Following a string of iconic Canberra venues announcing their closures – including Transit, Sideway, Cabo, Reload and, most recently, Cube – the Independent Member for Kurrajong, Thomas Emerson MLA, has joined with MusicACT and a range of local venue managers in calling for the ACT Government to take action to stem the tide of closures.
In a letter sent to the ACT Minister for the Night-Time Economy, Tara Cheyne MLA, the group asked for urgent consideration of two requests:
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Expediting the delivery of the commitment contained in Mr Emerson’s supply-and-confidence agreement with the Labor Government “to implement a night-time economy support package that revitalises Canberra's dining, bar, events and arts scene – including exploration of complementary, co-designed measures to ensure overall success.”
- Establishing a new Night-Time Economy Coordinator, preferably one with industry experience, to create a single point of contact within government who can work across multiple portfolios and be readily contacted by venue managers.
The letter points to “growing distress among many local night-time venue managers about the viability of their operations” and a “serious risk of more closures without urgent government intervention”, with signatories welcoming the opportunity to work in partnership with the Minister “to ensure a thriving future for Canberra’s night-time economy and the venue owners, managers, artists and other creatives who fuel it.” It is co-signed by Mr Emerson, MusicACT, local musician Lucy Sugerman, and representatives of Fiction, ONE22, Cube, Molly, 88mph, Amici, Bleachers Sports Bar, Highball, Mooseheads, Luna, Old Canberra Inn, Dickson Taphouse, Blackbird, Bar Rochford, Bar Beirut, The Dock, Parlour, High Jinks and The RUC.
Mr Emerson said the letter had been prompted by repeated messages of concern from venue managers, local creatives and community members about the state of Canberra’s nightlife, and was sent after the Minister had said “no” when asked if the Territory’s night-time economy was in crisis during Question Time on Wednesday.
“Canberra was always seen as the boring capital but that’s changed over the last decade,” said Mr Emerson.
“From higher-end offerings like Bar Rochford and Molly to student hangouts like ONE22 and local favourites like the Old Canberra Inn, these iconic venues give our city character.
“It’s been a brutal few years for the hospitality sector. A pandemic, labour shortages, a cost-of-living crisis and skyrocketing insurance premiums have led to the closure of several beloved venues. Without concerted cross-portfolio effort, we risk seeing further closures of the venues that give Canberra life at night.
“Do we want students, artists and young professionals moving to Canberra to discover it’s dead after dark? Local creatives leaving because there’s no vibe here?
“We’re calling for a dedicated Night-Time Economy Coordinator who knows how the industry works and can partner with venues, bookers and artists to realise Canberra’s potential as a thriving cultural hub. Someone who’s focused on cultivating a unique local live music scene and ensuring touring acts know we’ve got pumping spots that make it worth stopping in Canberra.”
Mr Emerson said he hoped for a constructive response to the letter, which was also sent to the Chief Minister and the Minister for Business, Arts and Creatives Industries.
Quotes attributable to Bec Taylor, President of MusicACT:
Venues are the cornerstone of the live music industry. Artists need a pipeline of different sized venues to support their career growth. Canberra’s pipeline of venues is crumbling which means less touring bands are coming through, leading to even less opportunities for our incredibly talented artists to be seen and discovered by the national industry. It was bad before the pandemic but it has become a crisis now. We need government to take this crisis seriously and plan for building Canberra’s reputation as a tourist destination for both music, the arts and cultural institutions.
We have such potential as a city, so it’s really worrying to see a trend of venues closing without any strategy for activating the entertainment culture of Canberra.
Enacting Entertainment Precincts last year was very welcome to the music industry but without any dedicated people working on an activation strategy for the long term arts economy of the city, these won’t have the desired effect. We need a Night-Time Manager or Coordinator to work with industry, both local and national, to help put Canberra back on the touring map, so we see more touring bands and shows come through Canberra.
Quotes attributable to Frank Tapia, Entertainment Director at Fiction Nightclub:
As the operator of a long-standing late-night venue in Canberra, we’ve felt the compounding pressure of ongoing construction, which is making it increasingly difficult for patrons to access city venues. While we support the need for infrastructure development, it must be matched with meaningful support for the businesses most affected.
