Sydney entertainment venue the Qudos Bank Arena will be renamed Afterpay Arena.

Sydney entertainment venue the Qudos Bank Arena is about to get a name change and upgrade and will soon become known as the Afterpay Arena.

The physical transformation of the venue, which has hosted concerts for international stars such as Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, will include new external signage and interior refreshes.

The partnership is set to officially launch in the coming months with an initial five-year deal.

The venue in Olympic Park will continue to be known as Qudos Bank Arena in the meantime and will host its full calendar of events throughout the transition.

The arena has a capacity of about 21,000 with a seating capacity of roughly 18,000. It is the largest permanent indoor sports and entertainment venue in Australia.

MORE: ‘Sticky’ reason cafes charging $10 for coffee

The venue hosted a Dua Lipa concert last year. Picture: Getty Images

It is the home venue for basketball team the Sydney Kings and has hosted everything from Hillsong conferences to talks by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As part of the rebrand, fully integrated Afterpay and Square touchpoints will feature throughout the venue, which was recently crowned by Billboard magazine as the fifth best live music venue in the world.

The venue will offer payment flexibility across the entire customer experience – from initial ticket purchase through to meal and merchandise transactions.

MORE: Sydney’s fashion industry shift to short-term leasing

The arena remains the main ground for the Sydney Kings. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Afterpay CEO and co-founder Nick Molnar said his company saw a way to contribute to the experiences of customers using the venue.

Afterpay research had revealed 94 per cent of cost-affected event-goers had missed events due to upfront payment barriers.

Over half of consumers polled in their research had revealed they would be more likely to attend an event if flexible payment options were available.

“Live experiences are one of the more meaningful ways people choose to spend their time. We wanted to be the brand that makes sure nothing gets in the way of that,” Mr Molnar said.

MORE: White Fox’s new $70m ‘glam up’

The arena has hosted Linkin Park, with late singer Chester Bennington pictured above.

The venue has been known as the Qudos Bank Arena since 2016. Picture: Damian Shaw

“What we’ve built here is genuinely end-to-end. The flexibility starts when you buy your ticket and carries through to fans’ meal and a piece of merch on the night.

“Square’s technology makes every transaction as fast as possible, because every second you’re standing in line for merch is a second you’re not in the moment you came for.”

The venue opened in 1999 ahead of the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was originally known as Sydney SuperDome. The first event hosted was a Luciano Pavarotti concert.

The name was changed in 2006 to Acer Arena and has been known as the Qudos Bank Arena since 2016.

MORE: How David Jones signed its own death warrant

Charlize’s Theron secret move to Australia

Source link

Universal Hotels, which now owns around 15 venues across Sydney, has snapped up one of Newtown’s most recognisable pubs after it first went to market in July last year. 

The Carlisle Castle Hotel at 17 Albermarle Street in Newtown, sold towards the end of last month, marking the first time in 60 years it has traded hands. It had been on the market for around 10 months.

Newtown’s Carlisle Castle Hotel has traded hands for the first time in 60 years. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

The vendors were the Hassett family, headed by 92-year-old Marie Hassett, who celebrated her 90th birthday in the pub only two years ago. The family had owned it for the entire six decades.

Hotel specialists MQ and Associates had managed the sale, with director Leonard Bongiovanni saying the sale had attracted a lot of interest.

“The property represented a generational opportunity, and the level of enquiry reflected the continued demand for quality inner-city hotel assets,” he said.

The Kospetas family, who head Universal Hotels, were identified as the purchasers, adding to their portfolio of hotels including the Oxford Hotel in Darlinghurst, and the Civic Hotel in the CBD. It acquired five pubs in 2025 alone.

The Carlisle Castle Hotel is a Newtown icon. Picture: realcommercial.com.au

MQ and Associates’ director of sales Tom Cullen said there is strong demand for well-located metropolitan hotels “with both character and upside”.

While a sales price wasn’t disclosed, MQ and Associates said there was strong interest, reflecting the strength of Sydney’s pub culture.

Big bucks for the beer barons

Pubs are increasingly big business, especially in Sydney, where hotels have historically been tied to working class communities and territories, interwoven with parochial links to rugby league.

