Monte's Lounge in Alice Springs will call last drinks later this month, as its owners prepare to permanently shut the landmark pub due to what they say is an unwinnable battle against crime.
The circus-themed watering hole on the corner of Todd Street and Stott Terrace in the CBD has been a popular locale for food and drink, as well as live music and comedy shows since opening in 2007.
In recent years, the heritage-listed site has increasingly become the target of break-ins and vandalism, as crime rates have soared across the Central Australian town.
After three years at the helm, co-owner Kyle Pearson has said he will not be renewing the lease come December 23.
"I think the trading conditions in Alice Springs are tough enough, but if you're in the CBD dealing with the mayhem that goes on there on a daily basis, that's more than we could continue to bear," he said.
"COVID was a big issue for us, but the turning point in the last 12 months has been the impact of crime in the CBD, and not just towards the building and the business, but towards people and our customers that would come out."
After putting the business on the market earlier this year, Mr Pearson has been unable to find a suitable buyer.
He said given the state of the town, he could not see "how [the business] would be an attractive proposition to anyone".
"We've seen nights where every car parked out the front has had its tyres slashed, including the police camera unit, and then people have a car window smashed, belongings stolen, have been assaulted," Mr Pearson said.
"These aren't isolated incidents, this is on a weekly basis.
"It's very hard to trade in those conditions, and to be honest, for us, it's not a situation we wanted to continue with past the end of our lease."
Mr Pearson said beyond the exorbitant financial costs to the business, crime had also impacted staff, who "obviously don't feel safe".
"We're leaving hospitality workers, often in their early 20s, and asking them to close up a business at midnight, and there's potentially people trying to break into the building while they're there," he said.
"And then if they get out of that situation, then they've got to get home somehow, and get through the minefield that is the CBD after that, so it's a fairly ridiculous situation.
"I guess the only thing we've done wrong is we've invested in this town and tried to have a crack, and that's what we've been faced with, and that's the reward we've got for our hard work."
Mr Pearson, who also owns the Alice Springs Brewing Co in The Gap, said the night-time hospitality industry in the CBD was facing a "grim" predicament.
"It becomes harder to attract people to town because people want these outlets to socialise and relax, so if they're not there, then what sort of town do we have?" he said.
"I was out on Friday night in town, and there's just not people around, and you can try put that down to this time of year, but there's just not that vibrant hospitality scene anymore.
"Everyone that we've talked to says that they just don't want to go out, and they go to house parties and sheds and everything else, so whether that's a greater shift the industry is facing, I don't know."
The closure comes as another iconic late-night venue in Alice Springs, Bojangles Saloon, prepares to re-open after an extended period of closure.
Musician Emma Gerard fondly remembers her first performance in Alice Springs — at Monte's — after moving from Melbourne.
"It started my whole relationship with music in this town," she said.
Ms Gerard said the loss of the venue was devastating for musicians who rely on performing as a source of income.
"We don't have a huge selection [of live music venues] to begin with," she said.
Ms Gerard, who performs in several local bands, said it was crucial residents supported local music to ensure its future in the town.
"There's an incredible live music spirit in Alice Springs, and it colours the entire nightlife of Alice Springs," she said.
"It's different to other cities, where it is really DJ heavy or electronic music heavy.
"It makes it unique being here, which is why it's so important to support venues that pay musicians to perform."
Mark Smith, executive director at MusicNT, said venues that hosted live music played an important role in improving the livability of a town.
"The Territory has such a vibrant, creative and cultural sector that it should be the catalyst to drive what people are imagining when they think about coming to the Territory," he said.
"But to do that, there needs to be places that people can go to see it.
"When you have a thriving space … there's a real energy to it, and that energy is really important for a city — it can define a city, it can present a really positive outlook."
He said the accessibility of live music could play a significant role in a person's decision whether to move to a new town.
"It just gives another reason for people — especially in transient cities like Darwin and Alice — to not only want to come to a place but actually stay in a place," he said.
"There's so much potential — the more spaces to play, the more Wide Open Spaces you'll get, the more Blackens you'll get, or Desert Festivals.
"There's so much happening — you just need to constantly support it with infrastructure and outlets."
