Main picture: Red Hook take to the stage at Blackflag’s Something Cool Festival which is becoming a popular Sunshine Coast live music venue. Photo by Dameeka Middleton

The Sunshine Coast live music scene is thriving as new residents continue to move to the sunny Queensland destination. Nambour welcomed The Presynct to the ‘hood last year and Birtinya attracted new owners to The Station, with both venues now major players in our music industry. If you’re visiting the region or simply a local just frothing to be a part of the music in-crowd, be sure to add these top spots to your live music hitlist.

Where To See Live Music On The Sunshine Coast:

1. Norton Music Factory, Caloundra

Owned by a local musician, this hidden gem in Caloundra West’s industrial state is hailed as a “paradise for music lovers”, by both its music-loving patrons and the professional musicians who perform there. It’s also where Liam Norton runs his electrical business and custom guitar shop – is there anything this guy doesn’t do? The two-stage precinct is capable of holding up to 400 people, and offers plenty of good nosh, cold froths, and some big touring acts. Ben Lee, Boom Crash Opera and James Reyne played there last month alone. Norton Music Factory even gives all its profit to local charities, and the Nortons have raised more than $40,000 since they opened as a music venue four years ago.

Website: https://nortonmusicfactory.com.au/

2. The Presynct, Nambour

Owned by creative mother-daughter duo, Rusty and Cherry (pictured), the Sunshine Coast’s newest live music venue is an eclectic, steam-punk inspired, 100-pax, vintage cocktail lounge. In downtown gritty Nambour, The Presynct offers intimate shows from a range of different genres (think: EDM, drum n’ bass, jazz, heavy metal).

Cherry serves up delicious, bespoke cocktails (and a delectable, booze-free list too!), while mum Rusty runs the front of house. With a regal, yet bohemian look, the place is decked out in an art-deco style in hues of magenta, teal and peacock. Rusty says it’s “just “an extension of our house”. See if you can find the hot air balloon, cheeky octopus, and overhead guitar strings hidden among the interior design. These matriarchs are also huge supporters of local live music. Catch local acts like Sailing in Space, Chamber Lane and Calan Mai here.

Website: https://www.thepresynct.com.au/.

3. Blackflag Brewing, Coolum

Newcomers to the Sunshine Coast live music scene, Blackflag’s beach-side brewers have been putting on some epic shows. Pricey’s sold-out The Big Weekend Festival in July saw The Bennies and Dave Gleeson for an all-out rock show, while Something Cool Festival – with Bodyjar and Redhook – knocked the socks off Doc-wearing punters last month. Both sold-out shows enjoyed a combined 1200+ ticket sales. The goth-punk brewery, which also has a ‘back-alley’ bar at Mooloolaba Beach, provides a relaxed vibe where the local creatures of the night – from Coolum’s dusty industrial estate back-corners to Mooloolaba’s bustling tourist-strip fringe – come out to play.

Website: https://www.blackflagbrewing.com.au/

4. Solbar, Maroochydore

Ocean Street’s beating heart of live music – in the night-club and entertainment strip of downtown Maroochydore – is Solbar, a rite of passage for local and touring musos, and its music-loving punters. Much of the staff are accomplished musicians and the venue is a major promoter of Sunshine Coast original music. This year we’ve seen Illy, King Stingray, Kingswood and The Smith Street Band here. This surf-side music institution also serves up head-sized burgers and some of the best pizza in town. You can even catch a few all-ages shows, perfect when you can’t find a babysitter!

Website: https://www.solbar.com.au

5. The Station, Birtinya

When Nightquarter closed down, locals didn’t think they would see the colourful shipping container playground ever revived. But then word came out that new owners were taking over, and re-naming it The Station, with its own skate ramp included!

Since hiring record producer extraordinaire Alex Henriksson (who co-owns Rainbow Valley Records with Matt Corby), and joining forces with Wollongong promoters Yours and Owls, the venue has firmly established itself as a main-stay of local live music. Tame Impala, Grinspoon, Dute Rats and Sheppard played here this year, while The Dreggs, PNAU, Xavier Rudd, Rudimental, Amyl and The Sniffers, Ziggy Alberts and Pennywise, are yet to perform in the coming months. Keep an eye on our gig guide, because these guys announce big acts pretty regularly.

Website: https://thestationsc.com.au/

6. Kings Beach Tavern, Caloundra

This impressive beach tavern won Best Regional Venue at the Queensland Music Awards, and is also a bustling beachside bistro and bar.

