The Abercrombie Is Reopening in December with a New Set of Dance Floors and a 24-Hour License

To kick off the revival of this storied venue, Solotel is throwing a 36-hour party from 5pm Friday until 5am Christmas Day.
Ben Hansen
November 29, 2022

The Abercrombie is back! The storied corner pub and haven of electronic music is reopening in December thanks to Solotel who will be reviving the Ultimo venue, reintroducing its packed dance floors and 24-hour license to Sydney's nightlife.

Mark Friday, December 23 in your diaries, as that's the date the pub will swing open its doors and kick things off in true Abercrombie fashion with a 36-hour-long party that will stretch from 5pm on the Friday all the way until 5am on Christmas Day morning.

"There's a strong sense of responsibility reopening the Abercrombie given that formative memories of generations of Sydney partiers, including myself, were forged here," Solotel CEO Elliot Solomon says. "We're ecstatic to welcome back some of the OG club crews like Purple Sneakers. We're also very aware that there's a generation of kids who haven't been able to experience those heady clubbing days in Sydney, for various reasons. This new era for The Abercrombie is focused on helping to redefine the fabric of Sydney's nightlife as well as provide a platform for the next generation of party crews and clubbers to create their own culture-defining experiences."

Elliot Solomon, Zoe Simmons and Mike Rodrigues

The expansive space will boast three mini-venues within the overarching title of The Abercrombie. The main bar and beer garden will play home to regular events hosted by some of the best tastemakers and party crews from around Sydney, Australia and the world. When the beats aren't firing, this area will serve as a friendly neighbourhood haunt with beers and cocktails on tap, pizza by the slice and Italian mains for those that may get peckish.

Head upstairs and you'll discover a sleek cocktail lounge and rooftop bar called Casa Rosa. The food here draws from the Mediterranean and the DJs will be spinning Italo-disco classics until the early hours of the morning.

Rounding out the trio of offerings is Lil Sis. This final piece of the puzzle is located in the adjoining terraces next to the pub. Here you'll find a cosy wine bar serving up classic drops and new-world, minimal-intervention wines, both of which can be enjoyed on-site or be taken away.

Mike Who

All three venues will open on December 23, with Solotel and the Abercrombie team pulling together a who's-who of party people for the massive opening party that will set the stage for a bumper summer on Broadway. Just a few of the names making appearances across the bar's first 36 hours include Astral People DJs, dameeeela, Andy Garvey, Mike Who, Nomad Radio, Pure Space, Lovejoy, Ayebatonye and original regulars of the space back in its previous lifetime, Purple Sneakers DJs.

Following this, you can expect a full run of events taking over the venue between Boxing Day and New Year's Day with the likes of House of Mince serving up the party on the day after Christmas, and Motorik closing out the year with a secret international headliner on New Year's Eve.

Following its closure in 2014, Solotel purchased the venue in 2016 and has been working with H&E Architects (Barangaroo House, Chiswick) and Michael Delany (Cafe FredasClub 77Piccolo Bar and SHADES) to revamp the beloved bar and nightclub. Inside, the 100-year-old pub tiles have been restored, a world-class Funktion-One speaker system has been installed alongside LED lights from Babekuhl, and a DJ pyramid stage has been erected. This centrepiece stage can be used for pub-style seating, nightclub-style dancing podiums or to accommodate live music.

Head to the Solotel website to stay up to date with all of the upcoming events in-store for The Abercrombie.

dameeeela

The Abercrombie will reopen at 100 Broadway, Chippendale on Friday, December 23. It will be open 10am–2am Monday–Tuesday, 10am–3am Wednesday–Thursday and Sunday, and 10am–5am Friday–Saturday, plus 24 hours for special events.

Published on November 29, 2022 by Ben Hansen
Tap and select Add to Home Screen to access Concrete Playground easily next time. x