She’s seen a few winters, this ol’ girl. A few summers, too. And sure she looks her age, but what beachside stalwart doesn’t? All that salt air and buffeting wind is good for the soul but you’re bound to show a few cracks here and there, and a few other places besides. Regular beachgoers won’t know how much a part of the community this place is, there’s function rooms where kids learn karate, a resident theatre troop(the Bondi Rock Surfers) and tons of events throughout the year, from pop-up bars to an ice skating rink to open-air cinema to Bondi Feast Festival. There’s talk every year of a mega refurb, but who knows when that’ll happen. Long may she reign.
Brooklyn C.
Place rating: 4 Alhambra, CA
Great place to stop off before or after hitting Bondi Beach. Large restrooms, lots of brochures to look at if you’re a tourist, and some benches to sit at out of the sun. It’s also a good meeting spot to meet friends and there is a free museum on site.
Sage G.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
A lovely pavillion on the beach at Bondi, it is open to anyone who wants to take a look and has a couple of cafes and kiosks. There are also theatre classes for children in the mornings and rehearsal space for adult groups available upstairs. The Ocean room is quite big, the structure is quite old being built in the 1950’s-1960’s. There are plenty of brochures on the local happenings like film festivals«Bondi Film Festival», the summer outdoor cinema is held just outside the pavillion and there is an amphitheatre at the back too. Sometimes you get a few undesirables around but it is definitely not a big problem. Parking is quite expensive in the Pavillion car park so it can be better to park in one of the streets up near the shops and walk down to the pavillion.
Joel Amigo H.
Place rating: 5 Sydney, Australia
I remember some great times at the Bondi Pavilion, it has truly been a part of my upbringing, and cemented itself in my culture. From the community plays, watching my friends act in numerous small productions, to the yearly South American Festival, incredibly creative open air Cinema, which shows great international flavours. Although the interior is a bit dated, the exterior architecture is still splendid, and you can see there’s be a lot of effort placed in lovingly restoring this venue. You can pretty much guarantee there’ll be a nice art exhibition on the next time you go, and/or a community barbecue, so give generously to the causes, both charity, and struggling artists(which are a lot like donating to charity anyway)
Julie L.
Place rating: 4 Sydney, Australia
Bondi Pavilion is a bastion of community arts and cultural centres everywhere. They have such creative ideas and make great use of the deco-esque venue, I frequently get excited about some new programme they have coming up. The Pavilion plays host to annual events like Festival of The Winds, Beats on The Beach on NYE, the South American Festival, Flickerfest, Bondi Open Air Cinema and many other cool cultural activities. As well it is home to a Gallery, Marine Centre, an amphitheatre as well as an indoor theatre, classes, a youth programme… you get the idea. Various local businesses are lucky enough to be housed under its high ceilings and ever-importantly, if you’re looking for a bathroom, changing room or locker on Bondi Beach this is where you’ll find them.