Famous Brisbane night spot a DJ dead zone

If Brisbane is to successfully host the 2032 Games it needs to expand entertainment precincts and protect existing music venues, pundits say.

Hospitality and entertainment identities are calling on the state government to help dig Brisbane’s nightlife out of a Covid hole, with the famous Fortitude Valley declared dead by DJs.

Longtime Brisbane producer DJ Jay Adlington said lockout laws had completely destroyed Brisbane’s nightlife and it needed to expand its entertainment precinct and better protect existing music venues if it wanted to successfully host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Brisbane still feels like one big town with a city in the middle,” Mr Adlington said.

“Sydney and Melbourne really come alive at midnight, when we’re getting ready to shut up shop.

“How are we supposed to be this new-world city they’re hoping us to be without totally overhauling the nightlife legislation?”

The popular DJ and his mates have since moved to underground scenes, with too many venues shutting down or left playing radio mixes.

DJ Jay Adlington. Picture: Richard Walker

“There are some clubs in the Valley doing well basically because they’re attracting a lot of the younger crowd,” Mr Adlington said.

“Only two clubs or three are doing things regularly and they’re booked out, so the chances of you getting recognised as a new musician are really small.

“But you’ve got Melbourne actively funding live music and clubs with legislation in place to protect music venues, and they’ve also created really good hubs that cater to growing musicians.

“There’s an opportunity for us to do that around the Gabba, the Princess Theatre that was just renovated, even Springfield Lakes with the new AFL stadium.”

Trent Redman, the owner of popular Ivy Blu Rooftop bar on Caxton St and Fortitude Valley’s Su Casa nightclub, said landlords and tenants who kept Brisbane’s party precinct alive during Covid also deserved a funding leg-up.

He said hospitality businesses had bled money just to keep their staff and venues alive, and should receive a decent slice of the government’s Olympic and Paralympic Games funding to help recoup and prepare in time for 2032.

Ivy Blue Nightclub co-owner Trent Redman. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“People had to pivot, they have to make money and find alternatives but there hasn’t been much in the way of support or grants to help upskill and revitalise hospitality,” Mr Redman said.

“We’ve dug that Covid hole and now we’ve got to get out of it alone, again.

“They were talking about $4.5bn invested into 2032 but how much of that really comes back to the nightlife scene?

“At the end of the day we are the ones who will have those crowds coming in.”