After having survived lockout laws, the pandemic, and a previous sale attempt in 2022, the Lansdowne Hotel has been again listed for sale.
The hotel is being put up for sale for a price of $25 million, with its consortium of owners saying that they expect “the venue ‘will attract interest from astute investors interested in repurposing the building for commercial, retail and accommodation purposes.”
In a further reflection of the struggles currently facing live music venues, The Lansdowne’s real estate listing states that the venue “has favourable planning approvals in place which may support further redevelopment of the site”.
Having operated continuously since the 1930s, The Lansdowne closed for the first time in 2015, due in large part to Sydney’s lockout laws, which restricted possible patrons.
Last February, the Lansdowne closed for the second time after the operators chose not to renew the lease, instead seeking to turn the venue into hostel accommodation. It reopened in March of this year after the Oxford Art Factory took over.
The live music venue has hosted some of Australia’s best artists, as well as allowing up and coming musicians to grow a fan base at an established venue. With The Live Music Office finding that around 200 venues have closed during the past decade of lockouts and subsequent lockdowns, the closure of The Lansdowne will further deprive local artists of a vital performance space.
The Lansdowne has been particularly popular with University of Sydney students throughout its lifetime, being an ideal venue close to campus. In 2017, Honi reported that the Lansdowne was “without a doubt one of the best pubs in Sydney”.
The tumultuous history of the Landsdowne is yet another reminder of the difficulty Sydney has had resuscitating its night life in the aftermath of lockdowns and lockout laws.
