Melbourne live music venue Pony will close its doors for good on December 2.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the rising cost of rent has forced the closure of the venue after 12 years.
''We are sad to see it go but it is essentially a business decision based on not being able to agree on a rental that would work for us to operate long term into the future,” Jon Perring, one of Pony's three owners, told the newspaper. Perring also owns The Tote, Bar Open and Yah Yah's in partnership with Andrew Portokallis and Sam Crupi.
However, in a potentially promising sign, a new lease has been negotiated by Camillo Ippoliti, who says ''it is likely that after renovations live music will continue (at the venue)''. Ippoliti, who owns Revolver, Cookie and The Toff along with his son Daniel, will also take over Bridie O'Reilly's next door. He’s expected to operate the two bars as separate entities.
One of Melbourne's much-loved late night music hangouts, Pony has hosted countless bands over the years and is notorious for its 2 am sets.
