High streets across Sydney's local villages will close to traffic and be transformed into spaces for walking, shopping, dining, and entertainment in a series of special events during October and November.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said encouraging a festival vibe would help businesses regain momentum following the impacts of Covid and record rainfall.
"The Sydney Streets series is an essential part of what we're doing to support our local businesses," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
"We're closing our main streets to traffic and making it safe so locals can shop, dine or drink on our footpaths and roadways in a Covid-safe way.
"Our first series of Sydney Streets parties through the last summer was a huge success and well received by residents and businesses alike. We want to see more people get out and about and enjoy what their neighbourhoods have to offer."
Each main street will become pedestrian-only for one day from 11am to 10pm, giving businesses the opportunity to trade outdoors and set up in-store activations to attract customers and patrons. Acoustic musicians and roving entertainers will perform throughout the day.
Sydney Streets will take place at seven locations on Saturdays during October and November:
- 1 October: Crown Street, Surry Hills
- 8 October: Harris Street, Pyrmont
- 15 October: Stanley Street, East Sydney
- 22 October: Redfern Street, Redfern
- 29 October: Haymarket
- 5 November: Glebe Point Road, Glebe
- 12 November: Darlinghurst Road / Macleay Street, Potts Point
As well as the Sydney Streets series, the City of Sydney is continuing to work closely with the NSW Government to provide businesses with more options to cater for more customers. As part of the alfresco program, the City is fast-tracking a free application process for outdoor dining permits, with all outdoor dining fees waived until 30 June 2023, and the on-street dining program continuing until 30 April 2023.
In June, Council approved more than $6.2 million in direct cash grants and in-kind contributions for local businesses, community groups and cultural programs. The funding will help local businesses recover and grow and breathe new life into Sydney's cultural and night-time economy. The funding will also support initiatives that enhance creativity across the city and strengthen the sustainability and capacity of local cultural and creative industries.
Fourteen grants worth $3 million in cash and $700,000 value-in-kind were approved by the City in May as part of its precinct activation grants program to revitalise the city centre and villages and activate new micro-precincts over the next 12 months.
"Our precinct activation grant program was designed to encourage businesses, creatives and communities to collaborate and bring cultural activity to precincts and local neighbourhoods," the Lord Mayor said.
"Not only will there be our annual calendar of major events in the city, we'll see local businesses and communities working together, building relationships and capacity to ensure local events and collaboration continue long term."
Spring events include:
- monthly until June 2023: Art in the Heart of Haymarket
- 8 October 2022: Open Day at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct Establishment
- October 2022: The Hollywood Precinct produced by the Darlinghurst Business Partnership
- October – November 22: Neon Playground in Chinatown
- October – November 22: Heart of Surry Hills
- November 2022 – June 2023: Quay Quarter Markets
- November 2022 – June 2023: Sound out the Street (PACT Theatre)
The second series of the Sydney Streets program will run from January to April 2023 and the third from May to June 2023.
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