Enjoy great southern nights in Hollywood Quarter 

Sydney’s sizzling new precinct, Hollywood Quarter, is going to fully combust on March 23 when it hosts the Great Southern Nights Gig Trail. Follow the sights, sounds, and scents through the streets of Surry Hills as pubs, club, cafes, restaurants, and street vendors and performers fill the entire zone with festivity.Hollywood Quarter is a thriving destination in a completely transformed area of Surry Hills. The once desolate industrial wasteland bordered by Wentworth Ave, Commonwealth, Campbell, and Riley Streets has been given a total make-over. It’s now a vibrant dining and entertainment district that has hung onto its nostalgic charm while boasting a modern, snazzy new aesthetic.

The Great Southern Nights Gig Trail will take visitors on a taste, hear and see discovery tour through the bustling laneways and landscaped streets to experience European-style indoor/outdoor dining. Incredible live music across a range of genres will be performed in many different venues and on the streets.

“Activating the much-loved venues and streets of Sydney’s Hollywood Quarter will create a vibrant musical haven in the heart of Surry Hills,” said John Graham, Minister for the Arts /Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy/ Minister for Jobs and Tourism. 

“Through programs like Great Southern Nights we are invigorating precincts to deliver world-class cultural experiences that showcase NSW’s creative sector and give businesses the confidence to invest. We want to see music, entertainment and culture out on the footpaths, creating energy and encouraging people to embrace our nightlife.” Some of the city’s most popular and well-rated establishments are in HQ including Ace Hotel Sydney, The Soda Factory, Alberto’s Lounge, The Burdekin, Golden Age Cinema & Bar, Hollywood Hotel, Hotel Harry, Butter and Paramount House Hotel. They will all be offering delicious, bespoke menus along with outstanding live gigs. 

Here’s the day’s music program: 

Ace Hotel Sydney (6pm-12am) Charlie Villas and Fried Pork Chop

Alberto’s Lounge (lunch) Fritto Disco Speciale starring Kirin J Callinan

Burdekin Hotel (7-10pm) Kingdom Calm ft Burkina Flats & Bakura

Butter (9pm-12am) Cherryrype, Grebel, Izzybops, LXGCY 

Golden Age Cinema & Bar (10pm-1am) Tasman Keith Harry’s (7pm-3am) Refuge Recording presents SilverStix 

Hollywood Hotel (7pm-1am) The Zoe K Experience (New Orleans Edition) 

Paramount House Hotel  (5-8pm) Jono Ma 

Soda Factory (7pm-4am) Soda’s House of Fun ft DJ Nino Brown & Friends 

Music Curator Trevor Brown, drawing from experiences playing in Italy, France and Eastern Europe, says you can expect to find music in surprising places. 

“Get ready to explore the back alleys, nooks and crannies of the Hollywood Precinct.”

The musicians  around Foster and Commonwealth St will be playing rich, cultural, street music from Europe, South America  and Africa. 

“Think Moroccan, New Orleans jazz, Haitian, French, Italian, African music blends. Expect us to mix and match with unexpected combinations, and some exciting musical processions.” says Brown.

TROUBADOURS

Trevor Brown – Baritone Sax/Clarinet

Adam Burrell – Trumpet

Nick Wishart – Alto Sax

Mary Hart – Cello/Bass

Ben Fink Banjo/Guitar

Phillipe Wittwer – Accordion

Rob Laurie – Drums/Percussion

In amongst it all, in crevices, on mounds, and scattered throughout and beyond the precinct will be a broad, diverse range of buskers eager to test their talents in front of potential new fans. 

Great Southern Nights is a NSW Government and ARIA initiative that promotes live music in venues all over the state. The Uptown Program was created by NSW Government to help define village-like business communities and support them in building their entertainment and night- time economies. 

“The partnership between Hollywood Quarter and Great Southern Nights is an excellent example of how Uptown districts can activate larger events to amplify live music, increase patronage and enhance their precinct’s night-time economy,” said NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues. 

“This is the first time the festival has partnered with an Uptown precinct, and I look forward to seeing Hollywood Quarter transformed into a live music destination as they put their district on the map for locals and visitors across Sydney and beyond, with nine venues hosting events and roving entertainment throughout the night.” 

Hollywood Quarter is set to become one of Sydney’s unhidden gems, with its eclectic architecture, loads of history, and cool, urban atmosphere. It’s easily accessible by public transport and is on the doorstep to many other locations and attractions in the city.
Great Southern Nights is the ideal way to come and experience this fabulous precinct. Crawl the pubs and restaurants, imbibe the vibe, get a feel for neighbourhood. 

(Just some of the) FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS 

Alberto’s: Lunch special, 2 course + wine $45. 12-5pm (all day!) featuring special guest songman Kirin J Callinan.

Beau: Snacks on Fracks 4pm to 6pm. Enjoy Happy Hour perched at the bar or in the laneway.

Butter: 3 Crispy Chicken Wings & Tiger Beer $20

Gilda’s: Open from 5.30pm for a pre-show meal. Or a drink with snacks. Walk-ins welcome!

Kiln: Late night snack menu plus DJ tunes to entertain you.Up on 18th floor with views for miles.

Nel Restaurant: Join Nelly on a delicious Australian degustation journey.

Pellegrino 2000 : Dine al-fresco, be entertained by the troubadours, and be transported to Italy!

Poly: “Apolytivo” delicious drinks and food at ‘happy hour’ prices! Only on Saturday 23rd. From 5-6pm.

The Rover: Happy Hour from 4-6pm, $2 Oysters, $6 Beers, $6 G&Ts, $10 Wine, and a $14 Spritz. Dinner reservations from 5pm.

Nomad: Feast al-fresco and be entertained by the troubadours. Book an outside table now.

Tio’s: Cold beer, colder margaritas and hot popcorn. Plus $12 Margarita Specials (till sold out). 

Hollywood in the Hills 

The naming of the Hollywood Quarter precinct pays homage to the cinematic connection in Surry Hills history. The Paramount House building in Commonwealth St was purpose built in 1940 to be the 

Australian headquarters of American movie studio, Paramount Pictures. With various film-related businesses in the surrounding streets, this part of Surry Hills came to be known as Little Hollywood.
The building is in the Inter-War Functionalist style, which, to non- architects, has features that harken back to art deco. There are several distinctive hotels and pubs in the city that conform to this style. 

The Paramount House building has a curved frontage with large pale amber tiled facade and now functions as a multi-purpose venue. It houses the retro Golden Age independent cinema, a favourite among film buffs, and Paramount Coffee Project cafe, as well as bar and event areas. 

Backing onto this building in what used to be the film storage warehouse, is the recently completed Paramount House Hotel, a beautiful boutique hotel. The wedge shaped, rustic brick structure features a stunning copper-clad crown around the roof. 

Around the corner, also in the Inter-War Functionalist style, is the Hotel Hollywood. Built around 1940, this building was originally called the Nevada Hotel but was renamed because of its proximity to the Little Hollywood district. The hotel was purchased by Australian actress, Doris Goddard, in 1978. Born in Sydney in 1930, Goddard travelled to Hollywood, LA and made several movies, playing small parts against big names. 

When she returned and bought the Hotel Hollywood, she injected some credence into the name by becoming a singing publican and local identity. After her death in 2019, a shadow hovered over the future of the hotel, but thankfully the new owners decided to keep the building and return it to its former glory. 

For full details visit: www.hqsydney.com