Soho House Sydney is Opening in 2028: Everything You Need to Know

• Soho House Sydney will open near Oxford Street in 2028, with five floors of indoor and outdoor members’ spaces
• Confirmed plans include a rooftop, bars, club areas and a dedicated cabaret space
• Applications for the Sydney House are not yet open, but locals can currently apply for a Cities Without Houses membership

Sydney has no shortage of good rooftops, bars, private clubs and cultural venues. In 2028, it will gain another venue promising all four under one roof, plus a little more than a decent happy hour. Getting through the door, however, will require more than booking a table.

Soho House has officially confirmed that its long-awaited Sydney location is entering the next phase of construction. Set between Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, a stone’s throw from Oxford Street, the five-storey House will feature indoor and outdoor spaces, including a rooftop, bars, club areas and a dedicated cabaret space. I can already hear Liza Minnelli in the background.

What makes Soho House different from just another announced opening is how it packages these experiences inside a selective local community that’s connected to a wider international network of private clubs. Your membership will get you inside Soho House Sydney, but that’s just the beginning.

What Is Soho House?

Soho House began in 1995 above Cafe Boheme on London’s Greek Street. Founder Nick Jones created the original club as a gathering place for people working across the creative industries, rather than the executives and financiers traditionally associated with private members’ clubs.

That creative positioning remains central to the Soho House identity. With properties all over the world, Soho House combines restaurants, bars, lounges, workspaces, cultural programming and, depending on the location, bedrooms, gyms, spas, screening rooms and pools.

The network now spans 48 Houses across 19 countries, with Every House membership providing access to the wider network, along with 22 gyms, 11 spas, 29 pools and thousands of member events each month.

What Makes Soho House So Special?

Soho House brings creatives together in a private members’ club, combining a physical venue with local flavour and access to a wider international network.

But not just anyone can become a member. Applications are reviewed quarterly by membership committees, giving Soho House control over the mix of people inside each club.

On one hand, that means each House is filled with people working across film, music, art, design, media, fashion and hospitality. If it’s a creative field, someone will be there representing it. But in practice, that level of controlled access makes it all the more exclusive, raising the status of everyone with a membership.

The appeal of Soho House is equal parts community and knowing that not everyone’s invited.

But you’re not stuck inside just one venue; those memberships travel the world, providing eligible members with access to an international network of Houses, events and accommodation.

Each property draws on its neighbourhood through local art, architecture and interiors, rather than following one corporate template. Across the network, the collection now includes more than 8,000 works.

Where Will Soho House Sydney Be?

Soho House Sydney will sit between Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, close to Oxford Street. But if we take a closer look at the City of Sydney planning documents, you’ll find the address as 256 Crown Street, Darlinghurst, on the corner of Crown and Foley Street.

The existing three-storey building will be topped by a two-storey contemporary addition designed by Sydney architecture firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. The architects have wrapped the new upper levels in metal cladding with deep-set windows intended to resemble partially opened theatre curtains, offering a small glimpse at the “exotic contents” inside. Fairly appropriate for a venue with its own cabaret club.

And since the building forms part of the Oxford Street Heritage Conservation Zone, the design will also retain the original painted-brick building, while maintaining solar access and surrounding views.

It’s a logical location for Soho House. The surrounding area already connects nightlife, hospitality, fashion, galleries and Sydney’s queer and creative communities, placing the House within an existing cultural neighbourhood rather than in the hustle and bustle of the CBD.

But if that address sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it was previously home to Shady Pines Saloon, which sadly closed in April 2025 before plans were made to transform the building into a private members’ club. Wonder how long it took them to sweep up the peanut shells on the floor.

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What Will Be Inside Soho House Sydney?

Soho House has confirmed that the Sydney location will span five storeys, with a combination of indoor and outdoor areas for members to eat, drink and socialise. The latest announcement lists:

• A rooftop
• Multiple bars
• Club spaces
• A dedicated cabaret space
• Indoor and outdoor members’ areas

But if we go back to those planning documents, the City of Sydney approved alterations and additions to 256 Crown Street for a private members’ club incorporating food and drink venues, creative studio space, a cabaret facility, rooftop terrace, pool and gym, all to the tune of $24,826,580 – to be precise.

The venue is also approved to accommodate up to 973 patrons between 6pm and 10pm. Indoor areas can trade until midnight, while the rooftop shuts down at 10pm during the initial one-year trial period. That may still change before opening, but it gives us a fair idea of the scale Soho House has in mind.

When Will Soho House Sydney Open?

With the next phase of construction beginning shortly, Soho House Sydney is scheduled to open in 2028, leaving us hanging around a while longer for the grand opening.

Sydney did get a small taste during Soho House’s 2023 SXSW residency, when the company publicly confirmed plans for a permanent local House after years of speculation.

Can You Apply for Soho House Sydney Membership?

Not yet. Soho House says applications for the permanent Sydney House will become available closer to launch, with pricing and application criteria still to be announced.

Sydneysiders, however, have another way in through Cities Without Houses. Designed for cities without a permanent House, it provides access to locations while travelling, plus local events and programming. According to Soho House, that membership tier offers the same global access as Every House membership at a special rate.

That includes access to the company’s 48 Houses, events, bedroom rates and selected gym, spa and pool facilities. Members can also bring up to three guests, subject to individual House rules and capacity.

Joining Cities Without Houses won’t guarantee membership of the Sydney House once applications open. We still don’t know how existing Australian memberships will transition when the permanent club arrives. And I don’t think the House bouncer is going to be persuaded otherwise.

Soho House Has Been to Sydney Before

Soho House isn’t starting from scratch in Sydney. The company has spent several years running local dinners, performances and cultural programming through Cities Without Houses, including an eight-day residency at The Old Clare Hotel during SXSW Sydney in 2023, Australian Fashion Week collaborations and events at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

With a few years still to go, Soho House has time to grow that community before giving it a permanent Sydney address. By 2028, the club will be opening for members who have already spent years gathering under its name.

If accepted, I’ll be headed to the rooftop bar first, before dipping into the cabaret club. But beyond the drinks and late-night entertainment, Soho House Sydney’s larger proposition is a permanent room inside an international creative network. The real test will be whether Soho House can make that global formula feel properly connected to Sydney, rather than simply importing another velvet-rope venue into Darlinghurst.