Alice Springs Heavy Metal Venue Raises $1m to Buy Its Building

A volunteer-run heavy metal music venue in Alice Springs, the Black Wreath, has raised $1m in donations through a monthlong crowdfunding campaign, according to The Guardian.

Alice Springs, a town of about 34,000 people located roughly 1,500km from the nearest city, has only one dedicated live music space, the report said. The Black Wreath has hosted hundreds of bands from across Australia over the past decade despite its remote location, the source noted.

According to the report, operators of the venue learned last year that its owners planned to sell the property. The team negotiated a delay on the sale and began organizing a fundraiser aimed at allowing them to purchase the venue outright and place it in a trust, the source said.

The Guardian reported that the crowdfunding campaign, which called on supporters from around the country to donate, reached its $1m target on Friday.

The report described the Black Wreath as a one-of-a-kind resource for musicians in central Australia, given the scarcity of live music venues in the region.