The Pickled Possum Neutral Bay reopening with new owners

Warm up your vocal chords and dust off your dancing shoes because one of Sydney’s most iconic karaoke bars is set to reopen – and there have been some big changes.

It’s been a long time between drinks, but after almost 18 months one of the Sydney’s most iconic karaoke bars and nightclubs is set to reopen its doors.

Punters from far and wide will be able to strut the dancefloor and belt out their finest tunes when the wildly popular Pickled Possum in Neutral Bay relaunches on Thursday.

The reopening comes after long-term owners John Oseckas and Margurite Smith decided to call last drinks on the venue due to Covid restrictions last year.

The Military Rd venue looks nothing flash from the outside.

Under the new ownership of a north shore businessman – who goes by the name ‘Possum Bob’, the venue has undergone a major facelift including the addition of state-of-the-art karaoke facilities, sound upgrades, and new microphones.

Bob said he was excited to relaunch the venue, loved by many for its vintage and unassuming vibes.

“I’m a north shore boy and when I saw it for sale I wanted to preserve it because it’s such an institution – in Sydney we’ve lost too many of these places to redevelopment,” he said.

A sneak peak inside the new venue – complete with the eskys at the bar.

“While I’ve been renovating, a lot of the old regulars have popped in – I’ve had a bus driver who said he met his wife here, some say they met a stranger who loved them here. One bloke said ‘I’ve done my best work there’ – silly things like that.

The Pickled Possum is a north shore institution

“So many people have a connection to it and it’s great to be able to take it to the next level.

“It’s a place you can get down and dirty – it’s a fun place – and a lot of regulars over the years have been merchant bankers and business people but they can come here and be themselves.”

The venue was closed last year.

The Pickled Possum first opened its doors in 1981 and over its 40 year history became renowned for its sticky carpet, mirrored walls and dingy decor such as stacked milk crates holding up the main singing stage.

Most of the refurbishments relate to rewiring, the addition of a new sound system and other touches to meet safety standards.

“We spent a good three months refurbishing it but I was very aware I didn’t want it to lose any of its original feel – we still have the eskys on the bar, probably the only thing people will notice is we’ve replaced the sticky carpets,” Bob said.

“They needed replacing.

A photo of the renovated venue.

“We’ve also put in a new digital karaoke platform called Singa – we’re the first in Sydney to use that – and you can pick from one of 90,000 songs to sing. It’s a hell of a database.

“If you live in the local area you can download the app on your phone, practice at home, then punch in the song and head over to the venue and the song will move up the queue until you get there.”

The relaunch will see the venue operate on extended hours from 6pm to 2am from Wednesday through to Sunday.

Sunday sessions are also planned as Open Mic nights, comedy nights will be staged on Wednesday and group functions can be booked on Monday and Tuesdays.

As well as being loved by locals, the venue has also attracted some big names over the decades with Billy Joel, Janet Jackson and Hugh Jackman among those who have taken to the mic.

The club also boasts its own fan club called Pickled Possum Appreciation Society where generations of punters reminisce on the good old times.

Possum Bob said there are plans to run music programs during the day to open up the venue to more generations of Sydneysiders.

“Quite frankly singing is such a good therapy and we’re looking at ways of expanding that – possibly running singing lessons during the day,” he said.