Live Music in Bondi

Sometimes in Sydney it can feel like live music is an endangered species. With the lockout laws crippling the city’s nightlife and noise restrictions on pubs tightening every year, there have been fewer places where you can get a crew together, jump around in the nosebleed section and spend the night head banging to an awesome band.

There’s no substitute for live music. It’s raw energy. It’s the musicians communicating with the crowd, producing a piece of original art from the heart and taking the audience along for the ride. The atmosphere is electric and the transformative power of a live music experience is one that is rarely replicated.

Whilst they can be hard to come by these days, there are still a few pockets where the mosh pits rage and you can still boogie down to some good ol’ fashioned live tunes … and some of those spots are right here in Bondi.

Beach Road Hotel

The home of Wednesday night debauchery, Beach Road has a little something for everyone. Sports bar, beer garden, drive-thru bottle-o and live music venue, Beach Road even has a few rooms for you to crash in after a big Sunday sesh. Upstairs on Wednesdays you’ll find live bands, DJ’s, $5 tinnies and a sea of backpackers as The Valley hosts a packed house for Sosueme every week.

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The Bucket List

They started out as a summer pop-up bar but The Bucket List has since cemented itself as Bondi’s iconic beach club and is an old favourite of ours at QT Bondi. With a huge outdoor seating area that boasts uninterrupted views of the beach, great food and one killer jug of sangria, it’s not hard to see why. Broadcasting live from the studio next to the bar is Bondi Radio with resident DJ’s and international artists spinning tune after tune 24/7.

Bar 34

Just a short stroll up Campbell Parade, you’ll find this spot buzzing almost every night of the week. What at first seems like a cozy small bar opens up into a massive downstairs gig area with plenty of DF space.

Bar 34 is known as the home of live music in Bondi and there’s no genre they won’t put on stage. You can choose between taking it easy on the outdoor seating soaking up beach views, or getting down and dirty in the dark underground bar. If you fancy yourself up in the lights, make sure you’re there on Tuesday night for open mic night.

The Junction

There’s usually only a few reasons to come to Bondi Junction … to catch a bus down to the beach, to get your Chrissy shopping done or to hit some of the lesser known but exceptionally cool bars and treat your ears to some live bangers.

The Spring Street Social is a little underground speakeasy in the centre of the Junction. It’s an intimate space with a laidback vibe and a regular set list that ranges from blues to funk to reggae and about anything that will get your feet moving.

If you wander a little further off the beaten track you might stumble into an underground jazz bar that goes by the name of Jam Gallery. The multi-purpose music venue has spiced things up in the concrete playground and plays host to a range of local and international artists.

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A post shared by Horowitz (@horowitzmusic) on Mar 28, 2017 at 2:07am PDT

words by james phillips