The Zoo, Photograph: Will Johnstone
Brisbane live music venue The Zoo is closing down, and so is its sibling venue Stranded Bar. The team from The Zoo shared the news on social media, revealing that “after nearly 32 years of live music,” the Fortitude Valley institution will close its doors on July 8.
They explained that while this was an “impossibly hard” decision, the “financial reality of keeping music venues afloat in 2024 is all too stark.” The Zoo had higher ticket sales in 2023 than any other year on record, they said, but this was wasn’t enough to combat “rising operational costs, and decreasing returns.”
They elaborated on the financial equation: “As a music venue, we try our best to keep venue hire costs as low as possible for artists and promoters, which means that the financial risks are on the venue, and we depend on bar sales for profit. The cost of supplying alcohol is rising, and bar sales are going down, likely due to a mix of lifestyle changes and cost of living stress for our patrons.”
Stranded, which opened in 2022, will close sooner than The Zoo, with its last day confirmed as Monday May 6. There are still a few gigs left on the calendar – namely, Charm of Finches on May 2, The Empty Threats on May 3 and the club night OPAL on May 4.
The Zoo will keep hosting artists from Australia and abroad over the next couple of months. Highlights from the venue’s upcoming program include Melbourne pop band Telenova on May 11, UK rapper Lord Apex on May 19, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou on May 31, and Sydney garage and 2-step producer Club Angel on June 28.
“We hope you’ll join us for one last dance over the next few months,” The Zoo said. “We want to make the last shows very special and will be looking to add extra shows while we can!”
