Events and Programming
Fifty Gorillas is permanently closed and does not have current events, ticket sales or 2026 programming. The venue operated at 66 Princes Street in central Dunedin from 2018 until its identity changed in 2019. A Dunedin licensing decision authorised the premises to operate as Indish Restaurant & Bar from 15 October 2019, and later directory records list Fifty Gorillas as permanently closed. No verified Fifty Gorillas performances or announcements for 2021–2026, or for 2026 and beyond, were found.
During its short life, Fifty Gorillas was a small restaurant and live-music venue rather than a conventional theatre or concert hall. Its usual format combined southern American-style food, a licensed bar and a front-of-house stage. The venue was described as family-friendly until about 9pm, with live bands generally booked once or twice a week. In its first year, the owner said nearly 100 bands had performed there.
The programme covered a broad section of Aotearoa’s contemporary music scene. Acts associated with the venue included alternative and indie artists, singer-songwriters, hip-hop and R&B performers, electronic acts, metal bands and touring rock groups. Documented performances included Alien Weaponry, Ladi6, Nadia Reid, Bailey Wiley, JessB, SilvaMC, Avantdale Bowling Club, QUIX, Villainy, Decades, Abby Wolfe, Ciaran McMeeken, Jordan Luck Band, ekko park, Commodo and Same Name Confusion with Lacuna.
Some shows were particularly significant for a small Dunedin room. Ladi6’s 2018 Dunedin performances sold out, while Alien Weaponry’s March 2019 show was also reported as sold out. The Alien Weaponry concert drew a crowd described as packed to the rafters, and the venue’s owner reported a full house of 285 patrons.
The booking pattern suggests a venue that could accommodate both emerging local musicians and national or international touring acts. It was intimate enough for hometown performances by Dunedin artists such as Nadia Reid and Abby Wolfe, while also appearing on national itineraries for acts including Ladi6, Villainy, Avantdale Bowling Club and the UK electronic artist Commodo.
Tickets and Booking
There is no current Fifty Gorillas box office or booking operation. Historical ticketing was event-specific, with advance sales, general-release tickets and door entry used for different shows. The surviving listings show prices ranging from low-cost local-gig admission to around NZ$27.50 for a touring electronic act, including fees. One 2019 show listed NZ$9 presales and NZ$15 general-release entry. ticketfairy.com
Pricing varied according to the performer, promoter, age restriction and whether the show sold out in advance. The strongest demand was associated with nationally recognised acts and artists with a Dunedin connection. For popular shows, buying during the initial release was the safest strategy, since both the Ladi6 and Alien Weaponry dates were reported as sold out before the performances.
Historical listings show mixed entry rules. Some events were all-ages, while others were R18. The event information, rather than a permanent Fifty Gorillas policy page, determined the age limit, door time and ticket conditions for each night. There is no current facility for door sales, refunds, presales or ticket collection because the venue no longer trades under the Fifty Gorillas name.
About Fifty Gorillas
Fifty Gorillas was a central Dunedin grill, bar and live venue created from the former Brimstone nightclub. Brimstone closed after about 15 years of operation in February 2018, after its owner found that the city’s hospitality market was shifting towards businesses that combined food, drinks and entertainment. The premises were refitted and relaunched as Fifty Gorillas soon afterwards.
The name came from the owner’s description of the refit budget: in British slang, a “gorilla” can mean £1,000, and he said he had “50 gorillas” to spend. The reported budget was NZ$50,000. This modest, highly individual fit-out became part of the venue’s identity rather than being concealed behind a formal theatre aesthetic.
Fifty Gorillas mattered because it filled a gap in Dunedin’s mid-sized contemporary music scene. A 2019 city-commissioned venue report identified Fifty Gorillas, with a stated capacity of about 200, as the largest regular popular-music space outside the city’s major council-linked venues at that time. The report also described Dunedin as lacking enough suitable rooms for contemporary amplified music.
The published capacity evidence is not fully consistent. The city report refers to 200 patrons, while contemporary coverage described a 285-person full house for Alien Weaponry. That difference may reflect event licensing, standing-room arrangements or different counting methods, so 200 is best treated as a planning reference rather than a definitive architectural capacity. No venue specification sheet has been found confirming exact dimensions or maximum configurations.
