Ideally situated south of Brisbane and north of Gold Coast, Kingston Butter Factory in Logan City is fast solidifying its presence as one of Queensland's premier performing arts venues.
Kingston Butter Factory lies at the heart of Logan's thriving live music scene, having in recent years hosted shows from high-profile acts like Pete Murray, Alex Lloyd, The Whitlams, Guy Sebastian, Troy Cassar-Daley, Taxiride, Meg Washington, Katie Noonan and Ben Lee.
Ben Witham is the Performing Arts Program Leader for Logan City Council, overseeing the region's entertainment facilities, including Kingston Butter Factory and Logan Entertainment Centre.
In this role, Ben and his team have been instrumental in elevating Logan City's profile as a viable touring hub. "Sitting in that sweet spot 30 minutes south of Brisbane and 30 minutes north of the Gold Coast, we are primed for any of the artists and promoters that are looking to deliver an east-coast leg of a tour.
"It doesn't detract from the audiences they're getting on the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast or in Brisbane by dropping an event here in Logan," Ben says.
"I think the appeal is that the venue does have a point of difference. Because it was a historical butter factory facility, it has that nice backdrop and point of difference to some of the more green-field event spaces.
"The artists are really happy with the facilities as well, so a lot of them are returning or suggestively passing on the good word on our behalf."
In fact, in a recent interview we did with The Whitlams' Tim Freedman he shared how he's a fan of Kingston Butter Factory. "I wish there was a little room like this in every suburb because I could work every weekend of the year."
Once a dusty relic of Queensland's colonial past, the redeveloped Kingston Butter Factory has become an integral part of Logan City's cultural growth. The venue boasts impressive technical features, including a 300-capacity indoor theatre for intimate shows as well as a new outdoor stage that can accommodate up to 7,000 patrons for festivals and events.
"We have an in-house technical production team, bookings and ticketing services, and catering teams," Ben adds. "We are a venue that has all those in-house services, which does appeal to artists and promoters as well. We're not just a straight dry hire facility; we can actually work to support and deliver an event in-house. It's all rolled in with our tour packages."
Logan is certainly a city 'on the grow', with one of the fastest growing populations in the country, projected to top 500,000 by 2026. With that rapid expansion, Ben says there are certain expectations for the city to fulfil. "It's a big growth corridor down here in Logan," he says.
Ben Witham
"So, there is real interest and thirst for people that do reside in the city to be able to enjoy entertainment without travelling outside the region. It's nice to be able to deliver that nighttime economy for the people of Logan.
"Getting the genre mix right, making sure the content is suited for the region, and that's very much why we looked to programme a Pasifika artist on the stage this year."
In November, Kingston Butter Factory proudly plays host to the highest-selling live band in New Zealand history Six60, whose biggest global listener database reside in Logan.
"Logan is one of the most diverse multicultural regions in the country and there is a real thirst. Getting that connection right, making sure we're not just programming willy-nilly, we're making sure the content is suited for the region and will be taken on well."
Six60 play Kingston Butter Factory (Brisbane) on 2 November. The venue is located at 270 Jacaranda Avenue, Kingston.
