The Station SC to Close Its Doors in January 2026 After Challenging Year for Live Music

Live music venue The Station SC in Birtinya will cease trading permanently from 3 January 2026, the owners have confirmed.

Sunshine Coast, QLD – December 30, 2025 – The owners of The Station SC have made the difficult decision to close the venue permanently from 3 January 2026.

Due to the current and well-documented state of the Australian live music industry, particularly in regional areas, and especially for venues of this size, confirmed and forecast tour bookings for 2026 are unfortunately significantly lower than this year. There is a growing lack of domestic touring talent capable of consistently filling a room of this scale, while demand for international acts outside of Sydney and Melbourne has also declined.

With business losses nearing $1 million and ongoing economic uncertainty, the owners have confirmed they are no longer in a position to continue funding the venue.

Lauren and Chris Hignett have advised that ticket holders for future events will be contacted in the coming days regarding venue changes.

“We are devastated to be closing the venue but are relieved that we are able to reschedule almost all future bookings to other venues on the Sunshine Coast,” said Lauren Hignett.

“Since opening in March last year, we have welcomed close to 80,000 customers through the venue. Many of those visitors brought their children to their very first live concert. In fact, that’s one of our most valued memories: kids and their parents sharing amazing experiences of live music.”

Chris Hignett added, “Running a music venue is all about creating moments that are memorable. I am really proud of the job our team and supporters have done in executing that vision. It’s been really hard at times, but our bar staff, chefs, ticketing teams, security teams, grounds team and sound partners have been incredible. The venue has consistently received amazing feedback from both performers and customers.”

The venue’s final event will be Pete Murray on 2 January. The owners have encouraged the community to attend, describing it as a special night and an opportunity to thank everyone for their support.

The Station SC will continue to provide updates via its social media channels and website. Ticket holders are advised to check their email for direct communications from Moshtix regarding confirmed venue changes over the coming days.