At The Drive-In - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney 01/10/17 / Photo: Annette Geneva

Concerns Raised Over The Future Of Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion

November 2, 2017

Concerns have been raised over the future of Sydney music venue and exhibition space the Hordern Pavilion, following a report that two local sporting teams are considering the venue as a location for new offices.

The Hordern first opened its doors in 1924, and with the venue’s lease set to expire in 2021, it’s reportedly being eyed off by the Sydney Swans AFL team and the Sydney Roosters NRL team as a potential location for new headquarters, along with Moore Park’s Royal Hall of Industries (RHI), News Corp Australia reports.

Michael Nebenzahl, who is Managing Director of Playbill (which holds the current lease for the Hordern), has said it would be “a tragedy” if the venue were to stop being a music venue.

“We’ve got a lease for a fair bit longer on the venue,” he said. “Our main concern with the Hordern is that it doesn’t get turned into something else.”

The Keep Sydney Open movement has also raised concerns over possible changes to the Hordern Pavilion, saying in a statement, “We love the Swans, but no. If we lose the Hordern Pavilion as a music venue, this city will be beyond saving.”

Sydney Cricket Ground Trust Chairman Tony Shepard reportedly said he’d “be happy to see [the Swans or Roosters] use the Hordern (or RHI), but that decision is up to other authorities”, while a spokesperson for the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust said the masterplan for the precinct “identifies a number of possible future uses over the next 20 years”.

The Moore Park precinct is reportedly planning for a possible redevelopment featuring food outlets, sports facilities, offices and potentially a hotel.

UPDATE: Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore Launches Campaign To “Save” The Hordern Pavilion