Business
6 June, 2025
Save the music
THE home of local live music is at risk with Elixir Music House launching a $1.5 million fundraising campaign to buy its building and save the venue.
Known for boosting the career of dozens of local artists and for its eclectic and bohemian space, for eight years Elixir Music House has become a niche to local artists looking to kickstart their careers for a reasonable price and in a friendly and inviting space.
Founders Sky Rixon and her father Bill Shields started the business with a passion for making live music accessible to, not only the community, but to local artists.
Despite its big success and growth, since COVID-19 the venue has entered a breaking point.
“So many venues across Australia have closed after Covid, it isn’t something that’s happening only in Cairns, it’s across Australia,” Ms Rixton told Cairns Local News.
“For us it was a double whammy, it wasn’t only Covid, we had a neighbour move in to the unit out back – and this is an age-old thing that’s been happening in Australia – people move into a CBD area and they don’t like the music or noise of that CBD and they get venues closed down.
“For about two and a half years we had struggles with him. It got to a point where it was harassment and then with Covid, we were lucky here in Cairns, but we did have to close for three to four months.
“Since then we’ve seen the absolute decimation of live music, because that’s always the first thing to go but we’re so adamant and passionate about preventing that from happening because it’s so integral to existence to have live music and help emerging artists get out there.”
The ‘Save Elixir Music House’ $1.5m campaign has been launched to help – through the newly formed 4 Hearts Creative Collective – buy the venue, keep it alive and turn it into a hub, not only for live music, but for community engagement.
“The rent here and in any commercial building is quite high and our turnover, for the activity that we do, is quite low,” Ms Rixon said.
“So we created, offside, 4 Hearts Creative Collective, a new not-for-profit organisation, community and creatives based with three other women and the idea is to raise money – not as Elixir so there’s no personal gain or benefit for Dad and I – so the organisation will be the owners of the building.
“Elixir will still pay rent, so the organisation will still have income, pay overheads.”
Ms Rixon said Elixir would also apply for more grants to survive.
Ms Rixon said Elixir would run more workshops, youth programs and more.
“So far we’ve raised $22,000. Our first fundraiser was in December of last year and our efforts are known by our circle of artists and we want to reach out to the wider community," she said.
“The fundraiser is to save our location. This venue we’re in is central to our operation. It’s on Abbott St, just on the edge of the CBD but still within walking distance of hotels, hostels, restaurants and more, so people go past and see us and want to come in. We get a lot of tourists and we just love it here.
“$1.5 million would cover the purchase of the three units that are in this little space, legal fees and a year’s worth of overheads.”
With local bands such as R.3.B., Grace Jones, Tinderbox, Rob Howe and The Guillotines, Phat Love and Driftwood having grown their careers in the venue, Ms Rixon is calling on the community to get involved and support Elixir’s campaign and through it local artists.
“Venues like this are the heart and soul of where everything starts, where people get inspired, where artists get inspired, where they grow into themselves and it’s an important space for the community to share and experience this,” she said.
“We’re calling on artists, industry professionals and all music lovers to contribute to the campaign and share Elixir’s story. Every dollar raised brings us closer to securing a permanent home for live music in Cairns.
“Donors contributing $200 will receive a personalised wooden tile, etched with their own design, which will be displayed in the venue as a tribute to their support.”
Ms Rixon has also met Queensland’s Night-Life Economy Commissioner John ‘JC’ Collins from Powderfinger this week to discuss Elixir and its future.
To donate, visit