Seating and Layout
Fifty Gorillas was primarily a flexible hospitality and gig space, not a seated auditorium. Available descriptions identify a stage at the front of the premises, a restaurant area, a bar and a back-of-house green room reached by stairs. The surviving event material does not document numbered seats, balconies, tiered viewing, VIP sections or a fixed theatre seating plan.
For most concerts, the likely visitor experience was standing close to the stage, with tables and restaurant seating used when the room was operating in food-service mode. The strongest sightlines would have been near the centre of the main floor, while the small scale of the venue generally reduced the distance between audience and performers. This is an inference from the reported stage arrangement and gig reviews, not a published seating plan.
Acoustic feedback from visitors was mixed. One historical review praised the venue’s atmosphere and staff but said the brick surfaces made gigs sound treble-heavy. That comment fits the venue’s exposed-brick, converted-bar design, although no formal acoustic report or technical measurement has been published.
Getting There and Parking
The historical venue address was 66 Princes Street, in central Dunedin. Because Fifty Gorillas has closed, there is no current event entrance, rideshare procedure or venue-specific parking arrangement to follow. The address remains useful for identifying the former site, but visitors should not travel there expecting a concert or restaurant operating under the Fifty Gorillas name.
The former site was within central Dunedin’s walkable city area, close to the Octagon and the Princes Street corridor. Dunedin’s public buses are connected through the Great King Street Bus Hub, and central Princes Street is served by nearby stops. The railway station is also within the central city, although no current venue-specific walking route is available because the venue is defunct.
For anyone visiting the surrounding central-city area, Dunedin City Council operates several car parks, including Great King Street, Lower Moray Place, Wall Street and the Mataukareao parking building. Published 2025–26 rates include evening hourly charges at some parking buildings and daytime charges for others, with fees and opening times varying by facility. These are general city parking options, not parking supplied by Fifty Gorillas.
Inside the Venue
The interior was deliberately informal and industrial. The refit exposed brickwork, used beer crates to form a kitchen wall and created a serving counter from parts of a salvaged Commer van. The van was a personal reference to the owner’s family and childhood camping trips, giving the room a more distinctive character than a standard bar conversion.
Food was central to the concept. Fifty Gorillas offered adult and children’s menus, with food designed to be eaten by hand, including burgers, ribs, fried chicken and other substantial dishes. Families could receive colouring pencils, and the venue reportedly kept Giant Jenga and Connect Four available on the stage area before evening entertainment took over.
Historical visitor reviews praised generous portions, ribs, burgers, waffles, the range of drinks and the friendly atmosphere. One review criticised the service for not having menus ready at a booked table, while another visitor’s comments about treble-heavy sound indicate that the room’s hard surfaces could affect the concert experience. These reviews describe the venue before closure and should not be read as current service information.
There is no verified technical inventory for the sound system, lighting fixtures, mixing console, stage dimensions, rigging capacity, digital connectivity, merchandise arrangements or coat-check service. Contemporary coverage confirms that sound checks took place and that touring performers used a green room, but it does not identify brands, specifications or production capabilities.
Nearby Amenities
Fifty Gorillas’ central Princes Street setting placed it within Dunedin’s main hospitality district, near the Octagon, the Exchange and other city-centre bars and restaurants. That location suited the venue’s dinner-and-gig model, allowing patrons to eat before a performance or continue into the wider central nightlife area afterwards. Specific nearby businesses and late-night services have changed, so historical recommendations should not be treated as current listings.
For a venue that once opened as a restaurant from about 5pm, arriving early for dinner was part of the intended experience. For busier concerts, early arrival would also have helped with entry and viewing, particularly for sold-out shows in a room reported to hold only a few hundred people. There is no current late-night transport or hospitality arrangement associated with Fifty Gorillas.
What Makes This Venue Special
Fifty Gorillas was distinctive because it combined three roles that were often separated elsewhere: family dining, licensed-bar trade and intimate live music. Its conversion from Brimstone reflected the economic pressure on Dunedin nightlife, where a nightclub could no longer rely on late-night drinking alone. The result was a venue that used food to support a regular programme of amplified music.
