COMING SOON This 150-year-old Sydney church is reopening with gospel karaoke, cabaret raves and live exorcisms

At a time where keeping an independent venue open in Sydney feels like an act of financial self-harm, Kat Dopper is opening one inside a 150-year-old church. And newsflash, things are about to get really weird.

UNHOLY PLAYHOUSE will take over the former Genesian Theatre on Kent Street from Wednesday 8 July, turning the heritage-listed deconsecrated church into a bar, performance venue and home for some of Sydney’s strangest corners.

Dopper, the brainiac behind Heaps Gay and Pleasures Playhouse, has built the opening program around the kind of things that rarely fits neatly into traditional venues: karaoke backed by gospel choirs, a Harry Potter cabarave, an art ball by The Huxleys, and Possession, Australia’s first live exorcism.

Naturally, the first run of launch events will also include parties from Fredas, Heaps Gay, Kerfew, MusicNSW and AM//PM, alongside over 140 artists, musicians and DJs including RONA., Vv Pete, Mincy, BODY TYPE, Setwun, DeepFaith and Holiday Sidewinder.

Wednesdays will be free, while Thursday through Saturday will begin with a Vespers happy hour before the church hands itself over to whichever performers, collectives or assorted deviants have booked the night. Sundays bring Sunday Mess, an unholy brunch party blessing you into the Monday work week.

And while case studies like Mary’s Underground, which shut its doors just last week, highlight the brutal economics of running a counter-culture venue, Dopper’s ambition and sheer defiance is difficult to ignore. In fact, it’s pretty fucking impressive.

But whether Sydney can sustain places like this longer term remains the bigger question. For now, though, kudos to someone who has opened the doors, filled a church with weirdos and given the city somewhere new to misbehave. It’s about damn time.

UNHOLY PLAYHOUSE opens at 420 Kent Street, Sydney CBD on Wednesday 8 July.