Arq nightclub will host two farewell parties next weekend before it winds up its presence at the venue under its current tenant’s management.
The first – on Friday, March 21 – will be put on by the venue’s tenants (the same people behind Home The Venue). The party is being billed as a “farewell party” with a line-up that is “STACKED and classic ARQ”.
“We have [drag queen] Minnie Cooper putting together Return To ARQ, a classic show with [other drag queens] Carmen Geddit, Sia Tequila and Et Cetera Et Cetera,” said Arq owner’s representative Sophie Kollmorgen.
“We also have performances by Home & ARQ darlings, Coco Jumbo and Vybe.”
It will all be soundtracked by “old school ARQ legends” and DJs Jimmy Dee, Rob Davis, James Tobin, Kate Monroe and more to be announced.
The event will be free entry via Eventbrite registration or $10 on the door. And both floors will be open.
“Think ARQ as you knew her, back in those good old days,” said Kollmorgen.
The second party will be hosted by Poof Doof on Saturday, March 22.
Poof Doof told Gay Sydney News it would announce its plans for its final night at Arq and its future plans for Sydney tomorrow (on Thursday).
Poof Doof is still scheduled to host Club Gaga at Arq this weekend and was scheduled to host a regular Poof Doof on March 22.
It was also scheduled to host Club Dua on March 29 (Dua Lipa has a concert in Sydney that night) and Red Rave on April 5, although these events will now likely need to find new venues.
Asked if the announcement of a farewell party meant the current tenants were moving out, Arq owner’s representative Sophie Kollmorgen said: “It sure seems that way.
“Whilst as our landlord said, ‘a deal is not a deal till things are signed’, we’re just rolling with it and making sure we can squeeze in one hell of a goodbye party for the old girl!”
Kollmorgen was referring to a deal currently being negotiated between the owner of the Arq premises, Shadd Danesi, and Noir nightclub co-founder and Seadeck co-owner Dave Auld to take over Arq’s lease.
“While this chapter at ARQ ends, our commitment to celebrating and service [sic] Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community remains steadfast,” said Kollmorgen.
“We look forward to welcoming you to Home The Venue, our sister club, where we will continue to create unforgettable moments together.”
Auld confirmed for the first time in a GSN article published last Friday that he intended to take over Arq, saying he planned to rebrand it as Aura nightclub and launch it in autumn (between March and May).
Auld said he couldn’t comment “on anything contractual or dates etc” for when the new venue would open but wished to point out that he did “a lot of work with the LBGTQIA+ community and have done so for many decades and will continue to do so”.
Auld added that while he was “a silent partner in Noir”, “NO partners, Operators or Promoters from Noir” were involved with his Aura plan.
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: [email protected]