HTL Property managing director Andrew Jolliffe – himself a Sydney Roosters board member – explained this to realcommercial.com.au in March.

“The history of pubs in Australia has been one that commenced originally as brewery leases and families were identities in a different suburbs and they needed to participate in the community and be hospitable,” he said.

Pictured at one of his pubs, The BellÃs Hotel at Woolloomooloo in Sydney is Arthur Laundy. Many of the pubs he owns remain as they have been for years – un-renovated with only minor updates. Picture: Richard Dobson

The popularity of Sydney watering holes has been recognised internationally, with Kuleto’s in Newtown – formerly the Milton Hotel – snapped up by US-based Pride Holdings Group, which focuses on serving the LGBTQ community.

It also owns the Stonewall Hotel in Darlinghurst.

The vendor of Kuleto’s was Donna Asensio who had owned it for more than 40 years.

At one time Ms Asensio also owned The Hampton Court Hotel, originally established in 1877 and the oldest in Newtown, as well as the Beresford Pub in Surry Hills.

She previously told The Daily Telegraph she missed the days of pre-gentrified Newtown.

Other recent inner-west pubs to hit the market include Erskineville’s Kurrajong Hotel, and the Town and Country in St Peters.

Pub power could also be further consolidated after tycoon Jon Adgemis amassed $1.8 billion in debt, declared bankruptcy, and was forced to sequestrate his 20-plus pubs, including the Kurrajong.

Former pub baron Jon Adgemis. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

Ray White Research found the hotel sector amassed $4.72 billion in transactions in 2025, up 42.5% from 2024, with average deals reaching $13.88 million.

A growing part of this is the pub scene, according to Ray White head of research Vanessa Rader.

“Pubs remain a particularly hot investment class, with their strong locations and income streams not going unnoticed by private and institutional buyers alike,” she said.

“This momentum looks set to continue as offshore investors respond to Australia’s tourism recovery and reputation as a stable investment destination.”

Publican Donna Asensio misses the old days of Newtown. Picture: Alex Coppel / The Daily Telegraph

The relaxing of lockout laws is also set to strengthen the sector.

While individuals and small family-run operations are increasingly muscled out of the sector, perhaps the most well-known family-run conglomerate is Laundy Hotels, headed up by billionaire Arthur Laundy. They are key sponsors of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

The pub tycoon snapped up the Woy Woy Hotel for $40 million just over a week ago, adding to his portfolio of around 40-50 venues primarily across New South Wales.

Still, this is small fry compared to international giants such as Endeavour Group, which spun out of Woolworths Group in 2019, and owns or operates upwards of 400 venues around Australia.

Australian Venue Co is firmly in second place, owning or operating around 200 venues Australia-wide.

Source link

A sprawling warehouse and office in the inner south is set to be transformed into a bakery, retail and production destination by Sydney’s popular food, coffeee and events space, The Grounds of Alexandria.

The family of unique hospitality venues and experiences across Sydney is expanding its footprint via securing a long-term lease over Units 1 & 2 at 4 Huntley St, Alexandria.

The Huntley St site is set to complement The Grounds’ existing operations and undergo a significant transformation to create a vibrant bakery and retail destination, with the tenancy set to commence in early 2026.

MORE: New $1.5b Sydney neighbourhood approved

The Grounds of Alexandria has expanded its footprint securing a long-term lease over Units 1 & 2 at 4 Huntley Street, Alexandria

The 1,022 sqm industrial warehouse and office accommodation is said to support continued growth in one of Sydney’s most dynamic urban precincts.

It’s off-market transaction was negotiated by Billy Marsh of Colliers’ on behalf of a government Landlord.

The premises is set to also incorporate an enhanced warehouse, production and culinary facilities, enabling increased capacity, streamlined back of house operations and an elevated customer experience.

MORE: Alarm at rising price of Sydney’s shrinking blocks

Sydney’s The Grounds of Alexandria was previously crowned the most Instagrammed restaurant in the world. Picture: Supplied/Instagram

“This marks an exciting step for The Grounds of Alexandria as they continue to grow their presence within a precinct that has become synonymous with their brand,” Colliers Senior Executive Industrial & Logistics Billy Marsh said.

