The End Of An Era: Another Iconic Sydney Rock Venue Is Set To Be Demolished

Frequently lauded as one of Sydney's favourite live music venues, the iconic walls of Selina's in the Coogee Bay Hotel are set to be demolished.

Earlier in the week, The Daily Telegraph reported that the stalwart venue, and potentially much of the surrounding pub, is facing demolishment, pending the local council's approval of a proposed $111million development.

A true fixture of the Sydney live music scene for decades, Selina's has previously played host to the likes of David Bowie, The Killers, Cold Chisel, Nirvana, Midnight Oil's 2017 return to touring - and even a wholesome marriage proposal in 2019 during a set from The Preatures.

Boasting a large, purpose-built venue with a generous stage and mezzanine level for larger shows, Selina's was once the quintessential go-to for the rock'n'roll scene. And since attaining the status of being the largest and most successful of the mid-'70s Sydney trend of transforming hotels in large suburban areas into entertainment havens for live and raucous music, Selina's had seemingly survived the slings and arrows of the COVID-19 pandemic, recently reopening its doors earlier this year to launch a new live series.

At this stage, the future is in doubt as to whether or not Selina's will relocate to a new space, as owner Christopher Cheung told The Daily Telegraph.

"Times have changed with a lot of legislations like alcohol harm minimisation – it just didn’t allow for large venues so everything got smaller," Cheung said.

"In my plans moving forward, there is no room for Selina’s. And even reducing Selina’s capacity wasn’t going to work for the venue.

"Unfortunately it’s coming to an end but I’m sure there’ll be another take on Selina’s down the track. Presently, Selina’s doesn’t have a place in the new development. We just need to move with the times and new legislations."

Selina's joins a string of live Sydney venues affected by development, with fellow iconic rock mecca Frankie's Pizza also slated for demolition to make way for the planned Sydney Metro.

At the time of publication, no concrete date has been confirmed for the demolition to commence, pending the council's approval. In the meantime, the venue's website is still advertising punk trio The Chats' Suburban Excursion show on Friday 5 November.