Melbourne Floating Nightclub ATET To Return For 'One Night Only'

Embattled floating nightclub ATET is set to return to Melbourne’s Docklands precinct for One Night Only on Saturday, 14 December.

Revealing that the event will take place as a floating venue from the bay earlier this week, ATET owners described the upcoming night as a “new look, same vibe.” Tickets sold out in five minutes.

Today, ATET owners announced the acts that will perform at the surprise event. Melbourne’s own Not Without Friends (Jordan Brando, Luke Alessi, and William Kiss) will play “all night long,” per the show poster. The One Night Only event is set to be “one of the parties of the summer.”

ATET was built on a repurposed barge and anchored on North Wharf beneath the Bolte Bridge in Melbourne. When it first opened, owner, DJ and architect Jake Hughes said the space was “more than just a bar on the water,” with the plan to channel the “open-air day party experience” of European festivals and clubs and bring that vibe to Melbourne.

ATET has experienced a tumultuous few years since its grand opening in October 2022.

Within months of its opening, ATET faced noise complaints and a devastating blaze that ripped through the venue.

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Last June, The Music reported that ATET needed saving after the City of Melbourne reportedly terminated ATET’s Crown Land Licence, forcing the space into closure only eight months after launching.

Hughes expressed his despair at the situation, writing on a Change.org petition, “We feel an incredible sense of injustice, not only of the outcome, but due to the process that we have put through.”

In December, The Music reported that the ATET launched proceedings to sue the City of Melbourne and Development Victoria, claiming both their actions led to the demise of Hughes’ business.

Despite the council's initial support, the situation worsened following noise complaints from local residents.

Hughes did what he could to mitigate the issue, installing a noise limiter and reducing the volume even more than the council requested. He also proposed innovative solutions, such as encasing the entire venue in acoustic glass to achieve complete soundproofing and relocating the nightclub 250 meters away.

Hughes said the closure of the family-owned business had them facing the prospect of bankruptcy and losing their home. He also claimed the council had refused to negotiate on the matter.

"We are on the brink of losing everything but we will continue to fight to save ATET and stop this happening to other businesses," he said.

"How is it possible for the council to be allowed to shut down a compliant business?”