One of Sydney’s most iconic live music venues, Lansdowne Hotel, has announced that it is closing it’s doors.
Landsdowne Hotel sits on the corner of Broadway and City Road in the inner-city suburb of Chippendale, and welcomed countless musical acts through the 80’s and 90’s. It closed in 2015, but was reopened in by by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary’s. Mary’s Burgers and Lansdowne Hotel share the same real estate.
Smyth and Graham have announced that their lease is expiring and the owners aren’t interested in renewing it.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our time with the beloved Lansdowne Hotel is coming to an end,” Mary’s group wrote on their Instagram. “Our lease is due to expire in the coming months, and the Landlords have chosen to close the Gig Room to build more hostel accommodation.
The statement continued: “This was not a part of our vision for the Lansdowne, and as such, we have decided to call time on our custodianship of this iconic live music venue. We will be working with the Landlords to facilitate the remaining shows until the end of April.”
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As part of the lengthy statement about the impending closure of Landsdowne hotel, Mary’s Group touched on their reopening of the venue.
“Our re-opening of the Lansdowne in June 2017 marked a seismic shift in the Live Music scene in Sydney, after years of closures and devastating lockouts. The Lansdowne came to be a figurehead in the recapturing of our collective conscience, a bulwark against the tide of closures and a voice against the apathy that had snuck into the core of the conversations around our vital nighttime culture.
“The Lansdowne showed the power of art and its deeply important role in our city and our culture. We will forever be proud of what was achieved, and will continue our role in providing stages for new and emerging voices at Mary’s Underground and in venues yet to come.”
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