Sydney nightclub raided days after liquor licence suspended
An unlicensed high-end Sydney nightclub has been raided by police, uncovering hundreds of bottles of alcohol brazenly served without approval — despite the venue’s liquor licence being suspended days earlier.
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An unlicensed high-end nightclub operating in the heart of Sydney’s CBD has been raided by police, uncovering hundreds of bottles of alcohol brazenly served without approval — despite the venue’s liquor licence being suspended days earlier.
While the owners insist it was merely an “administrative oversight,” the police response appeared aimed at sending a strong message to venues trading without a license.
The Daily Telegraph was on the scene Wednesday morning when Riot squad officers stormed Song of Eve cocktail bar, owned by financier Conrad Song, executing a search warrant and seizing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of alcohol.
The haul included premium alcohol products such as Dom Perignon champagne worth $750 a bottle and Don Julio tequila priced at $700, along with a 20-litre drum of generic vodka.
The luxury venue’s licence was suspended on June 26 after it failed to pay a renewal fee, however by Saturday night police were tipped off that the bar was still trading without a licence.
Just after 12.30am Sunday, officers shut it down — finding an estimated 380 patrons inside, despite the venue’s development consent allowing a maximum of just 100 people including staff.
The Song of Eve website advertises VIP packages worth up to $5,000, offering a three-litre bottle of vodka, champagne, tequila and a dedicated waitress.
A spokesperson for Song of Eve said, “The licence renewal was overdue by one day – an administrative oversight that would be rectified.”
“We are co-operating closely with authorities to ensure ongoing compliance with its licensing conditions.”
“We have also engaged with licensing specialist solicitors to review the matter as it was a one day overdue renewal.”
The bar’s alleged owner, 32-year-old Conrad Song, was arrested and charged with eight offences, including, selling liquor without a licence, operating unlicensed premises, employing unlicensed security, failing to produce licence on request, exceeding venue capacity and failing to comply with DA conditions. He was granted bail and is due in court later this month.
Mr Song is also the founder and director of investment firm Maqro Capital, one of Australia’s “leading investment and advisory companies.”
If convicted, he faces penalties of up to $57,500 and 12 months imprisonment.
Chair of the Sydney City Liquor Accord, Steven Speed, insisted the “rogue” venue was an outlier.
“The process for obtaining a liquor licence exists for a reason,” he said.
“This operator was warned and chose to keep trading — that’s simply unacceptable.
“This one rogue venue is not reflective of other hoteliers in Sydney or NSW. Licensing police are active in the CBD — this is rare for our area.”
Sydney City Police Area Commander, Superintendent Martin Fileman, said NSW Police will “not tolerate licensed premises operating illegally”.
Originally published as Sydney nightclub raided days after liquor licence suspended