ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour’s new multi-venue theatre and exhibition precinct, hosts its first concert this week.
Keith Urban’s show on Wednesday at the ICC Sydney Theatre marks the first official event in the 8,000-seat room, which replaces the demolished Sydney Entertainment Centre as the CBD’s largest live music venue. The ‘Ent Cent’ was licensed to hold over 13,000 patrons at one time. Here’s what to expect from the futuristic-looking new ICC Sydney.
STANDING ROOM
In general admission mode, the floor level seating can be retracted to increase the capacity to 9,000 people (with standing room for 2,000) – fitting in 3,500 more punters than the 5,500 capacity Hordern Pavilion – while the ICC Sydney Theatre can also be scaled down to fit 5,000 people.
SOUND AND VISION
While time will tell just how this theatre-style venue will handle the enormous decibel levels put out by the louder artists, the ICC website promises that every seat in the house has an unobstructed view of the stage.
SISTER VENUES
The 9,000-capacity venue isn’t the only new room to open at Darling Harbour, with the International Convention Centre site also featuring two more music-friendly theatres: the 2,500-seater Darling Harbour Theatre, located closer to the harbour side of the complex, and the 1,000-capacity Pyrmont Theatre.
UPCOMING GIGS
The ICC Sydney Theatre calendar is already filling up with shows for the remainder of 2016 and 2017, with tickets on sale for the likes of Keith Urban, Pure Gold Live, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, James Taylor, Human Nature, Don Henley, Jessica Mauboy and Jerry Seinfeld.
Meanwhile, the smaller Darling Harbour Theatre will play host to Puscifer on Wednesday January 25.
One thing’s for sure: soon enough the reviews will be in, and we’ll know whether Sydney has a satisfactory replacement for the old Ent Cent and a new home for the biggest gigs in town.
Too small? Too big? Not enough floor space? Or just right? Let us know what you think of the new ICC in the comments below.
