Carriageworks planning 5,000-seat live venue

Sydney’s Carriageworks will release a six-year strategy that will see it host music concerts and festivals in a 5000-seat live music venue.

The multi-arts centre’s ’Six-Year Strategy 2016-2021’ report won’t be made public until April. However details were published today by Sydney Morning Herald.

Under a $50-$60 million redevelopment plan the centre at the historic Eveleigh Rail Yards will also boast a 200-seat cinema and bars and restaurants.

The live music space will take up 6000 square metres of Bays 22-24 and will come complete with blackout capacity and climate control. It will apparently be used by artists 30% of the time, with 70% left for “commercial utilisation”. 

This year Carriageworks for the first time presented the 2016 K-Pop Party on February 5 and 6. The event was hosted in partnership with City of Sydney and SBS Pop Asia. It’s believed Carriageworks plans to host more Asian pop concerts, along with festivals and high profile acts.

Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah is seeking both government and private funding for the expansion.

Sydney Morning Herald reports an expanded artistic program will attract 2 million visitors and earn $15 million annually by 2021. 

In 2007, the NSW Government redeveloped the Carriageworks site, following the $15 million purchase of the historic building. Arts NSW committed an additional $49 million to develop the former railyard building and following a five-year strategy, it was able to double its audience each year. In 2014 more than 500,000 people attended the space, last year its audience grew to 790,000.