A new era of entertainment in Brisbane is being heralded by The Tivoli Theatre with their brand-new room, What's Golden.
Set within The Tivoli's main foyer, What's Golden is a 250-person performance space designed to meet Brisbane's growing appetite for boutique and intimate venues.
Co-founder and Creative Director for The Tivoli Dave Sleswick says What's Golden has been developed to provide greater options for both performers and punters in Brisbane.
“It's about having as broad an offering as possible so that we can have genuine conversations with a larger range of people, rather than just the higher end of the industry,” Dave says.
“Also to minimise the risk for artists, so being able to have a more accessible space, a more affordable space to demystify The Tivoli as a place that is out of people's reach, where actually we're in reach and can do a variety of different things.”
Artist's impression of What's Golden at The Tivoli Theatre in Brisbane.
Opening on 27 August with an invitation-only party, What's Golden will go on to present a continuing programme of diverse local, national and international shows including upcoming gigs from Clea and Good Boy, plus risque evenings with Honcho Disko and Betty Grumble.
Designer Aaron Barton has been tasked with re-imagining the main foyer to accommodate the second stage, with set designer Sarah Winter stamping What’s Golden with its own identity while complementing the art deco features and old-world charm of the 102-year-old building.
“We've been playing with this idea of developing a smaller capacity venue for the past two years, pretty much ever since we took over The Tivoli three years ago,” Dave says.
“The reason being is that we have this big beautiful space that resonates very deeply with the people of Brisbane, but we feel a responsibility of when you own space to maximise its potential.”
The addition of What's Golden is part of a major revamp for The Tivoli Theatre that also includes a state-of-the-art stage complete with a new audio and lighting set-up as well as an impressively renovated box office, new cocktail menu, craft beer bar and a daytime nook for coffees and Bloody Marys’.
Artist's impression of What's Golden.
No longer just a place to see great live music, The Tivoli is transforming itself from mere theatre to comprehensive arts precinct where the night doesn't finish just because the band has.
“With the What's Golden space, when a main stage gig is finished we're going to give people an opportunity to stay in the venue,” Dave reveals.
“We'll have late-night DJs and people can hang out there. Rather than kicking everybody out into the street and saying 'go find somewhere else', we're welcoming people to stay around as long as they want and to keep everyone in the home.”
