Adelaide's Crown & Anchor Details Its New Temporary Home
"We’re taking everything you love about the Cranker and moving it to a venue with just as much history and soul."
Pelvis performing at the 'Save The Cranker' rally (Credit: Rachel Bradley / Small Soy Creative)
Adelaide’s historic Crown & Anchor hotel – affectionately dubbed “The Cranker” by locals – lives on, yesterday revealing details behind its new temporary home.
Last month, venue owners announced the sad news that the Crown & Anchor would temporarily close its doors in July of this year after the Singaporean real estate developer Wee Hur acquired the block on which it is located.
There was uncertainty about the venue’s future, but it will live on thanks to an incredible Save The Cranker campaign and negotiations between the South Australian government and Wee Hur. However, it has to close due to developments that shut down next-door spaces Roxie’s, Midnight Spaghetti, and Chateau Apollo.
Premier Peter Malinauskas announced last August that the government would propose “special-purpose legislation to secure the long-term future of the Crown And Anchor Hotel as a live music venue and provide ongoing protection for key live music pubs in the City of Adelaide against noise complaints from future residents.”
As the Cranker will be closed for 24 months, local music lovers need a new haunt that maintains the space’s spirit. That’s where the Ed Castle comes in.
Sharing the big news yesterday, Crown & Anchor’s Tom Skipper said, “After months of searching, fighting and pushing to keep live music alive, we finally have a new home — The Ed Castle.
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“We’re taking everything you love about the Cranker — the music, the people, the chaos, the Wednesday night specials — and moving it to a venue with just as much history and soul.”
The statement continued, “With the support of the South Australian Government, we’re making sure live music stays in the heart of the city while our original site is redeveloped.”
Like the Crown & Anchor, which recently celebrated its 171st birthday, the Ed Castle is packed with history and stories.
Skipper wrote, “The Ed Castle has been around since 1837, making it the longest continuously licensed pub in the CBD. Now, we’re bringing it back to life with everything that makes the Cranker special — and this time, we’ve got a full pub kitchen to add to the experience.
“We know change is big, but what makes the Cranker isn’t just a building — it’s all of you. Our staff, our musicians, our loyal punters. We’re not closing. We’re just temporarily moving… from the #Cranker, to the #Crastle.”
The Cranker’s location on Grenfell Street will close in late July, but the venue will re-open at Ed Castle on the following Wednesday, per Skipper’s statement. Punters won’t miss a beat.
Skipper concluded, “This is the next chapter. Let’s make it legendary.”
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