If your Friday night plans involve music and dance, you’ll want to take note that pubs, bars and clubs across Sydney are turning off the music, albeit for a tiny bit. The reason? To send a reminder of what the city’s nightlife is like without music, entertainment and fun. Not that we needed reminding. Syndey’s nightlife has been a hotly debated topic for a number of years but it’s a bold statement nonetheless to remind the powers that be of just how critical music and entertainment are.
At 9.30pm on Friday, March 24, a number of iconic venues in Sydney including The Abercrombie, The Marly, Stitch Bar and Earl’s Juke Joint will shut the music off for five minutes.
Kickstarted by the Night Time Industries Association and Independent Bars Association, the initiative seeks to highlight just what would happen if the music stops.
“Without the nighttime sector, the vibrancy and excitement in NSW will totally disappear. There’s been great progress to improve Sydney’s nightlife but we can’t throw our hands in the air and say, ‘job done’,” Night Time Industries Association CEO Mick Gibb said in a statement.
“If we don’t have a world-class nightlife offering we won’t be a world-class city where skilled workers want to come and live. Pretty harbours and beautiful beaches only get you so far, you need a cultural offering and live music to match,” he added.
“This initiative isn’t about telling people who to vote for. It’s about making a clear statement that the night matters and that live music matters by supporting the Vote Music campaign.”
Although the city’s nighttime economy has made strides in breathing fresh life into our nighttime industries, the perception of Sydney’s nightlife culture remains pretty dismal. Events like Vivid Sydney, WorldPride and outdoor dining initiatives have been instrumental in getting the good vibes rolling in in recent times. Here’s hoping for more – let’s make Sydney great again!