A brutalist, pillar-free bunker with no windows and a 1000-person standing capacity – meet The Vault at Dairy Road.
Canberra’s newest event space will act as a blank canvas for curated creative experiences, from all-day parties and roller discos to baby-friendly raves, a winter lineup has already been secured.
Curated by cultural development company, Dionysus, they are determined to get Canberrans out and about, heating up what sometimes feels like a very drawn-out winter.
The program is internationally informed and designed for Canberra, blending international and homegrown performance, projections, immersive experiences and the odd nod to Fyshwick’s dirty secrets.
“We want to support the cultural landscape – not with events that are ‘good enough for Canberra’, but good for any city in the world,” says Curator and Founder of Dionysus, Dave Caffery.
“Hidden in the Dairy Road precinct, The Vault will heat Canberra’s Winter with markets, performances and warehouse parties. We are hoping it will be a highlight in Canberra’s cultural memory, and inform future programs,” he says.
Kicking off on May 18, skateboarding performance Big hART will take up residence at The Vault with two cross-medium shows.
From 7-10 June, indulge your senses at Oozy Boozy, a new cheese and wine market showcasing the best offerings from the Canberra wine region and international cheese merchants. Then rounding out June, award-winning Australian Dance Party presents ‘The Data Set’, a dance between two bodies, light, sound and AI that is happening over two nights on 28 and 29 June.
Taking us to 12 July, the most-anticipated event of the program will see Canberra’s biggest party weekend – 36 hours to be exact. Skin on Skin, one of the strongest names to emerge in underground dance music over the past five years (recently playing on Coachella’s main stage), will be transforming the space with his house and techno beats.
The remaining events in July will include a range of experiences including kid-friendly rave, Roller Disco and Winter Market.
Finishing up winter, Sydney’s iconic Heaps Gay will bring their signature larger-than-life parties on 10 August, followed by the final programmed event (for now), an epic party from Dragon Dreaming.
Despite plans to be demolished as part of the Dairy Road precinct development, The Vault’s decision to take over the empty warehouse exemplifies Dionysus’ ongoing commitment to fostering arts, music, performance and culinary experiences in Canberra.
The program and tickets to upcoming events are now live on The Vault’s website.
