Beloved Fitzroy live music venue The Night Cat has scored a victory at VCAT following battle with developer.
The Night Cat has emerged victorious from a legal battle that threatened the beloved Fitzroy venue’s future.
In April this year, The Night Cat has launched a desperate bid to comply with escalating noise regulations, as apartment developments continued to reshape Fitzroy.
The Night Cat’s 30-year legacy as a cultural cornerstone came under threat unless substantial funds could be secured for advanced sound monitoring equipment, additional soundproofing and sound-limiting solutions, alongside expert acousticians to implement long-term protections.
Today (27 August), the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal cancelled temporary orders against The Night Cat, after the venue proved it was operating within its planning permit conditions. Owner Justin Stanford submitted an independent acoustic report demonstrating full compliance, prompting the developer to agree to cancel the orders.
The Night Cat now operates under the same legal framework as any other venue regarding noise emissions.
The Night Cat – Fitzroy
- What: Legal victory against developer pressure
- When: VCAT decision made 27 August
- Where: Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
View this post on Instagram
Community support proved vital throughout the ordeal, with Fitzroy and broader Melbourne locals rallying to raise more than $78,000 through donations and benefit gigs to keep the venue afloat.
Stanford expressed relief at the outcome but warned that the case exposes serious gaps in current Agent of Change legislation designed to protect live music venues from development conflicts. The laws are meant to ensure new developments don’t interfere with existing venues, but Stanford argues they need strengthening.
For over three decades, The Night Cat has anchored Fitzroy’s live music scene, hosting everyone from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Amyl & The Sniffers to international acts like Charli XCX and Questlove. Local heroes The Teskey Brothers and Sampa The Great have also graced its stage.
Stanford emphasised that while this victory provides immediate relief for staff, artists and the Fitzroy community, it highlights ongoing vulnerabilities facing Melbourne’s music venues. He called for stronger protections to ensure the city maintains its reputation as Australia’s live music capital.
For more information, head here.
