Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Auckland and…. Upper Hutt? You heard right — four-piece Kiwi music sensation, Six60, is coming to Brewtown.
The Upper Hutt craft beer and entertainment complex is confirmed as the official venue for Six60’s Wellington leg of the band’s summer-long, trans-Tasman Grassroots Tour (1 Feb), making headlines for eclipsing the Capital as hosts, thanks to Brewtown’s easy access, purpose-built live music spaces.
Six60 will follow fellow high-profile Kiwi acts, performing at Brewtown in December and January: the Black Seeds perform alongside international ska act, Sublime with Rome, at the venue’s annual Brew Year’s Eve event (31 Dec), as well as Fat Freddy’s Drop (25 Jan). Further international live acts will feature at Hutt Sounds (2 Mar), the 80s & 90s nostalgic showcase returning for its third year and featuring Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark (OMD), the Thompson Twins, Diesel, and local Upper Hutt legend and former-INXS front man, Jon Stevens.
The 18-hectare entertainment hub — owned by the Gillies Group, and previously, the former site of the Dunlop Tyre factory — opened in 2019. It features four breweries and their respective taprooms and eateries — Panhead, Boneface, Tuatara and Te Aro Brewing — a whisky distillery, and entertainment options galore, such as go-kart racing, an indoor paintball field, a 600-sqm trampoline park, ice skating rink, axe throwing, bowling lanes, Chipmunks indoor kids playground, and more.
Brewtown manager, Phil Gorman, says hosting high profile bands, such as Six60, is a major coup for the city. The Hutt Valley native has lived in Upper Hutt his entire life (and proudly has the mullet to show for it) but as much as he loves his hometown, he can’t remember a time when the city was considered “cool”.
However, that perception has been flipped on its head as Brewtown’s reputation as a dynamic one-stop entertainment, activities, events and live music spot has got out.
“Upper Hutt has always been looked upon as Wellington’s poor cousin. Heck, even Lower Hutt’s poor cousin!” he laughs.
“But the addition of Brewtown has absolutely elevated the city into a unique destination within the Wellington region. In all my memories of living here, we’ve never had anything quite like this. Having Upper Hutt attract and hosting international artists on the scale we are seeing here at Brewtown is just so great for the city.
“So it’s been a real buzz to see Upper Hutt up there on the SIX60 summer tour posters, alongside major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland,” he says.
And whilst associating beer with Upper Hutt mightn’t be too far a stretch, Phil says Brewtown was always designed to provide a family-friendly space for all ages with its eateries, entertainment activities and year-long events calendar featuring live music to festivals to farmers markets.
“Brewtown is a dedicated space for everyone in the community to connect, and families are a massive part of that – it’s a big attraction for them because there is something for everyone. We also have meeting spaces for corporates, as well as hosting their work events,” he says.
“We take our role of responsible hosting very seriously, and I think that’s also been a big tick for live music promoters and event organisers.
“Additionally, access to the venue is pretty seamless. It’s a mere 40-minute train ride from Wellington CBD, and drops you off right on the Brewtown doorstep, an easy 5-min walk away. Alternatively, we have plenty of parking for those who choose not to drink.”
As a long-time live act promoter, Brent Eccles, the organiser behind two of Brewtown’s summer gigs, Fat Freddy’s and Six60, says Brewtown is a no-brainer.
“It’s a purpose-built outdoor venue, built for rock and roll, and that is very unique within the region. It’s easy to get to by car or public transport, and it’s easy to get in and out of the venue. There’s outdoor covered facilities too. Concertgoers can easily grab a drink and meal at any one of the eateries beforehand. And most importantly, people really love it,” he says.
Upper Hutt Mayor, Wayne Guppy, says Brewtown is now an integral part of the city’s tapestry.
“It has been a significant boost for Upper Hutt. It’s fantastic for our local economy, supporting local businesses and it’s a major destination for visitors to the city. The weekly farmer’s market in itself sees between 3000-4000 people from around the Wellington region attend.
“There is absolutely no question that Brewtown has developed into the region’s leading hospitality and entertainment centre – and now, in fact, into one of national significance,” he says.
Check out Newshub’s interview with Brewtown manager, Phil Gorman.
For further event info, check out brewtown.co.nz. Tickets for Brew Year’s Eve featuring Sublime with Rome and the Black Seeds can be purchased at brewtown.co.nz. Tickets to Fat Freddy’s Drop and SIX60 can be purchased at Ticketmaster.