Visitors to Inverness city centre activity bar Playback will soon be able to party into the early hours.
The bar will now be able to increase capacity and extend their hours to 3am after Highland Council approved the changes.
The bar serves a variety of food and drink alongside a wide range of activities including axe-throwing.
What’s new for Playback?
Under an amended licence, Playback will now be able to open until 3am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Director of Playback Taran Campbell said he was “delighted” the licence was approved.
It is good news for dancing fans as more live music and DJ sets will be played for longer and for more people.
The bar’s capacity, which is currently at 280, will increase by 75% to 489.
Taran Campbell said: “We’ve got lots planned and we see a good gap in the market for the late-night club scene.”
He asks keen visitors to keep an eye on the venue for upcoming events.
Why the change?
Taran Campbell said the reaction to Playback since opening has been “fantastic”.
This support has helped in applying for the extension, which hope to bring an economical boost to the business and the area.
The intention is to bring more locals and tourists into the city centre.
Playback’s licence application stated: “We intend to play music on both the ground and first floors – this will be a mix of DJs and bands along with dancing.”
What does the bar currently offer?
The four-storey bar opened on Academy Street last year, after a £1 million investment by business partners Taran Campbell and David Montgomery.
The bar houses a range of activities including axe-throwing, table tennis and foosball topped with a roof terrace.
Currently the bar is open from 11am to midnight Sunday to Thursday, and 11am to 1am Friday and Saturday.
Axe-throwing ‘well-regulated’
Council officers were satisfied with the application and recommended councillors grant the changes.
They said the activities such as axe-throwing were “well-regulated” and were satisfied there were no extra risks by extending late night hours.
Councillor Jackie Hendry said: “When we approved the axe-throwing last year we were very meticulous with the documentation.”
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