Love Machine Nightclub Shut Down Amid Violence and Bikie Clashes
Prahran’s Love Machine nightclub has once again been thrown into the spotlight, but this time it isn’t for its music or nightlife. Instead, the venue has been ordered to shut its doors this weekend after a series of violent incidents, including brawls, weapons charges, and even gunfire outside the club. Authorities say this closure is a necessary step to curb the escalating danger linked to the nightclub, which has long carried a reputation for trouble.
The Victorian Liquor Commission stepped in this week, suspending Love Machine’s licence under section 96B of the Liquor Control Reform Act. From Friday morning until early Monday, no alcohol will be served and the venue will remain closed. This suspension follows a particularly dangerous run of incidents, the most recent being a firearm discharged outside the club just last weekend. That shooting narrowly missed Western Bulldogs player Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who described the experience as traumatising and said he felt lucky to be alive.
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Police reports show this was only the latest episode in a string of violent altercations. On July 27, Comanchero bikies clashed with security staff, leaving three men in hospital with facial injuries. Then, on August 8, more members of the same gang stormed the club in another outburst of violence. A 28-year-old man has since been arrested and charged over both incidents, including possession of a controlled weapon. Authorities have now said enough is enough.
The venue’s troubled history also weighed heavily in this decision. In recent years, Love Machine has been linked to multiple tragedies, including the fatal stabbing of 30-year-old father Ruka Carlson after he was chased from the club on Easter Sunday. Even more infamously, the nightclub was the site of a drive-by shooting in 2019 that killed two people and injured several others. With that backdrop, regulators warned the club in 2024 that its licence was under close scrutiny after repeated breaches and a $20,000 fine.
Adding to its controversies, Love Machine’s former co-owner and current marketing manager, Andrew Varigos, is facing serious allegations of rape and assault, with a mistrial already declared and a return to court scheduled for later this year.
All of this has created an environment where public safety is now the top concern. For residents of Prahran and Melbourne nightlife regulars, the forced closure may feel dramatic, but regulators argue it is necessary. The nightclub’s owners have the option to challenge the suspension in the Supreme Court, but for now, the doors will remain locked and the music will be silenced.
For many, this shutdown feels like the inevitable result of years of warnings, violence, and tragedy linked to the venue. Whether Love Machine will ever recover its licence and reopen is still uncertain—but what’s clear is that the club’s future now hangs in the balance.
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