Farewell Festival to remember
It’s the end of an era for two of Queenstown’s most iconic venues, The World Bar and Yonder.
Owners Steve Ward and Gary Livesey have sold the Church Street bar and neighbouring cafe restaurant to local chain Wolf Hospitality Group, who take over next Monday, 23 June.
But before they bow out, the boys are throwing one last massive celebration at the sister venues, the Farewell Festival - a very long weekend of parties, gigs, events and throwbacks designed to celebrate almost three decades in the industry.
Invites have gone out across New Zealand, Australia and beyond to many of the 1500 staff, as well as musicians and regulars who partied over the years since The World Bar opened in Shotover Street in 1996, joined by Yonder in 2017.
The festival runs from 18-22 June, kicking off this Wednesday with a Silent Disco at The World Bar, before a Skate Jam on Thursday, with a full halfpipe in the bar's front section.
"It’s not something you see in many bars,” organiser Nick Fogarty says. "You’ll have people skating all day, we've got DJs outside, flash tattoos in the back room, and a live band at night - just a full day of partying, music, drinking and hanging out."
Over at Yonder on the same night, Liam Allan will host a drum and bass showcase - a homegrown night that’s become one of the venue’s most successful events over the past couple of years.
Friday introduces a full-day Electric Rush takeover at Yonder, including a coffee rave from 10am - designed to bring dance music to daytime crowds, before the DJs move into the kitchen at night for a ticketed Electric Rush event. Meanwhile, at The World Bar on Friday night, there'll be an All Star Bangers Old School Night, an AV DJ set spanning dance floor classics from 1996 to 2025 - similar to Hot Dub Time Machine parties.
Then Saturday brings it all together with a full-scale '90s-themed block party across both venues. “It’s DJs from morning until late, drag brunch at Yonder, and it just kind of rolls on through, on the patio and inside, before ‘Face to Face’ DJ sets later that night.” The concept pits two DJs against each other with duelling decks in the middle of the room, surrounded 360° by the crowd.
"The whole bars will be decorated and we're encouraging people to dress like the '90s, which most people are doing anyways now, so it's pretty easy."
The festival winds down Sunday with a Last Supper at The World Bar and Yonder — live music from 4pm, cheap throwback burgers, and a relaxed vibe for locals to say goodbye. Meanwhile, Yonder hosts a ticketed performance that night by New Zealand band Daily J to honour the live acts the venue has supported over the years.
"It's going to be a big weekend for the town, because this is a hospo town, and these are staple venues, that have been under independent ownership for so long.
"We've invited lots of people who've been part of it and had ties with Gary and Wardy, so it should be a really cool weekend, some sick events, a time to hangout and take in the nostalgia."
Some events are ticketed, but the majority are free to attend. Visit The World Bar and Yonder's Facebook page for more info.
