Lismore City Council is excited to announce the return of Eat the Street, the city's signature food, arts and culture festival, on Saturday, 15 November 2025.
After a four-year break brought on by the pandemic and the 2022 natural disaster, this much-loved community event will once again transform the CBD into a vibrant celebration of food, music, art and local culture.
From midday to 7pm, Keen Street between Magellan and Woodlark streets and the Lismore Quad will be closed to traffic and opened to people. The city will come alive with food stalls, pop-up performances, live entertainers and family-friendly activities. Thousands of visitors are expected to converge on Lismore to sample the very best that the Northern Rivers has to offer.
Norco is the naming rights partner for Eat the Street for the next three years. Norco, an iconic local company with deep roots in the Northern Rivers, will help ensure the event continues to deliver real value to producers, retailers and the wider community.
Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg said Eat the Street is more than a festival, it is a showcase of Lismore's resilience, creativity and sense of community.
"Thousands of visitors are expected to converge on Lismore to sample the very best that the Northern Rivers has to offer," he said.
"From midday to 7pm, Keen Street between Magellan and Woodlark Streets, and the Lismore Quad will be closed to traffic and opened to people, and the city will come alive with food stalls, performances, live entertainers and family-friendly activities."
Mayor Krieg also said that Eat the Street is about putting Lismore on the map for all the right reasons.
"It brings visitors into our CBD, supports our local businesses and shines a spotlight on the extraordinary food, art and culture of our region," he said.
"This is a celebration of who we are. Our producers, our creatives, our entertainers, and our community all come together to create something truly special."
State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said is delighted that the Minns Government grant has made it possible for the return of this very popular event.
"With the added NORCO sponsorship, this is a big vote of confidence in the future of Lismore," she said.
"I'll always keep pushing for projects that bring life to our community and help the local economy thrive."
Eat the Street was first established in 2015 by the Lismore Business Promotion Panel in partnership with Lismore City Council. The first event attracted around 8,000 people and sold more than 500 tasting plates per stall.
The event grew rapidly, and by 2019 it was attracting more than 26,000 visitors and generating an estimated $2.6 million for the local economy. It has also been recognised with multiple awards, including Gold at the Regional Tourism Awards in 2018 and 2019, Silver at the NSW Tourism Awards in 2018, and a Highly Commended Award at the NSW Local Government Awards in 2019.
The return of Eat the Street has been made possible with support from the NSW Government's Vibrant Streets Package - Open Streets Program 2025–2028, which will provide Lismore City Council with $292,280 in funding over three years.
Council's Chief Corporate and Community Officer, Graham Snow, said the Open Streets Program, led by Transport for NSW, allows councils to temporarily close streets to traffic and open them up for people-focused activations.
"The program is designed to inject vibrancy into town centres, encourage local economic activity and trial long-term place management strategies," he said.
"Our streets are more than transport corridors. They are public spaces that support business, community connection and wellbeing. The Open Streets Program is helping us reimagine Lismore's CBD as a vibrant, people-focused space."
Lismore City Council invites residents and visitors to mark their calendars for Saturday, 15 November 2025 and be part of this iconic event.
For the latest updates and event details, go to: visitlismore.com.au/eatthestreet.
Event details
Eat the Street Lismore
Saturday 15 November 2025
12 noon – 7 pm
Keen Street (Magellan to Woodlark) and the Lismore Quad
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