Home House to close its doors after 22 years

A Geelong nightlife institution is set to close its doors next month after almost 22 years, vowing to bow out with its “biggest celebration yet”.

Home House nightclub is closing. Picture: Mark Wilson.

                                            

A Geelong nightlife institution will soon close its doors, vowing to bow out with its “biggest celebration yet”.

In what looms as a major shift in Geelong’s nightclub scene, Home House, which is owned by former Geelong mayor and flamboyant paparazzo Darryn Lyons, has announced it will shut at the end of November.

The “bittersweet” closure was announced on social media, with operators assuring revellers “this isn’t goodbye forever”.

The post was an open invitation to “one last epic house party” on November 23, with “drink specials and an epic line-up of DJs”, who will be announced in the near future.

“We can’t wait to celebrate with you all, just like the good ol’ days!!! Let’s make this night one for the history books,” the post read.

MEGA HOME HOUSE GALLERY: CLICK HERE.

The nightclub’s general manager, Mario Gregorio, said the club had enjoyed a “good run” and played host to some of the best Australian and international DJs.

“It’s been an incredible 22 years, but with the difficult times we’ve faced recently, we’ve decided it’s time to slow down,” he said.

Mr Gregorio said the decision had been on the cards for six to twelve months, as numbers had not recovered following the Covid pandemic.

“We wanted to see if there was going to be a turnaround in numbers going out,” he said.

A decade ago Geelong may have seen 5000 people go out in the city centre on a Saturday night.

“It’s probably down to about 2000 on a Saturday night going to nightclubs now,” Mr Gregorio said.

“But that’s just the way things are and we can’t complain.

The Moorabool St site was home to various nightclubs since the 1980s before Home House opened in 2002.

Damian McMaster, Paula Kontelj, Roxie Bennett and former mayor Stretch Kontelj at Home House’s launch in 2002.

Change at Home House has been on the cards since Mr Lyons put the freehold title for the nightclub on the market for $5m in 2022.

It was sold in December that year for $4.85m, however, the nightclub itself had a lifeline – an annual lease of $225,000.

Home House’s owner Darryn Lyons.

The new lease included a demolition clause, capable of activation from July 2025, allowing the land owners to give Home House management 12 months’ notice of last drinks.

However, Mr Gregorio said the new owners did not influence the decision to shut up shop.

“That was definitely not part of our decision making, we’ve just decided not to renew the lease,” he said.

Mr Gregorio said he was proud the club had been able to provide a lot of “good times”.

“It’s had its ups and downs and troughs … and at times a chequered history, but I think Darryn and I can be proud that we’ve made a lot of people happy,” he said.

The looming closure comes as Mr Lyons sold more than $200,000 worth of his personal art collection at auction.

Tickets for the club’s closing event went on sale on Monday.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as Home House to close its doors after 22 years