Get ready to cry tears of vodka-lime-soda, because after 16 years of good times, Sydney’s iconic Cargo Bar is going up for sale.
A harbourside bastion of good vibrations and less-sticky-than-most dancefloors, Cargo has always been that old friend you only get the chance to catch up with every now and then, but whenever you do, you know you’re both in for a big one.
As Fairfax reports, the venue’s owners – Keystone Group – have decided to give up the NYE On The Harbour festival venue in favour of expanding to other markets, with executive chairman Richard Facioni explaining that the sell-off will help them “to accelerate some of those growth plans”, particularly in Melbourne.
And though they have not attributed the decision to any – uh – external circumstances *cough* lockout laws *cough* which have dramatically changed the way that bars operate in Sydney, team Cargo have been vocal supporters of the Keep Sydney Open movement, and were on the ground to protest the lockouts alongside 15,000 punters at last month’s landmark rally.
However, ailing Sydney nightlife aside, Keystone group remains confident that the venue’s primo location and consistently high head count will make it an attractive option for buyers.
Let’s hope greedy property developers stay TF away, then.
Meanwhile, as we wait to learn the future of our precious Cargo, it will remain business as usual at the King Street Wharf mainstay.
To your health, old girl.