The room also represented the practical importance of small venues to Dunedin’s music culture. Artists could play a central-city room without needing to fill a large theatre, and local performers could share bills with touring acts. The venue hosted artists from genres including metal, hip-hop, electronic music, indie, folk, pop and rock, reflecting the breadth of contemporary music circulating through Ōtepoti.
Its strongest legacy is therefore cultural rather than architectural. It was not a heritage theatre or a technically documented concert hall, but a short-lived, adaptable room that helped provide stage time for local and touring artists during a period when Dunedin was recognised as having too few medium-sized music venues.
Visitor Tips and Information
Do not rely on old event listings when planning a present-day visit. The venue no longer operates as Fifty Gorillas, there are no current tickets, and no 2026 or later programme has been verified. Historical pages may continue to show the old address, past event dates and archived reviews, but they do not indicate that the venue has reopened.
No authoritative accessibility statement has been found for the former venue. Published material does not confirm step-free entry, accessible seating, an accessible toilet, hearing assistance, quiet space or mobility arrangements. Because the venue is closed, visitors requiring access information should not assume that historical descriptions of the room provide a reliable guide to the present building.
The historical age restriction depended on the event: some listings were all-ages and others were R18. There is no evidence of a single venue-wide dress code or permanent photography rule. Food, alcohol service and entry conditions were part of the individual event or hospitality operation rather than a publicly documented house policy.
Community and Cultural Impact
The venue’s first-year record—nearly 100 bands, regular weekly gigs and a full house for Alien Weaponry—shows that it had a meaningful role in Dunedin’s live-music economy despite operating for only a short period. It created paid performance opportunities, brought touring audiences into the central city and gave emerging musicians a room between small bars and large civic venues.
There is no published economic-impact assessment isolating Fifty Gorillas’ contribution to hospitality, accommodation, transport or local employment. The available evidence supports a more limited conclusion: the venue responded to a documented shortage of suitable music rooms and provided a commercially practical food-and-performance model while it operated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fifty Gorillas in Dunedin still open?
No. Fifty Gorillas is permanently closed and no longer operates as a restaurant, bar or live-music venue. The former premises at 66 Princes Street changed to another hospitality business from October 2019, and later directory records identify Fifty Gorillas as permanently closed. There are no current opening hours, ticket sales, event listings or confirmed plans to reopen under the name.
Did Fifty Gorillas have events between 2021 and 2026?
No verified Fifty Gorillas events from 2021–2026 were found. The venue’s operating identity changed in 2019, before the requested period, and current records describe it as permanently closed. Any pages showing older concerts should be treated as archival listings rather than evidence of recent activity. No 2026 programme or future announcement under the Fifty Gorillas name has been confirmed.
What was the last known period of operation?
The venue opened in 2018 and was still being reported on as Fifty Gorillas in early 2019. A Dunedin licensing decision recorded a change to Indish Restaurant & Bar from 15 October 2019. That provides a firm latest operating boundary, although the sources do not identify the exact final night or a formal closure announcement from Fifty Gorillas itself.
Where was Fifty Gorillas located?
Historical event and licensing records place Fifty Gorillas at 66 Princes Street in central Dunedin, Otago. Some later records connected with successor businesses use a nearby or different street number, so visitors should rely on the historical venue records rather than assume that every archived address refers to the same tenancy. The Fifty Gorillas name no longer identifies a current venue.
How large was Fifty Gorillas?
There is no single confirmed public capacity figure. A 2019 Dunedin venue report listed Fifty Gorillas at approximately 200 patrons, while newspaper coverage described a 285-person full house for an Alien Weaponry show. Because those figures may reflect different licensing or layout conditions, the safest description is a small venue with capacity in the low hundreds rather than a definitive number.
Was Fifty Gorillas seated or standing?
It was a flexible restaurant and gig room rather than a fixed-seat theatre. The venue had dining furniture during food service and a front stage for performances, but surviving event material does not document numbered seating, tiered rows, balconies or permanent VIP areas. Concerts appear to have relied mainly on standing audience space, with the exact layout changing according to the event.
What music was played at Fifty Gorillas?
Programming ranged across indie, folk, pop, rock, metal, hip-hop, R&B and electronic music. The venue hosted local Dunedin performers, national touring artists and selected international acts. Documented examples include Nadia Reid, Abby Wolfe, Ladi6, Alien Weaponry, Avantdale Bowling Club, QUIX, Villainy, Decades, Commodo and Jordan Luck Band, showing a broad contemporary-music remit.
