outlay is in LED technology.

ICC CEO Adam Mather-Brown said, “This latest investment underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence. By continually enhancing our AV capabilities, we empower clients to deliver events that inspire, engage, and leave lasting legacies.”

ICC Sydney’s new lighting inventory includes:

• 16 × Elation Paragon M (3700 lumen profile at CRI 80 with framing capabilities)

• 16 × Acme Tornado (1m LED bar with 5 individual moving heads, pan and tilt capabilities)

• 40 × Acme Super Dotline (1m LED strip light with tilt functions)

• 1 × GrandMA Processing Unit M (increases parameter count by 4096, accommodating LED Bars)

• 48 × Astera Titan Tubes (1m LED tubes with tunable whites, ultra-high colour rendering, and pixel control)

Cloudland Clouds

Cloudland in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley has introduced Cumulus Thursdays, starting at 9pm each week. 

House band Cumulus delivers a range of soul and funk grooves featuring some of the best musicians in the city. After the band, DJ Two Dee takes to the decks until late.

Gaga Numbers

While Lady Gaga’s Australian tour set off this week in Brisbane with a share of dramas, figures for the singer’s overseas dates are showing she’s on top of the game. She’s been topping Pollstar’s Artist Power Index since mid-October.

The European leg took 24 shows at 10 arenas, grossing over US$65.6 million from 368,145 tix. A four-night run at Accor Arena in Paris generated $10.5 million from 61,815 tickets sold.

The Mayhem Ball began in Las Vegas on July 16th. Combine all dates, and Gaga has whipped up $168 million with almost three quarters of a million tickets sold at 51 performances. A four-night stay at Madison Square Garden in New York in late August swelled the coffers by $17.4 million to 54,390 fans.

Meantime, social media went into overdrive at the first Aussie show in Brisbane. Due to a technical glitch discovered during soundcheck concerning the opening of the venue gates, punters only started getting into the venue an hour after a 5pm schedule.

Long queues snaked back to the railway station, there was an estimated two-hour wait, tempers were frayed in the heat, some apparently needed medical help and others maintained they missed some of Gaga’s set (their estimates ranging from 3 to 6 songs).

Suncorp Stadium stated 95% of patrons were already in the venue by the time the delayed show got underway at 7.40pm.

It added: “This delay resulted in a backlog of patrons queuing on the stadium’s external plazas. This backlog exacerbated the already delayed entry, resulting in patrons experiencing unusually long wait times.”

Read The Music’s report on how serial pest Pyjama Man (aka Johnson Wen, 26), who had been thrown out of Singapore for lunging at Ariana Grande at the Wicked premiere, was at the Brisbane show in disguise. 

Alas, security threw him out. “Take off your wig, take off your wig!” Gaga fans yelped at him as he shuffled off.

Musical Chairs

• Janis Carren, who served for almost 15 years as Director of Strategy and Partnerships at VenuesWest (its 14 venues include RAC Arena, Optus Stadium) before heading to WA Arts and Culture Trust as CEO, returns to the organisation in May 2026 as its CEO.

• Melbourne’s The Substation’s new Executive Producer, Nicholas Tee joins in January. Tee worked as performer (CHILLIDXDDY) and festival director in Singapore, UK and Australia, gaining acclaim for the sold out Bunker By Night, of electronic and experimental music sets in a disused World War II military bunker.

• Acclaimed chef Alex Katsman will helm The Angry Penguin, a new restaurant opening at Adelaide Festival Centre as part of its $35 million redevelopment.

Marvel Stadium Wins Global Kudos

Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium has picked up a win at the global 2025 Access All Areas Awards. It took the Best Outdoor Venue gong, up against Hyde Park, The Royal Parks in London, Castle Park in Colchester, UK, and the 450-acre Ragley Estate in Warwickshire, England.

Marvel Stadium marks its 25th year this year. “Over 730,000 fans have attended major events and concerts outside of football at Marvel Stadium this year,” it reported.

It’s hosted 19 major events, including eight international concerts. They included Luke Combs, Oasis (170,000 fans), Metallica (61,000 fans), and Fridayz Live featuring Pitbull and Mariah Carey. Lady Gaga on the weekend (December 6th), “registered in the top ten highest attendances all time at Marvel Stadium.”

