Sydney mayor, Clover Moore, has launched a campaign to save one of the city’s iconic entertainment venues after concerns were raised last month about its potential sale.
The lease on the Hordern Pavilion is set to expire in 2021, and ideas have already been floated for an alternative sporting stadium, shopping area or hotel to take the place of the music venue. Last week, News Corp Australia claimed it had secured reports from the NSW government that revealed an agreement with Playbill Venues – the current lease-holder of the Hordern – for the submission of a tender to the Centennial and Moore Park Trust concerning the future of the site.
If the tender results in new tenants for Hordern Pavilion, they would reportedly hold charge of the venue for decades to come – from 2019 to 2046, according to unconfirmed reports.
Moore has responded to the perceived threat by launching a campaign called ‘Save Our Hordern’. The petition is intended to place pressure on the NSW state government to “protect the future of music and events at the Hordern Pavilion”.
“The Hordern Pavilion is a one-of-a-kind venue in Sydney – and it’s under threat,” says Moore.
“The Australian Financial Review has confirmed rumours the iconic venue (and the [adjacent] Royal Hall of Industries) is up for tender. Beyond 2021 – just four years away – its future as a live music venue is uncertain, and could be turned into offices for sports teams. This would be tragic.”
“At a time when we are reviewing our approach to nightlife in the city, it would be a tragedy if the government took a sledgehammer to a key venue with their plans to commercialise Moore Park,” Moore continued in a Twitter post.
Moore posted a written plea to save the Hordern Pavilion alongside a petition earlier this month. The public is invited to pledge their support here.