Which major acts performed there?
Notable documented performers included Alien Weaponry, Ladi6, Nadia Reid, Avantdale Bowling Club, Villainy, QUIX, Bailey Wiley, JessB, SilvaMC and Commodo. The venue also hosted artists with strong Dunedin connections, including Abby Wolfe and Nadia Reid. These appearances were significant because the room was intimate and much smaller than Dunedin’s main civic concert venues.
How much did tickets cost?
Historical prices varied by event. Surviving listings show some local or emerging-artist concerts at NZ$9 presale and NZ$15 general release, while a touring electronic show was listed at NZ$27.50 including fees. Sold-out performances could have different release stages and prices. These figures are historical examples only and do not represent current ticket prices or a standing Fifty Gorillas rate.
Did Fifty Gorillas have all-ages events?
Yes, at least one archived event was listed as all-ages, while other performances were marked R18. The restriction was set by the individual promoter or event rather than clearly documented as one permanent venue-wide rule. Historical visitors should therefore check the original event information when researching a particular concert, although no current events are available under the Fifty Gorillas name.
Was Fifty Gorillas suitable for families?
During its restaurant operation, the venue was described as family-friendly until approximately 9pm. Children’s menus, colouring pencils and games such as Giant Jenga and Connect Four were part of the dining concept. Evening concerts could have different age restrictions and atmospheres, so the family-friendly restaurant policy should not be confused with admission rules for every live performance.
What did the interior look like?
The fit-out used exposed brick, a kitchen wall built from beer crates and a serving counter made from salvaged Commer van parts. A stage was installed at the front for live music. The design was informal, industrial and personal rather than theatrical, with the recycled van counter serving as a distinctive feature linked to the owner’s family history.
What was the sound like inside?
There is no published technical specification for the venue’s sound system or acoustic treatment. Contemporary coverage confirms that bands carried out sound checks, and one visitor review said the exposed brick surfaces made gigs sound somewhat treble-heavy. That suggests a lively hard-surfaced room, but it would be inaccurate to claim a particular speaker brand, console, lighting rig or measured acoustic performance.
Did Fifty Gorillas have a green room?
Yes. Coverage of the Alien Weaponry performance refers to musicians using a green room and moving downstairs after sound check. This confirms some backstage provision, but the available sources do not give the room’s dimensions, facilities, artist amenities or loading access. It should not be assumed to have matched the production facilities of a dedicated concert hall.
Was the venue wheelchair accessible?
No reliable venue-specific accessibility statement has been found. The available records do not confirm step-free entry, accessible toilets, wheelchair viewing positions, hearing assistance or mobility seating. Because Fifty Gorillas is closed, there is no current access service to arrange. Historical descriptions of the restaurant and gig room should not be treated as a guarantee of accessibility.
Where could visitors park?
Fifty Gorillas did not have a clearly documented dedicated car park. The former site was in central Dunedin, where visitors historically used public on-street and council car parks. Current nearby council facilities include Great King Street, Lower Moray Place, Wall Street and Mataukareao. These serve the wider city centre and are not affiliated with the closed venue.
Could visitors take a bus to Fifty Gorillas?
The former address was in central Dunedin, within walking distance of the Great King Street Bus Hub and nearby Princes Street stops. Dunedin’s Orbus network continues to use the central bus hub, but there is no current venue stop or event connection to plan around. Public transport information for the area should therefore be checked independently of archived Fifty Gorillas listings.
Why did Fifty Gorillas close?
The available evidence does not provide a single formal reason for the venue’s closure. Its predecessor, Brimstone, had already been converted because the owner said late-night nightclub trading had become more difficult. In 2019, the premises changed focus to another restaurant business. The record supports a change in tenancy and concept, but not a detailed account of the final closure decision.
Why was Fifty Gorillas important to Dunedin?
Fifty Gorillas helped address Dunedin’s shortage of small and medium-sized rooms for amplified contemporary music. It offered a central stage for local acts, touring artists and genre-diverse bills, while its food operation supported regular trading. Its importance was less about heritage architecture and more about providing an accessible commercial platform during a period when the city’s live-music infrastructure was considered limited.
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