Melbourne mainstay Stay Gold is closed temporarily after wild winds tore a wall from the venue, injuring a pedestrian on Sydney Road.
Melbourne venue Stay Gold has been forced to close its doors after a six-metre section of its wall was torn off by wild winds on Wednesday afternoon (25 June).
The incident occurred yesterday afternoon, with Fire Rescue Victoria arriving on-site at 4:40pm. They confirmed that strong gusts caused part of the parapet wall to fall outside the venue and strike an awning.
The wall collapse took place during a sudden burst of wind that clocked speeds of 50 km/h, according to reports from The Age. The Bureau of Meteorology had earlier forecast winds of around 30 km/h for the day, with conditions easing later in the evening.
A pedestrian was injured during the incident. Ambulance Victoria confirmed the person sustained only minor injuries and was not taken to hospital. Emergency services quickly responded, taping off the area around Stay Gold and directing staff and customers inside the venue to safety.
“Firefighters established a collapse zone and made contact with customers and staff inside to ensure their safety. Crews directed patrons towards a safe means of egress,” a Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said.
By 5pm, the scene was declared under control and handed over to a building surveyor.
Stay Gold addressed the incident in a statement shared to Instagram on this afternoon (26 June), confirming that both the venue and the neighbouring Ollie’s Pizza Parlour would remain closed temporarily.
“As many of you may have seen, a part of our building’s external structure was damaged yesterday on Union Street. We’re incredibly grateful that no one was seriously hurt,” the post reads.
“Engineers, surveyors, and our landlord [are] assess[ing] the situation and mak[ing] sure it’s 100% safe for everyone to return,” they wrote.
“We’ll be back slinging pizzas and pouring pints as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience and support.”
Stay Gold quickly became a staple of Melbourne’s inner-north music scene after taking over the space, formerly known as The Phoenix, in late 2018. Located on Sydney Road in Brunswick, the venue emerged from the team behind Brisbane hotspots like The Brightside and Blackbear Lodge, as well as the 2018 Good Things Festival.
Since then, the venue has been a mainstay, hosting emo club nights, countless gigs, and a whole host of community events – and has a fond place in the heart of plenty of Melbourne’s alternative and heavy music community.
For now, Stay Gold will remain closed until safety assessments are completed, but there’s hope the venue will be back hosting shows soon.
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