Newtown’s First 4am Bar License In Over 100 Years Has Been Granted

October 18, 2022

Sydney’s Odd Culture Group – the hospitality collective behind The Duke Of Enmore, Odd Culture Newtown and more – have been granted a landmark bar license.

Announced today, OCG have revealed that the City of Sydney Council has given them a seven-day, 4am bar license. This allows them to move forward with plans to open a new basement venue in Newtown. It’s the first time in over 100 years that a license of this kind has been granted in Newtown, and could mark a shift for late night culture in Sydney.

Odd Culture Group granted Newtown’s first 4am bar license in over 100 years

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OCG are hoping to help reinvigorate Sydney’s 24 hour economy, as the city continues to work its way back to being a lucrative nightlife destination. CEO of the Odd Culture Group, James Thorpe, called the license “a huge win in our efforts to diversify Sydney’s late night entertaining offering.”

Thorpe wants the new basement venue to be a trend-starter in Sydney, leading the city to become “a true 24 hour cultural destination, a place where you can come seven days a week at all hours and experience something special,” he said.

The basement venue will be situated on King Street in Newtown, and will launch early 2023. It’ll be near Odd Culture Newtown, a venue that received an extended 2am license in 2021.

OCG plan to offer entertainment seven days a week, to be curated by Group Operations Manager, Sabrina Medcalf. “The later, the better in my eyes,” Medcalf said. “I’ve been amongst live music venues and late licenses for most of my career and it’s the most exciting, culture-building environment around.

“4am license is the forbidden fruit of all licenses and we can’t wait to share some unadulterated music bills to the public.”