Hospitality group Odd Culture will assume operations of The Imperial Hotel as part of a new partnership with Universal Hotels.
The Imperial, known as The Impy, will be run by Odd Culture from September 1 in partnership with its current proprietor, Universal Hotels.
As part of the partnership, $5 million will be invested into the Erskineville hotel in early 2027, which will reportedly include the introduction of a 24-hour club.
“The Imperial has spent more than forty years helping to shape Sydney’s queer culture,” said Odd Culture co-founder and director James Thorpe.
“This redevelopment is one of the biggest investments in its history, but more importantly, it’s an investment in the next forty years.”
The development will see the ground floor footprint of The Impy almost double through the creation of an expanded beer garden to make it one of the largest in the Inner West.
“Our ambition is not simply to preserve one of Australia’s most iconic queer venues, but to ensure it continues to evolve as one of the world’s great queer institutions for generations to come,” said Thorpe.
The venue has been an institution of the queer community since it was owned by local entrepreneur Dawn O’Donnell, and featured prominently in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
In 2023, it was purchased by Universal Hotels following $6 million worth of renovations by prior owner Fraser Short.
These renovations included the basement for live music, ground floor drag shows, and the new Priscilla’s “drag & dine” restaurant.
Universal Hotels COO Richie Hanes said the next development was being carefully considered to plan for the future.
“We’re committed to making The Imperial the best it can be, for the local and broader community,” he said.
“Partnering with Odd Culture Group will ensure that happens, we’re impressed with their ambition, and confident that we can work together to bring it to life.”
Odd Culture Group, founded by Thorpe and Nick Zavadsky, has become a staple of the hospitality scene in the Inner West since launching during COVID.
The group runs, amongst others, Odd Culture, The Duke of Enmore and The Old Fitzroy Hotel, and just this year, under CEO Rebecca Lines, has opened two spaces in the city, Razz Room and Bar Bruno.
The group said that joining forces with Universal, which has a diverse portfolio of queer clubs like Universal and The Oxford, highlighted both groups’ aligned confidence in preserving queer nightlife.
“The past few months have shown just how fragile queer cultural infrastructure can be. Creative spaces don’t just need operators with ambition, they need landlords with the conviction to stand behind them,” said Thorpe.
Thorpe said he and Universal understood that queer venues were living cultural institutions and a place where community gathers.
“That’s what makes this partnership so exciting: we’re aligned in our commitment to protecting the Impy’s legacy while giving it the confidence to be ambitious.”
Thorpe said the introduction of the new 24-hour club would also play a key role in the rebuilding of the city’s night-time economy.
“We feel there is still a gap in the form of a truly ambitious large-format club capable of standing alongside the world’s best,” said Thorpe.
“So we are aspiring to contribute to this missing piece by creating one of the world’s great queer clubs and a destination capable of attracting audiences from around Australia and overseas.”
The venue will continue to run regular operations with more details on the restoration to follow.
