‘We Are Devastated’: The Bearded Lady Venue To Shut Down Permanently Next Week

In a massive loss for Brisbane punters, beloved West End venue, The Bearded Lady, has today announced it will close its doors permanently next Friday (May 23).

Announcing the news via social media this afternoon, the venue wrote that they are “devastated” about the impending closure.

“We’re reaching out today with the heaviest of hearts to let you know that The Bearded Lady will be officially closing, with our final day of trade on Friday 23rd May, 2025,” the post reads.

“We’ve done everything in our power to keep the doors open, but unfortunately, negotiations with the landlord fell through yesterday. Key members of our local music community were ready and willing to take on the lease, but at the last minute, the landlords informed us they no longer wish to be involved with hospitality.”

This decision comes as a shock twist. Just a few months ago, the venue warned of a potential closure due to “serious financial strain” - but, with the community rallying after this call for help, a whopping $27,000 was raised in support. As such, many assumed the venue to be in a slightly less precarious position. But, ultimately, The Bearded Lady’s fate did not rely on money.

“Unfortunately, this decision did not come down to finances, rather a call that became entirely out of control,” the post continues. “We are devastated by this news, and for our beloved bands and music community. Your frustrations are not lost on us. Thank you for supporting The Bearded Lady! We love you!”

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The Bearded Lady is simply the latest closure in a concerning trend of live music venues in Brisbane shutting down. Just last weekend, fellow independent venue Season Three was evicted. And, in early April, It’s Still A Secret was also “forced” to close, with owner Emily Dennis saying that this is becoming a common occurrence: “We're not alone in this struggle; over one-third of small to medium-sized Australian live music venues have shut permanently in the past three years.”

As Season Three owner Nick Smethurst told The Music last week, “It's fine for all of us to be despondent about the loss of rooms. It's fine of us to sit a moment in contemplation or even depression. It's fine. But what we can do is work together, because the only way to fight influence from the top down is to work together from the bottom up. We can work together. You can come out and support. So it's not about just supporting the art that you like. It's about supporting the idea of local art in the first place, you know? And I'm not saying you have to go to every show for bands you dislike, but just stand as an avid champion for this stuff. It's important that people come together around things that they say they care about.”