Concern as decades-old youth music venue faces demolition

All-ages music events in Perth are under increasing threat, with the announcement this week a popular inner-city venue will be demolished, while the future of a music festival is hanging in the balance.

The Y-HQ venue in Leederville, which has helped pave the way for young artists and music lovers for more than two decades, will be torn down in 2028 to make way for a multi-storey car park.

Mayor Alison Xamon said the new building would include an all-ages live music venue and a youth services space underneath the car park, but it was not expected to be completed until at least 2029.

She said the new development would include green spaces and a revamped skate park and be more accessible for people with disability.

An interim gig space would be established during the building's construction.

WA Music CEO Owen Whittle said the news came as a surprise.

"I don't think anyone would debate or disagree with the fact that the Y had seen better days, but there isn't a lot of public information out about what the new venue looks like and what the interim arrangements will be," he said.

The next Spacey Jane

He said the Y was unique and its loss could be impactful. 

"We might lose the next Tame Impala or the next Spacey Jane, the kind of artists who when they're very young, this is their place to perform, this is their place to develop audience," Mr Whittle said.

Mr Whittle said the industry had seen "a steep decline' in opportunities for young people to engage with music. 

"From a broader perspective, we need to generate and keep that next generation of music fans if we're going to have a vibrant music scene in this state."

Oscar Cvitan, 18, from WA band Birdland, developed a strong fan base through performing at the The Y-HQ and was sorry to see the venue go.

"It's one of the only venues where we can play to all fans regardless of their age identity because it's such an accommodating place," he said.

All-ages festival on the brink

It comes as WA's longest running all-ages festival HyperFest, which headlined WA and interstate acts like South Summit, San Cisco, Ruby Fields and Spacey Jane, faces an uncertain future.

A 2025 review by the City of Swan found Hyperfest “was not achieving the outcomes desired for young people who reside within the city" and came at a high cost to ratepayers — more than $244,000 last year.

The review recommended the festival be paused next year, but that decision was overturned at a council meeting on Wednesday night.

However Councillor Rashelle Predovnik, who voted for the event to continue, said it was not known when it would be held next year.

Mr Whittle said it would be "just such an astronomical loss for young people's access to music if it wasn't cemented well into the future".

"Having this news of HyperFest and the news of redevelopment of Y-HQ with a bit of uncertainty around it within the same week has really concerned us and the youth music community," he said.

"It's really sent the all-ages community sideways this week."

Grace Newton-Wordsworth, singer from Joan and the Giants, said the festival had been imperative for young musicians like herself.

"If we want to have a local scene and we want to have the future bands coming through from WA, we need to have these venues and access and festivals."