Grand plans to revive legendary Arq as Aura

Legendary queer nightclub Arq is getting a facelift … and will reopen as Aura, a venue for all, in June.

US rapper Lil Nas X poses with fans from Arq nightclub.

Legendary queer nightclub Arq is getting a facelift … and will reopen later this year as Aura.

Despite being a Darlinghurst destination for over 26 years, the last couple of years have tested Arq.

Last month, after only trading for one night a week for almost a year, it shut its doors for the final time.

Now, nightclub owner David Auld has taken over the lease of the venue and has grand plans to revive the space and make it a nightclub for all.

“It’s not a queer venue. It’s not a straight venue. It’s going to be an amazing club for whoever wants to come,” said Auld, who has run nightclubs for the better part of 30 years and currently operates Noir on Oxford St and boat party Seadeck.

Putting considerable cash behind the venue, Auld is currently renovating the space and putting in a new sound system.

“[Arq] has lasted longer than any venue I know but it’s time to breathe new life and give it a new beginning,” he said.

“It’s still an amazing venue. It has great bones. It’s all there but what we do is elevate it.”

Auld has been in talks to take over the venue for over a year. During that time there were rumours the venue would cease to be queer-friendly.

However, when it opens in June as Aura, there are plans to keep Fridays free for queer promoters and DJs.

Auld will then open up the venue to other promoters, from house music to Latin.

“We’ve given priority to the promoters who were already here, because we want to keep that legacy,” said Auld.

Iconic Sydney venue Arq before its 2022 reopening. Picture: David Swift

It’s a new chapter for the nightclub, which has had its fair share of drama.

Original owner Shadd Danesi reopened the club in 2022 after Covid threatened to close it altogether.

“When we first opened doors in 1999, there was great excitement, with lines stretching down the street,” he said at the time.

“Oxford St was an incredible place to be, even at 3am there was a sea of people lining the street.”

It’s a scene Auld hopes to recreate.

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