An iconic nightclub has announced its shock closure in yet another huge blow to Sydney’s dwindling nightlife scene.
For 17 years, The Argyle in The Rocks has been a popular party venue for late-night revelers.
New Year’s Eve coincides with the institute’s final night of trading in Sydney.
The nightclub launched a final countdown packed with “gigantic events” on Wednesday, starting with famed Australian DJ Havana Brown this weekend.
“For almost two decades we have been the backdrop to some of Sydney’s biggest and most epic nights,” the venue wrote.
“From local legends to international multi-platinum artists, we’ve partied with the best, and none of it would have been possible without you.”
“The party is far from over Sydney, and we can’t wait to party with you one last time!” it said.
The Argyle is one of 30 venues to close as part of a major shake-up by its owner, hospitality group Hunter St. Hospitality and Pacific Concepts.
The Argyle (pictured) announced on Wednesday evening it would close after 17 years in business in The Rocks, Sydney
The nightclub always had a strong line-up of DJs, attracting music lovers to the city club (pictured a DJ performing to a full crowd at The Argyle)
The hospitality group also owns other well-known venues such as Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sake and The Bavarian.
The company has shifted its focus to upscale restaurants instead of nightclubs since Frank Tucker took over as CEO.
“The 20 to 23-year-olds have been good for us,” Tucker told the Sydney Morning Herald in September.
Revelers were shocked to hear of The Argyle’s demise.
Many took the closure as a sign that Sydney’s nightlife was ‘dying out’.
The announcement of the impending closure in ‘weeks’ is a blow to Sydney’s nightlife (photo The Argyle nightclub)
‘First it was Marquee, now Argyle. “Sydney’s nightlife is slowly but surely dying,” one person wrote.
Another added: ‘All the nightclubs leave from Sydney, that’s why the nightlife is so bad these days, because even Kings Cross isn’t even what it used to be.’
A third wrote: ‘It’s becoming increasingly difficult to go out to a good club since we lost the Cross. Now we’re losing Argyle and I don’t know how many more people we can handle?’
Other Sydneysiders said they were “heartbroken” by the news and thanked the nightclub “for all the great times”.
The closure of the Argyle is just one of many Sydney entertainment venues that have closed in recent years.
Many blamed the NSW government’s strict CBD exclusion laws from 2014 to 2020 for destroying the city’s once vibrant nightlife.
The sector has been hit again by the effects of Covid and now by the high cost of living and inflation, making it difficult for many nightclubs to survive.
Closures in recent years include Marquee and the world-famous Frankie’s Pizza in 2022, and The Carter Sydney earlier this year.