Moves to save iconic Brisbane music venue

Iconic Brisbane music venue The Tivoli would be spared from developers under a tender from a local businessman and live music enthusiast.

The Tivoli has been in the hands of the O'Rourke family since 1999, who in February signalled it was "time to move on".

Concerns flared the venue would be razed and converted into high-rise units after it was advertised as a "prime inner-city development site".

Hutchinson Builders chairman Scott Hutchinson, who was set to lodge a tender on Thursday, said the venue would be retained if he is successful.

"I'm just heavily interested in music in Brisbane - I love it," he told AAP.

"I don't have horses or fast cars or boats or planes or anything.

"Going out in Brisbane is my thing."

The art deco venue on Costin Street, Fortitude Valley, was built in 1917 and refurbished in the 1990s.

It holds up to 1500 patrons and has hosted the likes of Bob Dylan, The Shins, Marilyn Manson, Powderfinger, Katy Perry and Lily Allen.

Joel Edmondson, executive officer at the state's peak live music body Q Music, said the impact of losing the Tivoli was self-evident.

"We'd lose a venue that's been incredibly important to the history of live music in Brisbane," he said.

Mr Edmondson said the loss would be amplified by the state government's looming lockout legislation, which live music enthusiasts argue will result in the closure of venues.

"It's a bit of a double whammy," he said.

"I think this is where the government's got a responsibility to do what it can and come in and protect not only the heritage of the building itself, but what the building does culturally for Brisbane."

Mr Hutchinson described the lockout laws as "absolute stupidity" and said the loss of the Tivoli would be "a tragedy".

"It would be one more nail in Brisbane's coffin," he said.

"Our offer is going to be well above valuation, so we're trying to stop that."

The Queensland Environment Department said no application had been received to list the Tivoli on the Queensland Heritage Register, but anyone could launch one.

A petition calling for the building to be protected - and not be demolished like the historic Cloudland dance hall in 1982 - has attracted about 8500 signatures in two weeks.