Overview
After five wildly successful summers of cocktail jugs, house music and deckchair lounging, The Island Bar is packing up shop on Cockatoo Island. Set to serve its last drink on February 29, Marco Faraone and Mike Edkins's award-winning bar will be relocating to a new Sydney venue with all the trimmings — astroturf, shipping containers, pizza ovens and all.
Faraone and Edkins have not renewed their lease with Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, after "difficulties coming to an agreement" according to the pair. Instead, they're calling it quits on the iconic Sydney Harbour location. "When we opened The Island Bar, we were the first to bring the shipping container pop up concept to Sydney and make it a reality," says Edkins. "Now, after five years of establishing the bar as one of the must-go destinations in Sydney for great drinks, food and good times right on the harbour, it’s time for something new."
Accessible only by boat on Cockatoo Island, The Island Bar has seen a whopping 350,000 visitors since launching in December 2010 — making it the longest-running Sydney pop-up of its kind to date.
The Island Bar team will be announcing the venue's new location in the coming weeks, and it'll be installed and up and running by next summer. Head out to Cockatoo Island before the end of February to drink in one of Sydney's most picturesque pop-ups while you can.
Images: The Island Bar.