Will Sparks to headline McGuire’s Hotel relaunch party under new management

Popular Aussie DJ Will Sparks will help kick off McGuire’s launch party tonight as the new owners plan to make the venue a centrepiece for live music in Mackay.

Heath Milner playing in the McGuire's Hotel beer garden, Saturday, February 22, 2025. Photo: Ethan Holmes, Legacy Photography

The 140 year old McGuire’s Hotel is under new management and the owners are kicking off with a long-awaited release party in their newly furbished 800-capacity beer garden.

Originally opened in 1882 under its original name the ‘Belmore Arms’, once home to a crocodile enclosure and home to the first Labor-in-Politics cabinet meeting in 1956, The McGuire’s hotel today aims to become a key driver of live music in Mackay.

Will Sparks to headline the relaunch party, Saturday, March 1.

Owners Kaine Taylor and Cole Bowman said they wanted to have live music every weekend targeting all demographics, ranging from pub rock, metal, EDM DJs to country singers.

“We really want to be known for the live entertainment venue in the city heart, trying to bring people back to the city heart,” Mr Taylor said.

“It’s got heaps of potential but no one’s doing it justice in our opinion.”

McGuire's Hotel beer garden, Mackay, Thursday Marche 6, 2024. Photo: Ethan Holmes, Legacy Photography

They’ll be kicking off the month with a spark, hosting one of Australia’s most popular DJs Will Sparks in their 800 capacity open air beer garden, fit with a permanent stage fixed with LED lights and a solid sound system.

“Tickets are in their final release and there’ll be minimal door tickets,” Mr Taylor said.

Though, in the lead up to the release party, the pair have managed to give locals a bit of a taste of McGuire’s Hotel under new management with weekly live gigs from local and touring artists.

“Country goes off in Mackay,” Mr Taylor said.

“We had Heath Milner who’s from Mackay last weekend which was great.

“We will try and support as many local bands as possible and hopefully the locals get behind supporting them.”

The pair also ran nightclub Confessions and both worked full time as tradies on the side, though after two years in the hospitality sector, the job didn’t come without its flaws.

Local band Razor in the McGuire's Hotel beer garden, March 15, 2024. Photo: Ethan Holmes, Legacy Photography

Like many venues in the city, Mr Bowman said it was hard to gauge the level of punters that would walk through their doors as people didn’t always buy up pre-sales.

“Mackay has that mentality of just seeing what the day is like and turning up which makes it hard for people who want to do massive artist events but you just don’t know how your tickets will trend,” he said.

“Then you see this massive influx on the door that you can’t predict.

“And people only have so much money to spend too, they don’t want to go out every weekend.”

For the past two and a half months, the pair had been cleaning the 140 year old site, preparing to make it a go-to venue for local punters.

“It was run down,” Mr Bowman said.

“About 14 or 15 years of no maintenance.”

McGuire’s official relaunch party starts at 6pm, March 1.

Tickets are available via oztix.com