Sydney may not be a heaving 24-hour economy like London and New York City, but if you look hard enough, you might find a few pops of inner-city activity in the wee hours of the morning. Most recently, the infamous Club 77 on William Street celebrated its transformation into a contemporary small bar with opening hours extended to 4 AM Thursday through to Sunday. Now it seems the inner-west is getting a resurgence in late-night activity, with an upcoming underground Newtown bar by Odd Culture Group being granted regulatory approval to trade until 4 AM every single day of the week – a coveted licence not seen in the city for over a century.
When the yet-to-be-named bar opens in the heart of Newtown early next year, it will be the first Sydney venue to be granted such a licence in over 100 years, pushing the city forward to the vibrant night-time economy it was once known for.
Reportedly, the City of Sydney Council accepted the proposal by Odd Culture Group earlier this week, granting a licence for a 400-square-metre underground cocktail bar that will have live music and sit within Newtown’s Late Night Management Zone on King Street.
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Odd Culture Group’s Chief Executive Officer, James Thorpe, described the grant as a “defining moment in the push for Sydney’s 24-hour economy. It also validates Sydney’s 24-Hour Economy Strategy, which was published back in September 2020 by NSW’s 24-hour economy commissioner Michael Rodrigues with the single-minded goal of reviving (and diversifying) the city’s night-time offerings beyond gaming rooms and dance floors.
This is one of the only instances we have of Sydney showing signs of recovery after the crippling Lockout Laws which ran from 2014 and were lifted at the start of 2020, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic came along and decimated the hospitality industry.
And while Odd Culture Group remains tight-lipped about details for its upcoming Newtown bar, we know it’ll be located just down from the eponymous Odd Culture, which has become a fast-favourite amongst locals for its massive beer list and unique food offering. The team also operates nearby live music bar Duke of Enmore (pictured above) and Darlinghurst’s legendary The Old Fitz, so I’d say the upcoming Newtown bar and its 4 AM licence is in very good hands.
