The beloved Fitzroy music venue is making a toast to 25 of the best.
In a city where a new music venue seems to be under threat each week, 25 years of operation is no small feat.
To celebrate the massive milestone, Bar Open has announced a huge run of shows taking place in the coming weeks with a free New Year’s Eve party as the cherry on top.
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
In 1998, three friends decided to open a bar. Sick of slogging away in the computer industry and looking for something new, Andy, Jon and Sam scouted a location on Brunswick St.
You young kids might not know this, but back in those days, Brunswick St was not exactly the nightlife haven it is today. In fact, the boys had to battle with a NIMBY residence group and the city council but eventually emerged victorious.
And so Bar Open came to be. Over its 25 years of existence, the bar came to be a haven for the quirky, the experimental and the bold.
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Open six nights a week, the iconic bandroom has hosted an immense range of talent, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Presets, Jackie Orszáczky, John Butler, Kylie Auldist, Cooking on 3 Burners, Bombay Royal, The Barons of Tang, and a so, so, so many more musical gems.
While Brunswick St and the rest of the world have definitely changed over the last two-and-a-half decades, Bar Open has stayed pretty much the same. It offers a sliver of the old Fitzroy to anyone who happens to wander through its doors.
The interior is still painted red. They still host three-act bills in the band room, and cosy, intimate, free sets in the front area, with an open fire in the winter to warm your hands. The only new addition is a mural out the back in honour of Andy – the co-founder and friend who didn’t make it.
All throughout December, the Bar Open stage will welcome musicians of all genres to join in the month-long birthday celebration. As usual, the beloved improv event Make It Up Club will run on Tuesdays with tickets available at the door, and the front bar shows are free.
On New Year’s Eve, the team will also be throwing a big bash to ring in 2024 with the 10-piece “New Chilean Cumbia” ensemble Sorbo Amplio and free entry all night.
“Bar Open has contributed so much to Melbourne’s music culture over the last 25 years. It’s always been my favourite venue because it gives you the best small-venue music experience in town. This December is dedicated to Andy, the last and the next 25 years of Bar Open,“ says co-owner Jon Perring.
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Bar Open 25th Anniversary Gigs
FRI DEC 1
- Bland w/ Vulcara + Twinkle Digitz
- Front bar: Zak Gully
SAT DEC 2
SUN DEC 3
- Front bar: Attiche + Steele + Spicer
WED DEC 6
THUR DEC 7
FRI DEC 8
SAT DEC 9
SUN DEC 10
- Front bar: Harmaniax
WED DEC 13
THUR DEC 14
FRI DEC 15
SAT DEC 16
- Arvo show: Josh Shipton & The Blue Eyed Ravens (SYD) w/ Poor Premenstrual Darling + Brian Campeau
- Evening show: Spürts w/ Big Farmers + Piggie Tails
SUN DEC 17
- Front bar: Syd Perry (Jamaica)
WED DEC 20
- Skabhangers w/ Special Guests
THUR DEC 21
- Winnie and the Wraiths w/ Special Guests
FRI DEC 22
- Zero City w/ Special Guests
- Front bar: The Four Scoops
SAT DEC 23
- Slow Grind Fever w/ Richie 1250
- Front bar: Dilapidated Diva
WED DEC 27
- Front bar: Dusty Dimes
THUR DEC 28
- Front bar: Steamboat Whistlers
FRI DEC 29
- Steph Fischer-Ivancsy w/ Special Guests
- Front bar: The Four Scoops
SUN DEC 31
For more on Bar Open, head here.
