The news this month that the Lansdowne Hotel, the Giant Dwarf Theatre and 505 Theatre are closing their doors to live music and artistic performance is yet another flashing light to government and the community that we have a cultural crisis on our hands.

Giant Dwarf theatre, which closed in February 2022 after eight years.

The loss of three priority venues is a massive loss to the thousands of people who want to experience great music and art in great venues and the artists who develop their careers. This disappearing cultural infrastructure is dimming the light of Sydney’s sense of place and identity and destroying vital spaces for socialising, creativity, employment and fun. Add this to the ever-changing and sudden COVID-19 health orders like ‘no singing, no dancing’ and we have the perfect storm. [Ed: As of 18 February 2022, singing and dancing is permitted at all venues except music festivals.]

It’s part of a much larger story that has shown the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the CBD and other city centres around the state.

The alarm for the music industry and broader cultural sector is that government, both state...