Waterloo Bay Leisure Centre’s auditorium to be revamped into Bayside Music Hall
World class artists, including a four-time ARIA nominated rock band, are coming to a community venue, traditionally known for markets as well as arts and crafts, as it undergoes a revamp.
Southeast
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A historic Brisbane community hall is about to undergo a transformation which will see some of Australia’s top artists come to the city’s bayside.
Actor and singer, Tom Oliver, who founded the Wynnum Fringe Festival, announced today he would be reinventing the auditorium at Waterloo Bay Leisure Centre into the area’s newest entertainment venue, the Bayside Music Hall.
The centre, which has been a pillar of the bayside community for more than 40 years, will be switching the arts and crafts events for some of the country’s most popular acts, starting with Thirsty Merc, who will be launching the revamped venue on June 19.
Mr Oliver said the idea for the music hall came about after discovering how beautiful the centre’s auditorium was during last year’s Wynnum Fringe festival.
“It is a gem of the bayside. It’s got polished wooden floors, a nice stage, great dressing rooms and room for a bar,” he said.
“It’s not perfect yet but I believe in the potential of the room and am determined to turn it into a huge asset for the bayside.
After the success of the Wynnum Fringe, which has run for two years, Mr Oliver said this was another step towards putting the bayside suburb on the “cultural map”.
“The community in Wynnum is excellent, people here really care about their own backyard and the response to Wynnum Fringe has been amazing since we began in 2020,” he said.
“My goal in starting Bayside Music Hall is for this to be a place where locals and visitors can experience high quality entertainment all year round.
“Every bayside local wants Wynnum to do well, this should be another great way to put Wynnum on the global cultural map.”
He also said now was the perfect time to make this idea a reality to capitalise on the area’s hospitality boom with new entertainment venues, restaurants and bars popping up all over the bayside in the past 18 months.
“We want people to come into town, watch a show and then have dinner or go to a pub or the shops,” he said.
“The arts is one of the best industries for driving economic benefits in a town and the Bayside Music Hall will be no exception.”
Mr Oliver said more popular acts will also be announced to perform at the new venue at the launch on June 19.
“This will include music and other genres of entertainment,” he said.
“We are currently looking for potential sponsors to support the venues so we can make the place look like the iconic venue it deserves to be.”
The Waterloo Bay Leisure Centre’s usual community events and activities will still continue.
Visit baysidemusichall.com.au for more.
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