Sydney's Hordern Pavilion counts down to centenary events

With this year marking 100 years since Sydney’s The Hordern Pavilion first opened its doors, the historic venue is counting down to celebrating the anniversary of its opening on 2nd April 1924.

Considered a historic Sydney landmark and one of the most iconic live music venues in Australia, The Hordern has hosted some of the biggest names in music including Frank Sinatra, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Nirvana, Queen, Lorde, the Rolling Stones, Dua Lipa and Elton John.

Celebrating its centenary, the Hordern is still attracting accomplished and emerging artists from around the world. Canadian rock band Simple Plan and American rapper Macklemore are among the headline acts to feature in the centennial year, alongside chart topper Tate McRae and US rock acts Live and Incubus.

Explaining that The Hordern is an icon of Australia’s live music and entertainment scene and has brought many people together through music, art and events over many years, Michael Nebenzahl, Managing Director of the Playbill Group, which has managed the venue since 1999, advised “the Hordern has been a beloved part of the social and cultural fabric of the Sydney community for 100 years and continues to connect the community and the arts.”

Designed by Northern Sydney architecture firm Trenchard Smith & Maisey, The Hordern was built in 1924 to meet the needs of the increasingly popular Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Costing £45,000 to build on the grounds of the old Sydney Showground, the venue was named after Sir Samuel Hordern, then President of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.

Its design is in the Inter-War Academic Classical Style with rendered masonry featuring classical detailing inside and out, including fluted Doric columns, a parapet and an imposing vaulted roof with lantern tower.

The architecturally and socially-significant building has been used over the years for film premiers, gala dinners, sporting events and the Mardi Gras After Party as well as being used as a bulk store for the Army during the Second World War – remaining Sydney’s largest indoor venue until the opening of the now demolished Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1983.

While live music is synonymous with The Hordern, sport has also been a significant offering at the venue from when the first covered tennis courts in Australia were constructed in the venue in 1925.

In the 1970s, The Hordern underwent major renovations to convert it from an exhibition hall to a multi-purpose venue capable of hosting an even wider range of music and sporting events.

Subsequently the venue welcomed the Harlem Globetrotters (the American exhibition basketball team) in the 1970s and became a popular site for championship boxing events such as the International Boxing Federation world bantamweight title between Australia’s Jeff Fenech and Japan’s Satoshi Shuingaki in 1985.

In the mid to late 1980s, The Hordern was pivotal to the birth of Australia’s rave scene, becoming synonymous with the dance music movement and establishing Sydney as one of the party capitals of the world.

Over the years, The Hordern has undergone multiple renovations and modernisations while maintaining its historical essence. Most recently, new state-of-the-art seating was installed as part of a multi-million-dollar upgrade in 2022 to give it a maximum capacity of 5,500.

Showing no signs of slowing down as it reaches its centenary, The Hordern continues to be one of the most versatile and sought-after venues in Sydney for exhibitions, product launches, award evenings, charity functions, film shoots, and community and sporting events.

In 2022 and 2023, The Hordern hosted the prestigious ARIA Awards in partnership with YouTube and The Official ARIA Awards After Party. The venue also held the 2023 TikTok Awards, an electric celebration of Tik Tok content creators and viral trends.

A premier event destination and live performance powerhouse, The Hordern continues to make its mark on popular culture and remains as relevant today as it was 100 years ago.

Nebenzahl added “everyone has a story about their first concert at The Hordern, which only adds to the importance and significance of the venue.”

Images: The Hordern was officially opened on 2nd April 1924 by the Premier Sir George Fuller (top, credit: The Playbill Group), the venue in 1925 (middle, credit: RAS of NSW Heritage Centre) and hosting the ARIAS in 2023 (below, credit: Jordan Munns).