The Tarocash army will soon have to find someplace else to smell their house keys. Because after a decade of being a safe haven for those without a definable personality, The Star Sydney has announced Marquee nightclub is closing up shop after a final party tomorrow evening (Saturday 29 October).
The news initially came to light less than a few days after the venue hosted four-time NBA world champion Shaquille O’Neal, who manned the Pioneer decks for a midnight set under his musical alias DJ Diesel. Incidentally, this was probably the height of Marquee’s very existence.
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“We have a good and long-standing relationship with the owners of the Marquee brand,” explained The Star Sydney’s recently-appointed CEO Scott Wharton via press release.
“They are an excellent partner, and we will discuss doing more with them in the premium hospitality space.”
“In this instance, it’s about looking at other food and beverage options that will further enhance The Star Sydney as a world-class tourism and entertainment destination.”
Like an aggressive cancer of the Harbour City, Marquee – which first opened back in 2012 – survived lockout laws, lockdown, and just about every manner of ridicule. So exactly what can we credit for finally clearing it out? In the very same press release, Wharton outlined the challenges of keeping Marquee in operation as a nightclub.
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“Incidents and issues have surfaced at times and that creates additional pressures to meet the standards we expect of ourselves,” said Scott Wharton.
“It’s a tough call to make but if we’re going to earn back the trust and confidence of all our stakeholders, we need to assess and react accordingly on how we run our operations.”
The Star Sydney has stated redeployment of Marquee staff to other areas of the wider operation is now a top priority with the venue’s future plans to be announced “in due course.”
Meanwhile, The Star Sydney’s casino licence remains suspended after a damning inquiry into the gambling operation undertaken by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC).
Thanks to allegations of money laundering, fraud, and criminal activity, the establishment copped an unprecedented $100 million fine; a manager has since been installed to oversee the business during the interim.
