NSW Continues Push For Music Scene With Yet Another New Live Venue

In what is another boost for New South Wales' music scene, a brand new live venue is set to be launched in Wollongong this month. 

Based inside the Wollongong Town Hall, the new venue coined The Music Lounge will officially open on Saturday, 26 March, complete with a private bar, thanks to the Merrigong Theatre Company.

The opening night will see acclaimed cabaret performer Michael Griffiths perform his Madonna-inspired show, In Vogue: Songs By Madonna, while other artists confirmed to perform at the new establishment in the coming months include Michaela Burger and Greg Wain, Amelia Ryan and Mikelangelo of Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen. 

No stranger to the issues facing Sydney in regards to nightlife and its live music scene, Merrigong Theatre Company CEO Simon Hinton told theMusic that the inspiration behind the venue was all about the music.

"I certainly think that there are people that want to go to venues that aren’t primarily drinking venues, but still have a bar," Hinton said of Sydney's lockout laws. 

"For us, the focus is going to be on the music, but there’s a bar in the room. Rather than putting music into a drinking establishment, it’s kind of the other way around."

While the first announcement of shows coming up feature cabaret artists, Hinton hopes to host shows for local and touring artists and bands in the near future. 

"What we didn’t want to do is control the programming totally," he explained.

"We want it to really be about responding to what local bands, artists, promoters want to do."

For more details on The Music Lounge, head to the Wollongong Town Hall website.