Dark Gladfo

Overview

The Lord Gladstone is no stranger to a rebrand. In 2021, it renamed itself The Lord Jabstone and gave out free beers to encourage Sydneysiders to get vaccinated. And earlier this year, the beloved pub pushed against the NSW Government's policing of live music compared to religious congregations, rebranding as a church and naming itself The Gladsong Hotel.

The latest iteration of the Chippendale stalwart takes inspiration from Tasmania's Dark Mofo festival, slapping the name Dark Gladfo onto the venue for a free three-day music and art festival across the venue's many spaces. Between Friday, July 15 and Sunday, July 17, an array of events and activations will be popping up at different spaces of The Glady in collaboration with the likes of Goodspace Gallery, Atomic Brewing and Doom Juice Wines.

The Goodspace Gallery will be running a full-venue takeover throughout the festival. Each day the pub will take on a new theme and will be given a fresh artistic transformation complete with light installations from Teresa Mackay.

On Friday night, live music will be the centrepiece of the activation, with bands and DJs performing across the ground and upper floor. A secret headliner has been locked in to perform in the front bar which The Lord Gladstone bills as "a globally renowned act [performing] for an intimate crowd for the first and last time in a long time".

As the weekend unfolds there will be a pub rave from Doom Juice with music, burlesque performances, projections and, possibly best of all, $6.66 glasses of natural wine. And, those that are looking for a more refined experience can attend the Dark Arts live drawing class, sketch comedy performances or the Glady Jazz Fest which will be closing out the festival on the Sunday.

Redfern's Atomic Brewing is also chipping in by creating a limited edition Dark Gladfo Ale that's being brewed just down the road. Beer-lovers can head to the venues at any point throughout the weekend to try the one-off beer.