Hillsong Church has revealed that it has purchased the iconic Festival Hall, a staple live music venue for Melbourne. 2020 is absolutely ruthless.
As first reported by NME Australia, the megachurch’s founder Brian Houston announced the acquisition of the venue on YouTube.
It has been purchased for a staggering $23 million, as reported by The Age, under a new entity, Community Venues Pty Ltd.
The church say that Festival Hall will still play host to live music and entertainment, though on Sundays it will be “the house of God.”
“This journey of purchasing this incredible facility started about 18 months ago,” state pastor Tim Douglass explained.
“Just happened to hear about that it was for sale and started enquiring, thinking that it was a long shot
“Now, we’re sitting in a miracle. God can make a way even through impossible circumstances.”
Event co-ordinator for the venue Tanya Gleeson shared her dismay at the acquisition on Twitter, sharing that she has no future employment.
“This week is my last week at Festival Hall with no future employment,” she wrote.
“I have known about the sale for quite sometime and I must admit today it feels real and sad. Thanks for the memories.”
Watch the announcement and explanation of the acquisition below.
