After almost four decades without a single gig, Townsville’s legendary Warehouse is finally making a comeback — and it’s doing it loud.
Set to reopen on Friday, May 2nd, the venue — tucked inside the historic Mansfield Hotel — hasn’t hosted a live band since the ’80s, when it was the place to be for sweaty sets from INXS, Jimmy Barnes, and Midnight Oil.
Now, it’s been completely revamped with space for up to 700 punters, upgraded lighting and AV, a glam rock-inspired speakeasy, and a mission to bring back high-quality live music to the heart of North Queensland.
Kicking things off is Spiderbait, who’ll take the stage on reopening night, followed by The Presets on Saturday the 3rd of May, and a huge free all-ages local showcase on Sunday, May 4th featuring 15 homegrown acts including Gleezus and Colloidal Silver.
“The concept of The Warehouse Townsville has been kicking around for quite some time,” says venue booker Tim Pellegrino. “It’s a dedicated live music and events space that’s capable of hosting high-level national and international touring acts, while ensuring local North Queensland talent is nurtured across a variety of stages.
“The concept was initially put into a pitch deck six years ago, and since then there’s been some hurdles to jump over and some false starts to manage, but the spirit behind the project has always been positive: ‘build it and they will come!'”
He added, “We’re excited to be fostering talent from the same local stock that has brought Australia the likes of The Middle East, Woodes and Australian Crawl’s drummer John Watson.”
And they’re not wasting time. Punk-metal crew King Parrot have a gig lined up for later in May, with Peking Duk and Creedence – The John Fogerty Show also locked in. Ben Knight will bring the laughs in June, while The Beautiful Girls are booked for July. Pellegrino says there’s “no shortage of amazing acts that will be playing our main stage in the years ahead,” and judging by the pace of announcements, he’s not wrong.
The Warehouse’s return is part of a $1.2 million overhaul by Australian Venue Co., which also includes a shiny new beer garden and revamped Mansfield Hotel — open now for pre-gig burgers, hotdogs, and schnittys, plus fresh tap beers. Expect drag, comedy, and burlesque shows to roll through as well.
“This band room will be a game-changer for the Townsville music scene,” said Australian Venue Co. CEO Craig Ellison back in 2022 when restoration began. “Bringing local residents and tourists from all walks of life to the city — all in the name of quality entertainment.”
Ian Smith, National Entertainment Director, said of the Opening of The Warehouse: “We couldn’t be more excited to finally open the doors to The Warehouse and bring live music back to this iconic venue. It’s been a long time coming, but our priority was always to ensure the space was not only the best possible experience for artists and audiences but also safe and fully equipped to deliver world-class shows.”
“Addressing power and safety upgrades took longer than expected, but now that we’re here, we’re ready to make up for lost time with an incredible lineup of live music. Townsville has been craving a dedicated venue like this, and we can’t wait to see The Warehouse come alive once again.”
Tickets for Spiderbait, The Presets, and all upcoming shows are on sale now via warehousetownsville.com.au.
