Yesterday the news broke that one of Melbourne’s iconic live music venues, The Espy, was closing its doors as of Sunday 17 May until sometime in Summer for renovations, shocking many.
The hotel have now released a full press statement detailing why the almost immediate closure, as well as the future plans St. Kilda’s home of live music, and they sound pretty exciting, including new bandrooms, upgrades of existing live music areas not to mention revamping the dining and boozing areas.
The official statement reads as follows, “After 15 years at The Esplanade Hotel we are excited to announce that extensive renovations are about to begin, including the opening of new and exciting spaces, some of which have never before been open to the public.
“We are upgrading our world famous “Gershwin Room”, the home of Rockwiz, with sound and lighting upgrades whilst preserving the charm of the much loved room. The renovations will also include the introduction of new food and beverage spaces. These spaces will offer Melbournians a diverse dining experience that will cater to the fully-fledged foodies, and offer something new that the whole St Kilda community can enjoy.”
Not only that, but the pristine location on the shoreside will offer, “stunning bay and sunset views” as The Espy plans “to revitalise this beloved local into the place to be.”
Unfortunately, these big plans will cause the entire building to temporarily close, “we unfortunately will shut The Espy on Sunday 17 May 2015 in order to fast track the work and to open in time for summer 2015.”
In closing, The Espy thanked patrons for their patience and support, promising they’d be back better than ever, “We hope you can be patient with us – we will keep you updated along the way as we share our progress, news and announcements. We will be back shortly even bigger, even better. We thank you for your continued support.”
Renown as the “continuously longest-running live music venue in Australia” The Espy has been a staple in Australia’s music scene, providing not only a stage for international acts, but also giving up-and-coming local artists a place to perform.
