Tick of approval for upping the volume at iconic venue
Concerts at one of Australia’s most famous landmarks are about to get even louder, and a prominent concertgoer is throwing his weight behind the move.
With the removal of capacity limits at the Sydney Opera House, the soundstage for late-night concerts on the dockside forecourt will be upgraded to match the settings for daytime concerts.
NSW ministers described the adjustments as common sense and said noise restrictions would no longer be set by residents of the nearby luxury apartment ‘Toaster’, where residents regularly complain about noise.
The Opera House, in particular, was fined $15,000 after residents complained about the intensity of Florence and The Machine’s performance in 2015.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who describes himself as a music lover, said he spotted British band and American rockers The Pixies in the forecourt.
“I am a member of the entertainment group,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“The Opera House is an asset that needs to be maximized.
“We should use it, and it should bring both economic activity and joy to people going to concerts, plays or other events being held.”
This is not a new issue. In 2016 Crowded House frontman Neil Finn mocked complaining residents throughout a series of appearances, including encouraging the crowd to wake up Toaster’s most famous resident, conservative broadcaster Alan Jones.
“Over the decades it has become a sport in Sydney to move next door to a bar and then campaign to close it,” Arts and Night Economy Minister John Graham said.
“We are putting an end to this and the same approach needs to apply to the world’s greatest performance venue.
“The Sydney Opera House is home for everyone and these changes ensure the experience matches the epic setting.”
The state government has also increased the maximum capacity for large events on the forecourt from 6000 to 7000 people.
Event hours for every day of the week have also been removed.
Renowned Australian singer-songwriter Dan Sultan says it’s hard to summarize how much his headline shows on the Opera House forecourt mean to him.
“It was the largest crowd for one of my own concerts at the time; it was the best concert my band had ever played and performed at,” he said.
“This is truly a bucket list show for any artist anywhere in the world.”
Other tweaks include allowing community facilities like city halls to host pop-up events without development applications and allowing commercial buildings and parking lots to more easily hold live music events.
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