The video that proves nightclubs won’t survive coronavirus: Cops investigate as revellers dance shoulder-to-shoulder in a Brisbane as clubs open for the first time since the pandemic
- Police investigate QLD footage showing revellers dancing shoulder-to-shoulder
- The vision emerged on the same day pubs and pubs reopened to the public
- It follows a Roma bar being fined $6672 for breaching COVID-19 rules
The future of Queensland’s nightclub and live music scene is under threat days after reopening following vision emerging showing revellers in breach of COVID-19 restrictions.
Partygoers can be seen dancing shoulder-to-shoulder at Prohibition in the heart of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on Friday night, it is alleged.
The footage was taken on the same day pubs and clubs reopened to the public, with dance floors to remain off-limits until further notice.
Police are now investigating the venue, prompting questions as to whether it will be fined and what will happen with the industry from here on out.
The vision comes after insiders flagged concern about the profitability of pubs and clubs in May, stating venues may not fully recover after the coronavirus pandemic with rules and restrictions in place.
Partygoers can be seen dancing shoulder-to-shoulder at Prohibition in the heart of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on Friday night, the same day pubs and clubs reopened to the public, with dance floors to remain off-limits. Picture: The Today Show
The idea of hundreds of people packed onto a dancefloor or waiting in line for drinks at a bar could well be a thing of the past.
‘There’s a lot of lobbying going on, certainly from Music Victoria and associated people, to make it really clear that if they don’t do something specifically for us that we’re all pretty much f**ked,’ Melbourne nightclub Colour co-owner Liam Alexander told ABC.
He said he and his business partners saved for years to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into refurbishments and licenses for Colour, which opened in 2019.
‘I think initially our biggest fear was making it through the closure period. But now our biggest fears are about what the live music, nightclub, and hospitality industry in general looks like afterwards’.
There are a number of venues nationwide who decided not renew leases or reopen following lockdown, including St Kilda club and eatery ‘Big Mouth’ in Melbourne.
Commenting on the footage, Fortitude Valley Safe Night Precinct president Jason Hirt said Brisbane venue owners were ‘appalled and outraged’ about patrons and Prohibition disregarding the rules.
‘We are all playing by the rules and getting it right, so we are very disappointed,’ he said.
The vision comes after industry insiders flagged concerns about the profitability of pubs and clubs in May , stating venues may not fully recover with rules and restrictions in place. Picture: The Today Show
‘Everyone is aware the dance floor is off-limits and we’re hoping it doesn’t affect anyone else.’
Queensland Hotels Association CEO Bernie Hogan was quick to distance his organisation from the nightclub precinct, saying none of his members was located in the Valley.
“Hotels and clubs are desperate to keep operating so the actions of one or two should not impact the rest of the hospitality industry,” he told AAP.
The vision also follows a bar in Roma being fined $6672 after plain-clothes officers spotted several breaches, including failure to collect contact details.
Queensland again recorded no new cases on Sunday with just one active case throughout the state.