Frankie’s Pizza closure: Queues line Sydney streets as Wolfmother plays before December 11 closure

Hundreds of revellers have lined the streets of Sydney’s CBD for one last hurrah at one of the city’s most iconic late-night spots before it shuts its doors for good this weekend.

Frankie’s Pizza, on Hunter St in the city, will shut on Sunday after exactly 10 years of business and will farewell Sydney with an event aptly named ‘Day of Debauchery.’ 

The party has ended – not because the owners were tired or needed a change – but because the building is being bulldozed for the construction of the new Sydney Metro. 

Famous for its rock and roll sounds, daily $1 pizza slice specials and secret ‘Fun Room’, massive crowds flocked to the iconic CBD underground venue on Wednesday night for a final taste of the action. 

Footage taken by TikTok user ‘martymcnuggets’ showed scores of people lined up outside the dingy basement club hoping to get a last glimpse of the bar. 

Late-night Frankie's fans waited patiently in the massive queue to get one last taste of the venue before it closes for good

Hundreds of revellers lined up in a massive queue outside Frankie’s pizza on Hunter St in Sydney’s CBD before the iconic venue closes for good (pictured)

The TikToker gave a joke frown to the camera as she captioned the video: ‘POV when you try and visit Frankie’s Pizza one last time before it closes this weekend.’ 

Late-night socialites were seen waiting in a massive queue that stretched 250m from the front of Frankie’s before wrapping around the block.  

Frankie’s fans waited patiently to enter the venue for one last slice of cheesy pizza and a nightcap in a brightly coloured plastic cup. 

They packed the underground bar for a free gig and watched 2000s Australian rock icons Wolfmother perform their Grammy Award-winning catalogue of hits.  

‘Y’all I’m so sad this iconic pizza parlour and bar is closing down… can’t the metro take a different route instead,’ martymcnuggets wrote. 

The NSW government announced 18 months ago Frankie’s would make way for a new metro line linking Parramatta to the CBD. 

Last month, Frankie’s launched ‘The Final Campaign’ to farewell Sydney which on December 1 started with ‘The beginning of the End’ and will end with the ‘Decade of Debauchery’ on Sunday. 

‘It’s time to leave our legions, farewell our four walls, and finish at our most f***ing fearsome,’ a Frankie’s statement read. 

The iconic pizza parlour and bar opened in 2012 and quickly became a favourite for late-night Sydneysiders and international visitors

The iconic pizza parlour and bar opened in 2012 and quickly became a favourite for late-night Sydneysiders and international visitors

The dingy underground bar is closing for good after the NSW government announced Frankie's would make way for a new metro line linking Parramatta to the CBD

The dingy underground bar is closing for good after the NSW government announced Frankie’s would make way for a new metro line linking Parramatta to the CBD

The venue has had many famous customers from Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry and Priscilla Presley to Guns and Roses, The Foo Fighters, the Smashing Pumpkins and Grammy award winning band Wolfmother (pictured frontman Andrew Stockdale)

The venue has had many famous customers from Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry and Priscilla Presley to Guns and Roses, The Foo Fighters, the Smashing Pumpkins and Grammy award winning band Wolfmother (pictured frontman Andrew Stockdale)

Fans will have the chance to own a piece of Frankie’s history as the venue will auction off its frames, neons and posters plastered all over the walls.

A RIP Frankie’s T-shirt range is also available for fuming fans mourning the venues forced closure. 

‘Sydney has this uncanny ability to sniff out joy and life and then demolish it. It’s the worst city I have ever lived in, if an IG influencer was a city it would be Sydney,’ one man fumed online.

One woman added: ‘The best bar in all of Sydney. Another live music establishment gone.’

A third said: ‘Frankie’s Pizza is iconic and it’s a shame they couldn’t have put the metro somewhere slightly different. I do hope it moves because the city needs places open late.’

Hundreds packed Frankie's Pizza on Wednesday night for a free concert by Australian hard rock band Wolfmother (pictured frontman Andrew Stockdale)

Hundreds packed Frankie’s Pizza on Wednesday night for a free concert by Australian hard rock band Wolfmother (pictured frontman Andrew Stockdale)

Frankie’s first opened its doors in late 2012, and it it became an instant hit among Sydneysiders and international visitors. 

The electric venue had a 24 hour trading licence, with Blondie lead singer Deborah Harry among its first customers on opening night. 

Late at night on its second day of business, Priscilla Presley was seen sitting in a booth eating a pizza. 

The likes of the Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins and Guns & Roses frontman Axl Rose are just some of the famous faces to sample an evening at Frankie’s.

Then came the city’s much-hated lockout regime introduced in 2014, which saw Metal act Slayer reluctantly denied entry as they visited the bar after 1.30am. 

Famous for its rock and roll sounds, daily $1 pizza slice specials and secret 'Fun Room', massive crowds flocked to the iconic CBD underground venue for one more taste of fun

Famous for its rock and roll sounds, daily $1 pizza slice specials and secret ‘Fun Room’, massive crowds flocked to the iconic CBD underground venue for one more taste of fun 

Frankie's Pizza is one of the few late night venues in Sydney where revellers could end their night on the town with pizza and a final round of beers

Frankie’s Pizza is one of the few late night venues in Sydney where revellers could end their night on the town with pizza and a final round of beers

By the time then Premier Gladys Berejiklian scrapped Sydney’s lockout laws in January 2020, the city was weeks away from being plunged into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Frankie’s manager Jordan McDonald has tried to see the forced closure as a sign from the universe.   

Mr McDonald said he was reluctant to relocate the bar and urged fans not to hold their breath. 

He feels Sydney was a much different place when Frankie’s Pizza first opened and is unsure whethere ‘lightening can strike twice’. 

‘The world is changing a little and the last thing I would ever want to see if is a diluted version of Frankie’s,’ Jordan McDonald told the Daily Telegraph.

Fans will be able to own a piece of the Frankie's history as the venue will auction off its frames, neons and posters plastered all over the walls

Fans will be able to own a piece of the Frankie’s history as the venue will auction off its frames, neons and posters plastered all over the walls

Frankie's final night has aptly been named 'Decade of Debauchery' and coincides with its tenth birthday

Frankie’s final night has aptly been named ‘Decade of Debauchery’ and coincides with its tenth birthday

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