Tooheys Turns Taps On At Tamworth Festival

Tooheys is the new official beer partner of the Toyota Tamworth Country Music Festival (TCMF), marking the first time the NSW brand has aligned with the event which draws an aggregated 300,000 through ten days in January.

It will be poured at the Tooheys Country Pub in Toyota Park and venues including Wests Tamworth, Wests Diggers, The Longyard Hotel, The Tudor, Joe Maguire’s, Courthouse Hotel, and Tamworth Services Club.

The Tooheys blue and red will feature prominently throughout festival venues, precincts, and media, “ensuring the brand is front and centre during this cultural celebration.”

Tooheys supports live music venues through its Tooheys On Tour campaign, helping them reconnect with fans. This year Dune Rats got an ARIA nomination for their reimagined version of the I Feel Like A Tooheys jingle.

No Shaky Ground: Renée Geyer Lane

After the unveiling of street artist Ling’s mural of Renée Geyer outside the Galleon Café in St. Kilda, Melbourne, the City of Port Phillip is proposing to name a laneway in her honour.

It’s asking for possible names. Singer Jane Clifton has one. She posted, “Renée Right of Way has a nice ring to it. With a sign reading ‘Yes, you’re heading in the right direction’.”

Vale

Melbourne nightclub promoter Trent Theodore who was involved in clubs as The Osborne, Bar Bambi, and Eve, succumbed to health complications aged 39.

Canberra musician Garth Lawrence Mansfield, who died at 94, set up the Wesley Music Centre as a sought after venue for small classical recitals and sound recordings and served as its director from 2002 to 2013.

Rave Up On Air New Zealand Flight

Air New Zealand flight NZ1331 became a nightclub at 30,000 feet with Synthony In The Sky.

While it transported 160 members and fans of the classical/EDM ensemble Synthony from Auckland to Sydney, the act performed a concert (no passouts or walk-offs!) complete with vibrant visuals and atmospheric lighting courtesy of the airline's engineering team working closely with promoter Duco Events.

Ravers who paid NZD$549 (including the Sydney show on the steps of the Opera House) got a Shapeshifter DJ set, sets from EMD icon DJ Dick Johnson and singer Emily Williams, and a surprise appearance by Lewis McCallum and Matthew Ottignon, who played sax, flute and clarinet. Celebrations included two birthdays and a hen’s party. 

Synthony’s Opera House gig was to an audience of close to 5,000, the ensemble told The Music. Captain David Elmsly, a pilot of more than 20 years, is a founder of Synthony.

Cairns Nightclub Manager Gets Jail Sentence

Cairns nightclub manager Shanesse May Perry, 32, was jailed for five years (suspended after 12 months) after pleading guilty in the Cairns Supreme Court to cocaine trafficking.

As reported by the Cairns Post she admitted to selling more than $355,000 worth of cocaine for 17 months from May 2022 to October 2023 to just one customer. 

The court was told she provided the powder 50 times in that period to a FIFO worker who had received about $400,000 inheritance and was quite happy to pay Perry’s marked up price of $9,800 an ounce. Perry was most recently manager at Gilligan’s Nightclub.

Legends Global Enters JV With Saudi Arabia

Harvey Lister, Brisbane-based think-big President and Chief Executive of Legends Global Asia Pacific and Middle East, was in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh to announce a new joint venture with the country’s Event Investment Fund.

The JV will see Legends Global offer management services including design and technology for a slate of new venues in the capital. An indoor entertainment and sporting arena will be among the first three to be built, along with an Olympic-standard shooting range and a business convention and exhibition centre.

Legends Global’s Australian portfolio includes Suncorp Stadium, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, and Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Queenscliff Festival Draws 11,000

Victoria’s Queenscliff Music Festival reported drawing 11,000 punters over three days on Wadawurrung Country/Bellarine Peninsula. The 75 acts who hit the stages (along with the new floating stage) included The Preatures, Thelma Plum, The Cat Empire, The Waifs, Cosmic Psychos, Mama Kin Spender, and King Stingray, with a surprise appearance from Baker Boy and a heap of local acts.

Riverside Theatres To Be Scaled Back

With costs to remake Western Sydney’s Riverside Theatres into a “world-class performing arts centre” blowing out well over its $276.8 million budget, the City of Parramatta this week decided it would delay plans for a rebuild to start to late 2026, and scale back on its redesign. The venue will remain operating as usual.