Sydney Jazz Venue Foundry616 Announces Its Closure

12 years after they first opened their doors, the owners of Sydney jazz club Foundry616 have announced that the venue is set to close at the end of the month.

Owners Peter and Elizabeth Rechniewski announced the news via social media last week, revealing that Foundry616 would not be operating into July. “Despite considerable effort, Foundry616 has struggled to cope effectively in the very challenging post-Covid trading environment,” they explained.”

Having first opened its doors in 2013, Foundry616 swiftly became a vital hub for the Sydney jazz scene, serving as one of the few venues dedicated to the genre, with many local and international acts gracing its hallowed stage.

“Since opening, Foundry616 has presented almost all of Sydney's leading jazz musicians and many promising ones whose careers were about to blossom,” the Rechniewskis explained. “We were also unique in bringing to Sydney many musicians from interstate and overseas.”

Additionally, Foundry616 also served as the “the principal venue for the Sydney International Women's Jazz Festival” from 2013 to 2019.

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Of course, the venue was almost certain to have been a solid favourite of the city’s jazz scene, with Peter Rechniewski having served as one of the founders of the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA), and spent the past four decades serving as a jazz broadcaster and a consultant to many local arts festivals.

“We would also like to thank our staff (past and present) for their work and dedication, and extend such thanks to you, our patrons, who loved and supported Foundry616 for so many years,” the social post concluded.

“Please join us for our final shows this month as we celebrate the incredible journey we’ve shared one last time.”

Foundry616 currently has shows scheduled until June 28, with performances from the likes of Matt McMahon Quartet, Danielle De Andrea, and The Anna Weaving Collective set to fill its final days. Tickets to their final shows are on sale now.