“With the site’s strategic position, the asset is well placed to support both The Grounds’ evolution and the next chapter of growth for this vibrant Alexandria precinct.”

MORE: Silent housing burden busts Boomer myth

Grounds of Alexandria has expanded its footprint with a new site set to undergo a significant transformation to create a vibrant bakery and retail destination

The property occupies a prime location in the sought after precinct that has become known for its connection to food, creative industries and urban logistics.

The Grounds is set to continue building its brand presence while benefiting from the proximity to complementary businesses.

According to Colliers’ Q4 2025 Industrial & Logistics Snapshot, Sydney remained the nation’s most active leasing market last year with national vacancy hovering around cyclical peak levels.

Spotlighting ongoing demand for inner-city industrial space that supports both customer-proximate retail and production uses.

MORE: Woolworths rolls out trolleys too big for its aisles

Source link

It’s Married At First Sight’s dirty little secret, the silent weapon they used to keep their couples in check.

It’s the rather unglamorous and uncomfortable side of Married At First Sight that the show’s producers don’t really want you to know about.

The contestants don’t like to talk about it either. But it is one of MAFS’ silent characters.

In an unassuming corner in Sydney’s Inner West, the MAFS stars suffer some of their most awkward and embarrassing moments on the show. Fortunately for them, much of it happens behind the scenes.

While the majority of scenes are filmed at stunning country locations, beautiful harbourside lookouts and luxury hotels, some of the most consequential and controversial moments are shot in an unassuming warehouse in Lilyfield.

RELATED: Albo loved it! – PM adores MAFS wedding venue

Just keep smiling.

The commercial space is reserved by Endemol Shine, who produce the show for Channel 9, from October through January for a cost of around $7000 a week.

Through the confines of the small screen the bland Lilyfield warehouse looks like a top notch building for the show’s stars and also the experts viewing all the action from another room.

It’s used for MAFS dinner parties, commitment ceremonies and even ‘intimacy sessions’.

But somewhat similar to the art of styling a home for sale or rent, it’s the imagination of those working with the space and furniture that make it what it’s good for, and in MAFS’ case – that is dramatic TV.

MORE: ‘What the?’: Great Aus beach mystery finally solved

The humble warehouse where many MAFS scenes are filmed.

It’s not much to look at.

But the stylists do a good job of fitting it out.

But it’s also not great for your nerves or comfort, apparently the space only has one toilet for all the contestants – so think nightclub or halftime footy toilet queues times 100.

Meanwhile many of the walls are fake so privacy could also be a concern.

The area is also without aircon, so it can become uncomfortably hot in the warmer months when MAFS is filmed. Tenants are advised to bring their own portable aircon units at this time.

All in all it is a rather spartan space on the industrial space – not like something out of the Oscars or Golden Globes.

MORE: ‘Killing the patient’: Builders slam RBA move

What’s that about the toilet?!

Yup, there’s just the one dunny.

Instead it is simply a cold, sterile space rented for a variety of uses.

“In our third level Studio there is light, rustic charm, and ample space to play in,”

according to promotional material for the space, owned by the NSW Government company Legs on The Wall.

“Our studio has been home to arts rehearsals, developments, film and television production, commercial showcases, gallery showings and more.”

OMG!

A floor plan for the space notes one “private accessible bathroom” located at the top of the stairs.

The space sits in the old Parachute Regiment building that dates back to the 1940s.

In order to make the 1200 sqm space more aesthetically friendly for TV audiences, furniture is hired to create the intimate and romantic scenes desired.

It’s not much to look at from the outside.

Soft lighting and clever camera angles also allow the show’s makers to disguise the real nature of the warehouse.

Parts of the set are built just for the show, including the sliding door contestants enter through at the beginning of the ceremonies.

MORE: Djokovic to challenge Federer in $500m retirement battle
Kick everybody out’: the pub baron now taking over radio

‘More power to me’ – Mum on living in ex’s backyard

Source link