Prince and Drake denied post-lockout entry to Sydney venues

The official review of Sydney's lockout laws is currently underway and submissions have recently been made public.

One from the Merivale Group, the company behind Ivy and Establishment among other Sydney venues, claims it's been forced to deny entry to A-list musicians and athletes since the 1.30am lockout was introduced for bars and clubs in the city centre in February 2014.

"Sydney’s reputation as an international dining and hospitality destination is being impacted by reports from tourists and celebrities of our ‘nanny state’ laws," writes Merivale.

"For example, Merivale venues have had to refuse entry to Grammy Award-winning artists (Madonna, Prince, Drake, Marilyn Manson, Ed Sheeran and the Smashing Pumpkins) and sporting heroes (James Harden, playing members of the Arsenal and Chelsea Football Clubs and British Lions Rugby team), generating negative social media comments."

During Wu-Tang's recent tour, RZA vowed to end the lockouts after the Clan was forced to relocate its afterparty to Bondi Junction outside the lockout zone so the rappers could get in.

The review will submit its findings to the New South Wales state government in August.

Scott Carbines is Mixmag's Australian Digital Content Editor, follow him on Twitter