But it also moonlights as one of the best in Sunshine Coast live music venues, when big names such as Spice Girl’s Mel C, The Rubens, Thundamentals, The Grogans (pictured), Pacific Avenue, The Southern River Band, and Sneaky Sound System roll into town.

Website: kingsbeachtavern.com.au/entertainment

7. Sandstone Point, Sandstone Point

Just 45 minutes down the road from Caloundra, Sandstone Point has brought international stars such as Prince, Post Malone, Khalid, Joan Jett, Ice Cube, Good Charlotte and Bryan Adams to Bribie Island. The Comiskey Group’s award-winning venue will host Lookout Festival in February, with Grinspoon, JET and The Veronicas all heading here. And just wait till that ‘mega-monster’ Aura Hotel is built in Caloundra, or their proposed festival site at Coochin Fields, the Comiskey sure will own a stake in Queensland’s biggest and best pub venues! If day festivals and big acts are your jam, make Sandstone Point Hotel your next live music destination.

Website: https://sandstonepointhotel.com.au

8. Alleycat Espresso, Coolum

On Friday and Saturday nights, this alley-way espresso bar turns up the heat with pumping night-time tunes and vibes. As the sun sets on Coolum Beach, cuppa joes are swapped for colourful cocktails, and the breakfast bircher makes way for sumptuous, crunchy, snapper tacos. But it’s when the Coast’s best musicians fill this place with their home-grown grooves, when things really kick off here. We’ve seen Andy V (ex-Raw Ordio), Hayden Hack, Luke Anthony James and Jordan Mac, all play at this local meeting place. If you want live music as a side to your weekend catch-ups with mates, be sure to pop in to Alleycat Espresso.

Website: https://alleycatcoolum.com.au

9. Alex Bluff Bar, Alexandra Headland

The first-ever Bluff Fest went off last month when The Terrys (pictured) and The Grogans headlined a new surf-rock festival. Organisers sold 1200 tickets in just four days, and there was a huge emphasis on supporting our native artists. Nana’s Pie, Karlou, Brook St and Emily Rink, all featured on the line-up. The festival was launched to help celebrate the club’s 100 year anniversary and proved so popular they hope to hold more similar events each year. Locals are loving the new pop-up beach bar, running over selected weekends this holiday season. Keep an eye out for all the dates on their website.

Website: https://www.alexsurfclub.com.au/news

10. Villa Noosa Hotel, Noosaville

If you’ve ever caught a live music show in Noosa, chances are it’s been at Villa Noosa. This place has seen the likes of Grinspoon, Dellacoma, and Shihad, and is just a great venue to catch your favourite bands. They also do some pretty spectacular pub nosh, and the beer here is always cold. Dune Rats will be stopping by on January 3, so grab a ticket if you haven’t already.

Website: https://www.villanoosa.com.au

11. Black Box Theatre @ The Old Ambo, Nambour

Nambour is quickly growing into a major arts destination with this purpose-built theatre and live music venue catering to a range of musical genres. But it’s the region’s hardcore scene which is making Black Box home with local promoters Bad Habit, No No Records and Anti-Vision bringing international acts to this big ol’ country town. Acts such as Dark Thoughts (USA) and Peter and the Test Tube Babies (UK) were there just this year. The air-conditioned and sound-proof space can hold up to 100 people, and features a segmented stage that can be moved to alternate positions.

Website: https://theoldambulancestation.com/

12. Coolum Beach Hotel, Coolum

The best of Sunshine Coast music have mingled or played at the CBH – that includes Pricey, Raw Ordio and DeSaint.

An all-star Sunny Coast lineup took over the pub for It Starts at Home Music Festival in August. It starred Jonny Sonic (Potbellez), who is also headlining their 10th birthday bash this Saturday!

Website: https://www.coolumbeachhotel.com.au/

13. Imperial Hotel Eumundi

Another Comiskey pub, the Imperial Hotel is a local’s favourite and offers the perfect spot for live music in the hinterland.

This place has been host to some of the biggest touring acts this year, including The Beautiful Girls, Ben Lee and The Whitlams.

The hotel has been undergoing a major facelift in recent months, with a new bar opening in November.

While the band room is having a small hiatus to fully re-invent the venue, keep an eye out for a fresh band room in 2025, backing up with some great live acts.

Don’t miss Ash Grunwald who is here on February 1.

Website: https://www.imperialhoteleumundi.com.au