Despite government discount schemes and licensing reforms, many venues like ours have seen little to no benefit. The cost of operating, coupled with compliance and regulatory burdens, no longer aligns with how the industry functions today. Current support measures don’t reflect the realities of running a venue in 2025.
I’ve operated venues in Sydney during the peak of the lockout laws and in Canberra throughout COVID, including during sit-down nightclubbing restrictions. What we’re facing now is beyond anything I experienced in either of those periods. The challenges are deeper and more systemic.
We strongly support Mr Emerson’s call for urgent action, particularly the creation of a dedicated Night-Time Economy Coordinator with real industry experience. This role is vital if we’re serious about keeping Canberra’s night-time economy alive and ensuring it has a future.
Quotes Attributable to local musician, Lucy Sugerman:
Local music and hospitality venues are essential to the life of a city – they are centres for fostering creativity, connection and well-being as third spaces for people between home and work. Their importance cannot and should not be underestimated. If there aren’t provisions in place to protect venues during construction and growth, the city and other precincts will end up dead.
Losing venues like ONE22, FCTN and Bar Rochford, with the announced closures of Transit and Cube, would have devastating consequences for touring artists coming to the ACT and our local music scene. Without caring and nurturing existing spaces for culture, we risk being completely devoid of heart. It also discourages young people from being entrepreneurs, creatives and engaging in business after seeing the insane challenges presented.
It’s challenging seeing ‘night time economy’ as a political focus for getting votes and then such a huge lack of care in planning for construction – even things as simple as considered public notices for where to park and what businesses are where.
I thank Thomas Emerson and his office for their proactive work in shedding light on this huge issue.
Quotes Attributable to Ant Arena, CEO of Lala Hospitality Group, responsible for Molly, Highball, Amici Wine Bar & Deli, Bleachers Sports Bar and 88mph:
What we are experiencing is an erosion of Canberra’s vibrancy and character. Foot traffic has dropped significantly and the city’s atmosphere continues to decline as venues close or reduce trading hours. Businesses, ours included, are absorbing rising administrative costs like rates and compliance without corresponding revenue to support them.
The ACT Government was very quick to denounce a reduction in public sector jobs at the federal election. Now they can show how much they care about private sector employers and employees in Canberra.
What’s particularly disappointing is the Government’s current response. Rather than offering tangible support measures — such as financial assistance, rates and licensing relief, or promotional programs — we were offered guidance on how to wind up our businesses. That is an insult to the years of hard work, community building, and employment we have contributed to this city.
Canberra’s small business community is resilient but not unbreakable. We call on the ACT Government to urgently revisit its approach, and implement real support strategies before more shopfronts turn to vacancies.
It’s not as simple as one business closing and another one taking its place. Sharp increases in building costs, interest rates and business vulnerability have seen a massive drop-off in those willing to take a risk to start a business in Canberra.
There’s a serious risk that the energy of this city will be lost, and Canberra's reputation will return to where it was 20 years ago.
Quotes attributable to Nick and Ryan Smith, Owners of Bar Rochford:
Since COVID-19 it feels like we have been left to fend for ourselves and ‘pivot’ with the changing face of the hospitality industry in the city, or risk having to cut staff or even close down.
We need more support from our government, and more effective ways of communicating our concerns with relevant government agencies, or we will only see more iconic and beloved Canberra venues start to close down.
Bar Rochford, like many city venues, has already seen a downturn in trade, and it looks to only continue declining with the works on the light rail, work-from-home arrangements, cost-of-living pressures, and general operation costs continuing to get higher.
Having dedicated lines of communication to discuss support packages through a designated Coordinator would be incredibly valuable to help kickstart the conversation around revitalising the industry.
Quotes Attributable to Kevin Steadman, Owner of Parlour and High Jinks:
The construction activities around the city centre are deterring Canberrans from traveling in and around the city centre during the day and in the evening. This is impacting restaurants within the city centre area and its fringes.
The reduced foot traffic for our businesses continues to impact our revenue takings, and the costs to operate are still increasing meaning it is only the beginning of some iconic hospitality venues closing.
