It would be hard to find a more beloved pub in Sydney than The Lansdowne Hotel, which has long been quenching a hard-earned thirst for live music and cheap cocktails. 

Established in 1933, the Chippendale venue has been a mainstay for revellers for decades and has hosted some of Australia’s most celebrated bands like You Am I and The Living End. When it closed in 2015, it felt like the end of an era, but in 2017 the Mary’s Group stepped in and breathed new life into The Lansdowne by keeping the live music roster pumping. 

“Our re-opening of the Lansdowne in June 2017 marked a seismic shift in the live music scene in Sydney, after years of closures and devastating lockouts,” wrote Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham from Mary’s in an Instagram post on Wednesday. 

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A post shared by Mary’s (@marysgetfat)

The same post announced the plans for the Lansdowne landlords to close the ‘gig room’ which accommodates 300 punters, to expand their hostel-style accommodation. 

“This was not part of our vision for the Lansdowne, and as such, we have decided to call time on our custodianship of this iconic live music venue,” Smyth and Graham wrote. “We are heartbroken.”

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According to Smyth and Graham, 2022 looked like it was going to be one of the busiest at the Lansdowne. “It is deeply upsetting to call time on an icon, at the height of her powers.” 

There are over 20 shows scheduled in the coming months, and Smyth and Graham noted they “will be working with the landlords to facilitate the remaining shows until the end of April.”

So, there’s still time to drop by, listen to some great live music and have a final drink, or two. 

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