‘The liferaft they need right now’: Music community rallies to save much-loved venue

Monday, 22 June 2026

Neck of the Woods had its last night on Sunday.

Over $60,000 has already been raised to try to keep the doors of Neck of the Woods open.

The music venue announced its closure last week citing post-Covid pressures among the reasons.

The news was met with an outpouring of sadness and support for the venue, with people describing it as brutal, gutting, unreal, and heartbreaking.

A much-loved Auckland music venue says a fundraising effort to prevent permanent closure is looking promising, saying “we might actually pull this off” as tens of thousands of dollars are brought in.

Neck of the Woods had its last night on Sunday, having announced its closure last Thursday after 11 years. The Karangahape Rd venue said that post-Covid pressures, rising debt and falling bar sales had made it “unsuitable” to continue.

The announcement was met with an outpouring of support for the venue, and prompted club night group Nympho World to start a fundraiser to keep the doors open.

As of Monday morning, the fundraising drive had raised over $60,000, over one-third of the way to the $150,000 they say is needed for Neck of the Woods to reopen.

Nympho World, which runs queer club nights at Neck of the Woods, said the venue had given its blessing for the fundraiser and that the money would allow the venue to settle outstanding expenses and provide a clean slate for them to reopen.

“It is not a permanent fix-all, but it is the liferaft they need right now,” a spokesperson for Nympho World told Stuff.

Nympho World described Neck of the Woods as a “core pillar” of Karangahape Rd’s creative communities and that has provided a “nurturing ground” for musicians, bands, DKs, performers and collectives.

“We run queer club nights, and Neck of the Woods has been one of the safest places for our community because of their stellar team and their ‘Safe and Sound’ kaupapa.

“Neck of the Woods has supported and championed underground music for years, so this is our moment to come together and return the favour,” they said.

Nympho World said meeting one-third of its goal this early was “hugely inspiring” and showed that the “importance” of music venues could not be overstated.

“So many of the donations have come from musicians, collectives, other venues and small business owners - not because we have spare money to throw around but because places like Neck of the Woods mean so much to us,” they said.

Neck of the Woods, in a post on its Instagram page, said, “Holy f… you guys we might actually pull this off,” alongside images from the fundraising page.

In a follow-up post, on Monday, the venue confirmed the fundraiser was not “initiated” by them, saying they “100% thought” they’d close for good.

“The response has been so unexpected and overwhelming that the impossible now feels possible,” they said.

Neck of the Woods said it was an “opportunity” to put in place “new sustainable models of operation not so tied to bar takes”.

“Neck of the Woods would actually survive,” they said.

‘How does our industry grow?’

Centrix data shows a tale of two islands: South Island financial arrears are low, while North Island communities struggle. Meanwhile, hospitality liquidations have surged by nearly 50% as households cut back on dining out.

The sustainability of New Zealand’s independent venues was also an issue raised by music journalist Chris Shulz, who told Stuff on Friday he hoped closures like Neck of the Woods could lead to a discussion about future support.

“How does our industry grow, nurture and support young acts if small venues keep closing? I would hope this sparks a discussion about how our remaining venues can be supported so it doesn’t keep happening.

“Clearly, they desperately need it, and surely no one wants to live in a city where venues and festivals and record stores can’t thrive,” he said.

Meanwhile, another Auckland venue that announced it was selling up in March is set to reopen three months on.

Galatos, just off Karangahape Rd, has been run by Andrea Clark and Dean Whaitiri since 2012, during which it has held a prominent place in Auckland’s live music scene, including hosting Lorde’s first-ever ticketed show in 2013.

The venue has been withdrawn from sale and will reopen for shows on July 1, with bookings now available.

Clark told Boiler Room they had “enjoyed a long break” and were “looking forward to getting shows underway again soon”.

Stuff has approached Neck of the Woods and Galatos for comment.