Nightlife

Our pick of the best bars in Sydney right now—and what to drink when you’re there.

Discover the best cafes, bakeries, restaurants, bars and pubs open in Sydney during the Easter long weekend this year.

Everyone knows that the best pubs in the world are in Australia—and though Melbourne will try to fight us on this—the best of the best are really in Sydney. 

Save on drinks and snacks with the best happy hours you can hit in Sydney.

Whether New Year’s Day is about recovery or relaxation, you can continue the celebrations at one of these venues on New Year’s Day.

From underground clubs kitted out with supreme sound systems to sleek bars with vinyl DJs and the best impromptu dancefloors in town—if you don't believe Sydney's nightlife is thumping in 2024, well, you haven't read this list. 

From scuzzy basements to grand theatres, jazz cocktail bars, warehouse nightclubs, and more, we've got you covered with this list of top spots for live music in Sydney. Get ready to rock out with the best live music Sydney has to offer. 

We've rounded up some of the best restaurants, cocktail bars, and takeaway joints around Sydney offering amazing food after that dreaded 9pm cut-off.

Big news, Sydney. The heroes of house music at Ministry of Sound are back to host an outrageous party next month to celebrate the EDM outfit’s three-decade stretch of good vibes and great tunes.

From scenic flights to night kayaking, luxe harbour cruises, haunted ghost tours, and more. 

As well as hosting WorldPride 2023 for the first time it's come to the Southern Hemisphere, we're also celebrating the 45th anniversary of Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade in 2023.

The best free and cheap date ideas for loved-up Sydneysiders.

Sydney WorldPride 2023 will kick off on Friday 17 February and run for a mega 17-day sprint. 

If you're looking to shake up your cocktail game, head to one of these Sydney bars and order a Pisco Sour. 

Inspired by a Southeast Asian culinary trip, Dan Hong's MuMu and its street food-focused menu is the latest venue to join the buzzing Ivy Precinct. 

How to support your favourite Sydney hospo businesses through the current Omicron outbreak. 

Splendour in the Grass—the mud, the noise, the music, and the flight to Ballina or the 12-hour road trip—is a rite of passage for us Sydney kids. With COVID still in play here in Australia, the legends behind the iconic east coast festival have come up with a few ideas to keep the vibes alive.

Right now, Sydney is entering a new era of nightlife. The red tape and restrictions that once earned us accolades like “10th worst city in the world” are being replaced with late-night licenses, city-wide festivals, and new venues keen to tap into the government’s grand scheme for a 24-hour city.

If we’re looking for signs of nightlife and a return to normality in Sydney, then the brand new Sydney Solstice festival is a shiny bright star on the horizon.

Daft Punk’s December 2007 Sydney show is the stuff of legend. Called Neverland, the mini-festival worked through a roll call of all the major local electronic music talent of the time (Cut Copy, The Presets, Van She, and Muscles), before Paris’ ultra-cool Ed Banger crew took to the stage (Busy P, SebastiAn, and Kavinsky). Then, Daft Punk’s neon pyramid lit up Sydney Showgrounds for the first and last time.

Blue Mountains Stargazing has just revealed a brand new astronomy tour that pairs two of our favourite things: stargazing and wine.

Editor's note: The 24 Hour Party event has been postponed due to COVID restrictions currently in place. Sign up here to learn about the new date. 

Today, it's been revealed that the lockout laws will be dropped in Kings Cross from Monday 8 March, 2021. 

You might not be able to doze in the European sun this year, but you can still soak up the magic at this relaxed eatery taking the Brunswick Heads dining scene by storm: Honour.

If you haven’t ventured to Manly in some time, a weekend trip should be on your to-do list as recent years have seen the rise of vibing, innovative spots backed by small networks of hospo tastemakers. Here are all the best restaurants, bars, cafes and things to do in Manly. 

To help us all remember the ways to stay safe on our nights out, the Night Time Industry Association is launching a campaign: Check. Check. Check. 

Who better to talk us through the absolute best Mardi Gras parties than DJ Sveta. She’s got a pool party with a techno den hidden in the change rooms, exhibitions, queer poetry slam and an epic multi-storey drag show extravaganza. 

Mary’s Underground is throwing an epic "Fireworks Feast" to wrap up 2019 and welcome in 2020, and, look, it ticks a whole lot of boxes, making it one of our top picks for this year’s NYE bashes.

“This is Sydney” is Merivale’s exciting new late-night program that’s been packed out with free live music, half-price midnight feasts and a couple of new night-time venues.

Created by the legends that brought Rolling Loud to Australia, No Limit Fest is here is to hero next-generation Aussie hip hop and RnB, and you can expect a full line-up of up-and-coming Australian artists to get stuck into.

The next venue to join the CBD’s growing network of night time spots will be The Gidley—another subterranean steak joint from the team that gave us Bistecca (and Grandma’s and Wild Rover).   

Get ready to have snow much fun at these parties. 

With the approval of an extended licensing being granted to the venue – enabling The Lansdowne to stay open till 5am—Sydney’s nightlife is on a steady rise.

After a light reno, The Old Fitz is back online—with an epic new menu from former Quay and Sepia chef, Nick Hill. 

Hosted at The George and called Media Noche (“midnight” in Spanish), this special middle-of-the-night event will feature five courses, and—to jolt you awake if you were starting to nod off—a tequila shot and a glass of pet nat fizz on arrival.

Meet Gabreal Marial, the entirely self-funded co-founder of WavyLand. He's one of a few legeneds working very hard to bring the spark back to Sydney's music scene. 

Even in spite of last week’s election results, the heroes over at Stoney Roads are bringing a banging line-up of DJs and tech-house antics. 

 ‘The Wall’ is here to stay.

For two weeks only, do winter properly. 

Have yourself a white Christmas (kind of).

No need to navigate the crowds.

Ladies, leave your man at home.

From pop-up nation houses to free music concerts, cultural arts events, impromptu street parties and elite-level competition, it's all here.

More like yes-town. Here's the ultimate guide to Sydney's inner west suburb of Newtown.

Because we’re all living that budget baller life.

And you thought nothing ever happened in the CBD...

Next time you need a spot where the view is just as perfect as the food, try these Sydney restaurants out for size.

Offering up incredibly affordable meals that don’t scrimp on flavour, here’s our list of where to eat in Chinatown.

Here’s how to celebrate making it to June in Sydney—bring it.

June in Sydney looks a lot like free movies and silent discos—sign us up!