Why Alcotraz has sparked outrage before even opening in Australia - as UK bar makes the move to Down Under

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A new bar has sparked outrage before it has even opened for asking patrons and staff to dress as prison inmates.

Alcotraz - which is a play on the notorious US prison Alcatraz - will open in Melbourne in June and promises an 'immersive cocktail experience like no other'. 

Patrons are required to 'smuggle' their own alcohol past staff, who are cosplaying as 'corrupt guards', so they can have a cocktail mixed by the bartenders posing as inmates. 

Visitors are also given orange jumpsuits to wear as they sip their cocktails behind the bars of mock prison cells. 

Marketing firm Fever, which is in partnership with UK business Inventive Productions, explained the bar's concept represents the 'Hollywood-like narrative' of prisons. 

A new bar named Alcotraz, which is set to open in Melbourne in June, has faced backlash over its immersive prison experience concept (pictured) 

Patrons are required to dress in orange prison-like jumpsuits and 'smuggle' their own alcohol into the bar past staff who are cosplaying as 'corrupt guards' 

In a joint statement, the companies said the bar was a 'subtle' reference to cult American cinema and TV like Shawshank Redemption and Orange is the New Black. 

'Alcotraz's theatrical experience is focused on giving guests the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a fictitious, Hollywood-like narrative, which is in no way based on the real-life difficulties and harsh realities of prison systems today,' it read. 

Alcotraz faced fierce backlash for fetishising 'misfortune' after opening several locations in the UK, and has drawn similar criticism in Australia.

Australian charity National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls released a statement on Tuesday labelling Alcotraz as 'disturbingly insensitive' for trivialising the harsh realities of prison. 

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The charity also called on the public to boycott Alcotraz and reject 'any establishment that seeks to profit from the exploitation' of oppression. 

National Network member and activist Tabitha Lean said the bar was a 'slap in the face' to people who had been traumatised and brutalised by the prison system. 

'Prisons are sites of immense pain and suffering, especially for Aboriginal people who face higher rates of incarceration and deaths in custody,' she said. 

'Turning this into a theme for a bar is a slap in the face to those who have experienced real trauma and brutalisation.' 

Ms Lean added the insensitivity of the bar's concept was magnified by opening its doors on stolen Aboriginal lands. 

'Alcotraz need to read the room. They are building their business on lands owned by the very communities that are being ravaged by prisons,' Ms Lean said. 

'The very notion of a prison-themed bar on land with a history of dispossession and ongoing oppression of Aboriginal communities is abhorrent'. 

National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls advocate Tabitha Lean (left) called for the public to boycott the bar. Chief executive of Sisters Inside and member of the National Network Debbie Kilroy (right) said the bar turned incarceration into a form of entertainment for 'privileged white people'

Sisters Inside chief executive and National Network member Debbie Kilroy said the bar is turning incarceration into a form of entertainment. 

'Alcotraz's attempt to turn incarceration into a form of entertainment is a gross minimisation of the suffering endured by people who have been criminalised,' Ms Kilroy said.  

'Creating a space where people can pay to pretend they are prisoners is not only reductive but also incredibly disrespectful.'

Ms Kilroy slammed the concept as 'grotesque' as it allowed 'privileged white people' to pretend they're prisoners while others continue to suffer behind bars. 

'Alcotraz isn't just poor taste; it shows a fundamental disregard for the lived experiences of people who have been and continue to be harmed by the prison system,' Ms Kilroy said. 

'Prison is not a game—it is harsh, it is brutal and all too often a life-ending reality. Privileged white people cosplaying as prisoners for fun while real people suffer is just grotesque.' 

Alcotraz, which is a play on the notoriously brutal Alcatraz prison in the United States - is the brainchild of marketing firm Fever and UK business Inventive Productions

Inventive Productions and Fever explained the bar's concept represented the 'Hollywood-like narrative' of prisons and was a 'subtle' representation of American cult TV and cinema including Orange is the New Black and Shawshank Redemption

A Fever and Inventive Productions spokesman explained it also has a partnership with Innocence Project London. 

Innocence Project London is a charity that works to prevent miscarriages of justice and investigates cases of convicted individuals who maintained their innocence but have exhausted the criminal appeals process. 

'The partnership demonstrates its commitment to the education and enrichment of its customers and communities on issues relevant to their immersive experiences,' the spokesman told The Guardian.

'Inventive Productions continues to be sensitive towards the real-world difficulties that could be associated with such stories and evaluate how best to support those around us.'

The number of Australian prisoners increased by three per cent in the 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.