Ballarat's renowned live music venue Karova Lounge will shut its doors in October after 15 years headlining the city's music scene.
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Karova owner Gary Wilson posted the news to live music lovers on Facebook about 3pm and was immediately swamped with responses from well-wishers and those who could not believe the news.
"Karova Lounge as we know it will come to end in early October," he wrote.
The venue will continue to operate with shows booked up to the closing date to go ahead including King Parrot, Ivan Ooze and The Kite Machine.
Mr Wilson wrote the bar "hope to celebrate in style" with its 15th birthday celebrations in July.
The Courier spoke to Mr Wilson soon after he posted the closure notice, but he declined to comment on the detail of the closure.
READ MORE ABOUT THE DEMISE OF BALLARAT'S LIVE MUSIC VENUES
"It's obviously pretty raw, the phone is going crazy so I'm going to turn it off for a couple of days to let the decision sit and digest," he said.
The closure of Karova Lounge is another blow to Ballarat's music scene with the recent closures of Sutton's House of Music and Babushka.
Mayor Samantha McIntosh congratulated Karova Lounge for its success over 15 years.
"It is an iconic venue that has seen the birth of Ballarat household name bands and musicians, has consistently hosted international and national acts and has been an essential location for young people across the city, and will be sorely missed," she said.
Cr McIntosh said council would vote on taking crucial steps to position Ballarat as one of Australia's leading creative cities at its next meeting, and live music of all genres remains at its heart.
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