Sydney Festival to highlight Walsh Bay as harbourfront cultural hotspot

January 2, 2025

Karen Sweaney

The NSW Government has highlighted how the next three weeks of the Sydney Festival will allow Walsh Bay to show its potential as a leading performing arts hotspot.

This year’s Sydney Festival will be the first event since the opening of the Barangaroo Sydney Metro station, and the second tranche of the vibrancy reforms that have cut regulations that previously restricted operating hours and trading conditions for venues and events.

Last year the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct became the home of the Sydney Festival, but the event was restricted due to planning conditions that meant patrons were forced inside after 10pm, just as many shows were finishing and patrons were arriving for a post-show drink.

Under new planning conditions the main festival bar will get an extension until 2am for both indoor and outdoor areas.

The new planning conditions will allow ‘Sunrise Yoga’ at 6:30am, more outdoor furniture, food trucks to operate during the day and evening for preshow and post-show dining, and a floating boat installation to be lit until 2am. This will significantly improve the vibrancy and experience of patrons of the world class Sydney Festival and demonstrate what could be achieved in Walsh Bay all year round.

The Walsh Bay Arts Precinct has enormous potential given its scenic harbour views, central location, proximity to the Sydney Metro and the high concentration of Australia’s premier performing arts companies.

In addition to the extended trading hours for Sydney Festival, tranche two of the NSW Government’s vibrancy reforms (legislated in October 2024) has also introduced the following measures which will create more powers to activate Walsh Bay and other precincts all year round:

• Enabling the creation of Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) on state owned land so places like White Bay Power Station and Walsh Bay can benefit from extended trading hours and relaxed rules.

Amendments to the Major Events Act 2009 which make it faster and easier for the government to manage transport, street closures and other key planning measures for large scale events.
Remove even more barriers for hospitality venues, like the antiquated ‘5km Rule’ for clubs.
Create greater opportunities for live music through turning off development consent conditions that limit a venue’s ability to host live music.
Removed restrictions on outdoor areas in licensed venues that restricted patrons to sitting only.

Commenting on the potential of the precinct, NSW Minister for the Arts, John Graham stated “Walsh Bay could be one of the most exciting performance hubs in the Southern Hemisphere.

“It’s home to Australia’s best theatre, music and dance companies, and now has a metro station around the corner.”

Sydney Festival Director, Chris Tooher added “Sydney Festival is thrilled to return to the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct in January 2025, bringing ‘The Thirsty Mile’ to life with a vibrant mix of ticketed and free performances and installations.

“Thanks to new planning provisions championed by the NSW Government, visitors can enjoy the precinct’s indoor and outdoor spaces late into the summer evenings.

“Streamlined licensing regulations will also enhance the experience with exceptional food and drink offerings, including the Moonshine Bar pop-up on Pier 2/3.”

The 2025 Sydney Festival runs from 4th to 26th January.

Images: Sydney's Walsh Bay arts precinct (top) and promotion for the 2025 Sydney Festival (below).

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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