Police called as St Andrew’s College students feud with double-booked DJ at Lansdowne Hotel

An investigation is underway at one of the University of Sydney’s prestigious residential colleges into an alleged after-party ‘incident’ with racial overtones at the Lansdowne Hotel that later saw police called to the venue.

Music and culture festival South by Southwest Sydney had hit out at students from one of the University of Sydney’s prestigious residential colleges amid an after-party “incident” at the Lansdowne Hotel that forced police to step in.

Students at St Andrew’s College were kicking on after their end-of-year formal on Friday October 18 at the late night live music venue in Chippendale when an altercation occurred between the group, an international DJ and her fans, with reports racial slurs were used.

The feud began after staff at the Lansdowne Hotel allowed College students to enter the venue despite having double-booked their party with artists performing as part of the SXSW Sydney festival.

Confined to the rooftop bar for half an hour due to the scheduling conflict, by midnight the uni students were brought downstairs to Level 1 where they clashed with the artist performing, the crowd, and SXSW staff.

SXSW Sydney said it was taking the matter “very seriously” having “received multiple reports from those affected” attesting to the College students’ “aggressive behaviour”.

File image: Yung Raja performs at Tumbalong Park at SXSW Sydney 2024 on October 20. The music festival element of the event had a line-up of dozens of artists across multiple venues. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney

“SXSW Sydney held the exclusive venue hire for the duration of the event and had specifically denied the Lansdowne’s request to hold a concurrent event on Friday the 18th October,” a spokeswoman said.

“Despite this, the venue proceeded with the booking.”

The Lansdowne Hotel in Chippendale sits opposite the University of Sydney.

The spokeswoman said St Andrews’ students were “not invited to partipate” in any of the sets on the lineup for the ticketed event.

“Disregarding the private SXSW Sydney event, the students proceeded to enter the space where the artist was performing, making many in attendance at the time feel unsafe with the students’ verbal insults and aggressive behaviour,” she said.

“We do not condone and we condemn any form of racial vilification.

“The safety of our artists, guests and the public are our top priority and we do not condone the behaviour of the individuals involved from St Andrews College.”

Clara Benin performs at The Lansdowne Hotel at SXSW Sydney on October 17, 2024 - one day prior to a clash between artists and College students at the same venue. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney

In a statement, St Andrew’s College “categorically” rejected claims its students racially abused the overseas musicians and instead accused the SXSW crowd of making “racial observations” about one of the College’s own Indigenous students.

“St Andrew’s College students had booked a venue room in good faith and were advised on arrival by the Lansdowne Hotel that they had double-booked it in error,” the College said.

“While disappointed, the College students offered to delay their function to allow the previous musicians to complete their set.

“After being advised by Lansdowne Hotel staff that they could enter the relevant area after 11:50pm, students were confronted by angry crowd members.”

An altercation allegedly occured between St Andrew’s College students, an international DJ and her fans, with racial epithets allegedly thrown. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Police were called to the Lansdowne at 1:20AM on Saturday morning by the venue itself in response to overcrowding, with officers intervening to disperse the crowd. However, no arrests were made or further action taken.

“Based upon what we know so far, we absolutely and categorically reject allegations made by the overseas musicians that racial abuse was made against them by St Andrew’s College students,” the College said.

“Indeed, we have been advised that racial observations were made against an Indigenous Australian St Andrew’s student by members of the other group, which we find utterly unacceptable.

“We will defend our College members against racial vilification, including against our Australian Indigenous students.”

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St Andrew's College is one of the University of Sydney’s historic and expensive residential colleges.

Meanwhile the College’s senior student leader has “strongly advised” peers against talking to the media about the incident – and even discussing it between each other while on the main university campus – while the matter is being investigated.

“As some of you may already be aware, an incident occurred on Friday night at the Landsdowne (sic) during our Formal Afters,” an announcement read.

“We are currently investigating the situation with our staff, students, the Landsdowne (sic) and other relevant people.”

The post reminding St Andrew’s students to avoid speaking to the media about the incident.

The post also warned students against comments being “taken out of context” and urged members of the College to “please respect the process”.

“Whilst you are free to engage and speak with the media if you wish, I want to strongly advise caution in doing so. Even the most well-intended comments can be misrepresented or taken out of context,” the post read.

“This same holds for in-person conversations … or social media communication on Snapchat, etc: things said between friends can sometimes be used by others in ways not originally intended.

“In a situation as sensitive as this, it’s best to be very careful about what is said.”

The alleged incident occurred after an end-of-year formal. Picture: Rob Wright / The Coffs Coast Advocate

A spokeswoman for the University of Sydney confirmed the uni had been made aware of the incident and was working with the independently-run College to resolve the matter.

“We were made aware of an incident at the Lansdowne Hotel on the weekend, a situation that we understand was the result of miscommunication following a double booking of the venue,” she said.

“We take all reports extremely seriously, and work closely with our affiliated colleges when issues arise to appropriately manage and resolve them with the welfare of our students our first priority.”

The Lansdowne Hotel has been contacted for comment.

Established in 1867, St Andrew’s College is one of the University of Sydney’s six exclusive, historic residential colleges and charges fees up to $21,500 per semester.

The 157-year-old institution has housed both male and female students since 2002 but it, alongside other university colleges, became the subject of intense criticism after misogynistic and abusive hazing rituals were revealed in End Rape on Campus Australia’ 2018 Red Zone Report.

It compiled dozens of allegations including that St Andrew’s College students had a tradition of publicly shaming students by detailing sexual exploits over the college’s loudspeakers, hosting drinking competitions in which students were encouraged to vomit on “chunder markers” to gain their “Bachelor of Inebriation”, and male students masturbating into shampoo bottles belonging to their female peers.

The College subsequently committed to a “cultural renewal” including a zero-tolerance approach “to hazing and sexual misconduct, harmful alcohol use, harassment and damage to property”.

Originally published as Police called as St Andrew’s College students feud with double-booked DJ at Lansdowne Hotel