Oxford Street nightclub Palms has introduced a cover charge for Friday and Saturday nights, with 50 per cent of profits going to LGBTQ+ health organisation ACON for the foreseeable future.
This marks the first time the club has imposed a regular door fee since it opened in 2000, having previously operated as a restaurant and, about 30 years ago, as an earlier iteration of Palms.
The cover charge – set at $5 on Fridays and $15 on Saturdays – aims to “support a worthwhile cause” while also improving crowd management, encouraging patrons to check in their bags and jackets, Palms venue manager Michael Lewis told Gay Sydney News.
The $5 Friday fee includes cloakroom check-in, while Saturday’s $15 charge includes cloakroom service and a $10 bar credit.
As a smaller venue than others on the strip, Palms faces issues with patrons leaving belongings around, creating “both [a] security risk and a tripping hazard”, Lewis explained.
Following the introduction of the charge last week, Palms donated $1500 to ACON. Lewis shared that ACON was delighted with the contribution, and Palms was “equally thrilled to have found a way to give back in a meaningful way, which is also a win, win, win – [for the] venue, patrons & ACON”.
Palms intends to donate half of the profits from cover charges to ACON for at least a year.
“The Saturday queue is big, so we want to try [to] ensure the patrons who are here are actually supporting the venue, not just coming for a free DJ and dancefloor,” Lewis said, adding that he hopes the charge will lead to a shorter queue and an enhanced atmosphere for both patrons and the venue.
Additionally, the venue now features a drag hostess at its door on Friday and Saturday nights and has recently undergone an extensive renovation (more on this soon in another Gay Sydney News post and video).
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: ben.grubb@gaysydneynews.com.au
