Back

City seeks feedback on nightlife precinct plans

City of Sydney

Live music, performance and late-night dining would get a boost under City of Sydney plans to create more than 20 special entertainment precincts, with about 5,000 businesses expected to benefit.

 

The plans are now open for public comment until 26 November.

 

Guided by existing late trading areas, the proposal moves beyond establishing a special entertainment precinct in just one or two streets, instead expanding the classification across many parts of the City.

 

Special entertainment precincts are areas where councils can establish locally tailored sound management and trading hour arrangements to encourage live acts and support the night-time economy.

 

Special entertainment precincts also provide businesses access to NSW Government incentives including extended trading hours and liquor licence fee discounts for eligible venues.

 

Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said local communities could play a vital role in shaping the future of Sydney’s nightlife.

 

“Special entertainment precincts are about supporting the live music, cultural and hospitality venues that make Sydney a global city, while ensuring residents continue to enjoy a high quality of life,” the Lord Mayor said.

 

“We’ve already heard initial views from residents, businesses, venue operators and performers, and now we’re encouraging everyone to let us know what they think about our detailed plans.”

 

The proposal includes precinct-specific measures, trading hours and sound controls designed to provide greater certainty for businesses, residents and visitors.

 

More than 20 special entertainment precincts set to benefit, including the City's existing late night trading areas:

 

• Central Sydney from Central station to The Rocks, including Haymarket, YCK and the Ivy precinct on George Street
• The Oxford Street precinct including Crown and Bourke streets
• Surry Hills along Crown and Elizabeth streets
• Kings Cross, Macleay, William and Stanley streets
• Newtown and Erskineville Road
• Redfern Street, Botany Road and South Eveleigh
• Green Square, north Alexandria and Danks Street
• Central Park, Broadway and Glebe Point Road

 

The proposal also plans to expand some of the City of Sydney’s existing late-night precincts and add new ones. 

 

Special entertainment precincts would now cover:

 

• a new area along Harris Street in Ultimo, including the Powerhouse Museum
• expanded precincts along Meagher Street and Shepherd Street in Chippendale
• an expanded Oxford Street precinct, including The National Art School and Qtopia.

 

The following areas would be upgraded to a later tier, unlocking extended hours for businesses:

 

• Walsh Bay arts precinct, wharves 3 and 4
• several streets around the Mercantile Hotel in The Rocks
• part of Oxford Street east of Taylor Square
• Regent Street, Botany Road and parts of Redfern Street
• The Hollywood Quarter around Campbell, Foster and Commonwealth streets in Surry Hills.
• The City of Sydney has also proposed customised sound rules after testing acoustics in and around venues.  

 

Sound levels permitted would depend on the time of day and be tailored to specific streets or areas. Depending on the area, the sound levels would match or be higher than what current rules allow.

 

The plans are open for public comment from 15 October to 26 November.

 

Following the feedback period, the proposal will go back to Council for final endorsement.  

 

We will be consulting on our separate proposal for King Street Newtown, with Inner West Council, in early 2027.

 

For more information and to make a submission, visit Sydney Your Say.

 

For media enquiries, contact Nicky Breen.

Phone 0436 599 861 or email [email protected]

 

For comment from Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul Mackay.

Phone 0436 816 604 or email [email protected]

 

Restrictions: The City of Sydney provides access to this publicly distributed image for editorial purposes only and remains the copyright owner. No archiving, commercial use or third party distribution is permitted without prior written consent. When using content for editorial purposes, you must include the following image credit adjacent to the content: "Photographer’s Name / City of Sydney”