Inside Byron Bay’s new creative nightlife venue and sake bar at OTHERWORLD

A NEW nightlife and cultural arts venue featuring a sake bar and Asian-inspired cuisine has launched inside the same building that houses OTHERWORLD in Byron Bay.

HAVEN is the brainchild of Wax Addicts DJ duo Scott Plant and Andrea Jones, musical artist Jai Piccone from globally-renowned electronic band Tora, and Flow Music.

The group, who have collaborated with immersive art experience OTHERWORLD on various projects, came together with a vision to activate the space in the former Woolworths building on Jonson Street before it undergoes future development.

“We will expand on OTHERWORLD’s vision by creating a space to run parallel to OTHERWORLD that is designed to support the arts and entertainment sectors in the region,” Plant said.

“The aim is to be diverse across a number of artistic and creative disciplines so we can support that part of the community which has taken a hit over the past decade, and is such an integral part of the Byron Shire’s ethos.”

Equipped with cutting-edge lighting and sound installations, HAVEN is designed to host a wide range of events — from international, Australian and local music acts to film screenings, fashion shows and arts and crafts workshops.

Outside, the redesigned and upgraded area known as The Terrace at the front will serve as a welcoming community and family-friendly zone.

“Think markets, record fairs, food fiestas, face painting, kids’ activities, open-air seminars, live music, vinyl DJs,” Plant said.

“The gallery will remain as is, although the eagle room has been transformed with a film-set style Japanese Bladerunner-inspired interactive art piece, expanding on OTHERWORLD’s vision to create an expressive and innovative space for the community and its visitors,” Plant said.

OTHERWORLD, which has been closed since June while the upgrades take place, is set to reopen in late October, with an official launch event for The Terrace planned for mid-November.