Plans to build new indoor arena for music, theatre and sports at Entertainment Quarter

Music and business leaders have backed the call for Sydney to have a new venue and turn Moore Park Entertainment Quarter into one of the live music capitals of the world.

Music and business leaders have backed the call for Sydney to have a new venue and turn Moore Park Entertainment Quarter into one of the live music capitals of the world.

The Sunday Telegraph recently revealed that major US touring companies and Entertainment Quarter officials held talks over the need for Sydney to have a fully enclosed arena to fill a void for a mid-sized performance and sporting space.

The Entertainment Quarter already has the Hordern Pavilion, but that venue only has capacity for 5500, while the nearby Allianz Stadium requires 45,000 people to make an event viable.

Dean Ormston, chief executive officer of APRA AMCOS, a music rights management organisation, said the precinct had potential to be “one of the great music hubs”.

“NSW is already investing significantly in our role as a creative hub but, after years of over-regulation, we lack the live music infrastructure to really capitalise on the amazing music talent coming out of the nation,” he said. “Not only could EQ host great local and international acts, it could also house a music development hub for songwriting, producing and recording – and become the engine room of the Australian music industry.”

Tony Shepherd at Moore Park Entertainment Quarter. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Sydney recently hosted the SXSW festival, the first time it had been held outside of Austin, Texas, which is also known as one of the great live music capitals of the world.

Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou said the precinct could also become the “West End” that Arts Minister John Graham declared Sydney needed.

“Here is a private group, willing to spend their own money to build world-class facility smack bang in the middle of Sydney,” he said.

“The precinct could become a West End with a fully enclosed arena able to host bigger productions such as ABBA Voyage.”

As it stood, the precinct had become “tired” and “past its use-by date”, he said.

It is understood the venue — to be built on the site would also be used by sporting and theatre events as part of a broader overhaul of the site.

New Entertainment Quarter chairman Tony Shepherd recently revealed how discussions with the state government were ongoing to extend the lease and clear the way for $2 billion of investment in the old Easter Show site.

Part of that proposed development —— the plans of which are being kept closely under wraps — included “a new multipurpose, fully enclosed arena”, he said at the time.

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