Sunshine Coast musicians and music industry leaders are doing whatever they can to promote local music in the wake of The Station’s closure.
The popular Birtinya venue shut its doors last week, prompting increased activity and advocacy across the region as artists, broadcasters and venue operators work to maintain momentum in the local music scene.
At ABC Sunshine Coast, broadcaster Sarah Howells (pictured) announced on social media she will appoint a weekly “Cultural Correspondent”.
Sarah, who is also the Vice Chair of the Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective (SCMIC) explained she would give free tickets to a new person each week to see a show and report back on it at the station.
Local musician and creative producer Andrea Kirwin has increased her on-the-ground coverage at gigs, capturing and sharing performance footage to provide additional promotion for emerging and established artists. Her content has been widely circulated on social media, offering visibility at a time when live opportunities have become more limited.
Andrea Kirwin levels up with more on-the-ground content
“I’ve been worried about the state of the music industry for quite a few years now,” Andrea (pictured) says on Facebook.
“The lack of ticket sales and lower merch sales affecting our ability to make a decent income from our music.
“I believe the answer lies in grass roots support from our communities.
In 2026 my goal is to step up my content creation for our local and touring independent artists to show you the talent that I see at every gig I attend.
“We have world class artists right here on the Sunshine Coast and our scene is one of the best in Australia.”
Andrea says she spent the week at Woodford Folk Festival “running around” photographing and filming bands through Peace Run Records & Agency to help showcase some of these amazing bands and artists.
“I’m keen to keep this up this year and if you see a band that you like, please follow their socials and buy a ticket to one of their concerts to see them live.
“Together we can support our independent Australian and touring artists and bands so we can keep diversity in our music scene. Please make a conscious decision to get to gigs more regularly in 2026 – your presence makes a difference!”
The next Peace Run Records & Agency is Andrea’s Birthday Party at The Presynct on Friday. Tickets: via Humantix
The Presynct speaks out about challenges for music venues
Meanwhile, venue operator Rusty Nyman, owner of The Presynct in Nambour, has spoken publicly about the challenges facing live music venues on the Sunshine Coast.
Rusty says The Station’s closure underscores the difficulties of sustaining regular live music in the current economic climate.
“The reality is, people just aren’t supporting live music the way they used to,” Rusty says.
“We run 2–4 live music events every single week, and getting people through the doors has become incredibly difficult.”
Rusty cited rising operational costs — including staffing, insurance, licensing, production, power and compliance — as major pressures for small venues.
She encouraged the community to take practical steps to help keep venues viable, including:
- Bringing friends or attending gigs solo.
- Pre-purchasing tickets to help venues plan staffing and operations.
- Supporting the bar, including non-alcoholic options, rather than pre-loading.
Rusty also expressed support for The Station team.
“We know how incredibly hard they worked… No venue closes because people didn’t try hard enough.”
