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The brewery putting Coolum on the live music touring map

July 20, 20266 min read

The Jungle Giants play Blackflag Brewing Coolum with The Tullamarines and Tear Drive on August 21. Photo: Meg Siejka.

The Jungle Giants hanging beside a pool playing chess.
The Jungle Giants are touring their fifth studio album, Experiencing Feelings of Joy. Photo: Supplied.

With The Jungle Giants and JET on the way, a production brewery in Coolum’s industrial estate is emerging as one of the Sunshine Coast’s most important live music rooms.

Known as The Compound, Blackflag Brewing Coolum is home to the independent brewery’s production headquarters, an upstairs bar overlooking the tanks, an outdoor beer garden and an industrial space that transforms when touring acts arrive.

It is not a traditional band room, but that might be exactly why it works.

From production brewery to live music venue

Blackflag opened its purpose-built Coolum headquarters in 2022, moving into a large site in the industrial estate.

The move gave the brewery room to expand production while creating something increasingly valuable on the Sunshine Coast: flexible space for live music.

On regular weekends, The Compound hosts local musicians alongside food trucks, trivia, arcade games, basketball and knock-off drinks.

When a national or international tour arrives, its graffitied concrete surrounds and working brewery infrastructure become the backdrop for a packed live show.

The industrial setting feels naturally suited to punk, hardcore and alternative music, but the venue’s growing calendar reaches well beyond one scene.

Major tours are stopping in Coolum

Blackflag has secured a strong run of touring shows in 2026.

Sydney indie favourites The Rions brought their Everywhere Every Single Day tour to the venue in April after the show was moved from The Station.

US pop-punk veterans Bowling For Soup followed, beginning their Australian tour at Blackflag with Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls.

In May, UK electronic rock heavyweights Enter Shikari turned the brewery into a pressure cooker of sweat, strobes and full-body chaos.

Enter Shikari perform at Blackflag Brewing Coolum. Photo: Matt Warren.

See YELO’s Enter Shikari gallery from Blackflag Coolum.

For Sunshine Coast music fans, these shows offer access to major artists without the usual trip to Brisbane.

For bands and promoters, The Compound offers a distinctive setting, an established alternative identity and a local audience willing to turn up.

The Jungle Giants’ new chapter

The next major show brings Brisbane electro-pop favourites The Jungle Giants to The Compound on Friday, August 21, with The Tullamarines and Tear Drive.

The Coolum date comes during the album cycle for the band’s fifth studio record, Experiencing Feelings of Joy, the follow-up to their 2021 number-one album, Love Signs.

The record emerged from a turbulent period for frontman Sam Hales, marked by creative burnout, physical injury, strained friendships and the end of a long-term relationship.

“I’d overextended and kind of cooked it, but I really found myself,” Hales said.

“That’s where the joy comes from, having this unwavering hope even after experiencing adversity.”

The album pairs the bright hooks and floor-filling energy that have defined The Jungle Giants with some of Hales’ most personal songwriting.

Lead single “Tell Me How It Feels” carries that vulnerability without losing the euphoric pull that has made the band a festival and dancefloor favourite.

Doors open at 6pm and the show is 18-plus.

Read more about The Jungle Giants’ Coolum show.

Buy tickets through Moshtix.

JET and more coming to The Compound

Doggo Day Out takes over the venue on Saturday, September 5, with sausage dog races, fashions on the field, markets, acoustic music, food trucks and craft beer.

Entry is free, with competition registrations supporting Smart Pups, which trains assistance dogs for children with special needs.

Australian rock icons JET will then bring their Rumblin’ Regional Revue to Coolum on Friday, November 6.

The tour celebrates the band’s debut album, Get Born, home to Australian rock staples including “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”, “Rollover DJ” and “Look What You’ve Done”.

Sunshine Coast band Liquid Zoo will support JET at the show.

Read more about JET at Blackflag Brewing Coolum.

Two rooms, different roles

While The Compound attracts larger touring productions, Blackflag’s Mooloolaba taphouse is building its own identity around free, tightly packed live shows.

The back-alley venue programs original local and touring bands across punk, indie, rock and alternative music, giving emerging acts an intimate room while Coolum provides the scale for major tours.

Together, the two venues are helping fill a gap in the Sunshine Coast’s live music landscape and putting Coolum firmly on the live music touring map.

Blackflag Brewing Coolum is at 10 Lomandra Place, Coolum Beach.

See upcoming shows and ticket information on the Blackflag Brewing events page.

Find more upcoming shows in YELO’s Sunshine Coast Gig Guide.

This story was produced in partnership with Blackflag Brewing, a YELO venue member.

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