Join us for Sydney summer streets

We’re transforming village high streets into spaces for walking, shopping and dining with a series of special events.

Sydney Streets EOI

Apply to activate road space in front of your premises

What we’re doing and why

Sydney Streets returns from January 2023 for street closures across 7 locations. We’re celebrating local neighbourhoods, bringing communities together and supporting our high street businesses. For local businesses, it’s an opportunity to produce in-store activations to help attract customers and patrons to their venues, and potentially extend trading to outdoors subject to availability and approval.

Along with enabling road closures, we’ll provide some acoustic roving entertainment, chairs and tables around the street and portable toilets.

Stay informed on Sydney Streets

Receive updates on how we are transforming village high streets into spaces for walking, shopping and dining with a series of special events.

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Event details

Event date*	Sydney Streets event
Saturday 13 May 11am – 10pm	Redfern Street – between Regent and Chalmers streets
Saturday 20 May 11am – 10pm	Stanley Street – between Yurong and Crown streets
Saturday 24 June 11am – 10pm	Haymarket – parts of Dixon, Hay, Little Hay and Sussex streets

People sit at tables and chairs set up outside on the street during the day.

People look at tattoo designs on boards set up outside a tattoo parlour.

Opportunities for retailers

- We encourage retailers, including clothing and shoe stores, and design shops, art galleries, bookstores, florists and more to activate in-store during the 1-day street closure.
- Activations could include special events such as talks, exhibitions, workshops, product demonstrations, cultural programming or a special promotion or offer exclusive for that day to help drive trade to your business
- Upload your unique event, promotion or offer to the City of Sydney’s What’s On platform to be part of the overall marketing and promotion.
- Our display of goods on the footway policy supports and promotes retailers using the footpath while ensuring comfort and safe use for people walking and riding bikes.
- It applies to all businesses who have, or wish to have, a display of goods on the footpath outside their premises.
- Retailers including clothing and shoe stores, furniture and design shops, galleries, bookstores and florists may use up to 0.6 metres of footpath space in front of the shopfront (subject to guidelines) without seeking approval from the City of Sydney.
- Read the display of goods on the footway policy to ensure you’re eligible.
- Sales transactions are not permitted on the footpath – all sales transactions need to occur inside your premises.
- You may also want to explore using more space on the road in front of your business to display goods, or other activation ideas during the road closure.
- This is available to businesses within the road closure footprint (pedestrianised area only)
- To do this you must lodge an expression of interest with your activation ideas. See the above table for deadlines by event.
- We’ll assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. Formal approval will be given to successful applicants .
- Each business will be responsible for managing the use of approved outdoor space as well as any costs involved. This includes waste management, security, and managing patrons, if these apply.
- List your in-store activations, special offers or approved outdoor activity on the City’s of Sydney’s free event listing website, What’s On.
- Simply create a City of Sydney account and upload details and an image of your event or offer.
- What’s On is one of Sydney’s most trusted event platforms, with more than 100,000 visitors a month and over 30,000 email subscribers.
- To be part of the What’s On program marketing upload your events or special offer at least 2 weeks before your high street event.

Opportunities for hospitality venues

- Activate in-venue during the 1-day street closure.
- Activations could include special events such as talks, exhibitions, tasting menus, cultural programming, or a special promotion or offer exclusive for that day to help drive customers to your venue.
- Upload your unique in-venue event, promotion or offer to the City of Sydney’s What’s On platform to be part of the overall marketing and promotion at least 2 weeks before your high street event.
- Food and drink premises such as bars, cafes and restaurants (or any other venue such as a bakery or cheese shop that provides food and drink services) can apply for temporary use of outdoor dining space in front of their premises during the road closure. Complete the expression of interest form by the due date for your area.
- This applies to:
  1. food and drink premises that do not currently have an approved outdoor dining permit but would like to bring their tables and chairs outdoors for the day, or
  2. food and drink premises that currently have an approved outdoor dining permit but would like to extend their outdoor footprint for the day.
- Each business will be responsible for managing the use of the approved space and will need to supply their own equipment and services. This includes furniture, waste management, security and managing patrons on the day.
- Food and drink premises wanting to extend their liquor licence to the approved outdoor space will need to complete the liquor licence temporary change of boundaries form and attach it to their expression of interest application.
- This is only available to venues with an existing liquor licence.
- Drinking alcohol won’t be permitted outside the approved licensed areas of businesses.
- Licenced outdoor areas must be enclosed with temporary barriers such as planter boxes or fencing.
- No drinks in glasses are permitted within the approved outdoor area.
- If you would like to have a pop-up bar to serve drinks within your approved outdoor space, please apply to Liquor and Gaming NSW and reference this in your expression of interest.
- Pop-up bars must be enclosed with temporary barriers such as planter boxes or fencing.
- Drinking alcohol won’t be permitted outside the approved licensed areas of businesses. 
- No drinks in glasses are permitted within the approved outdoor area.
- List your in-store activations, special offers or approved outdoor activity on the City of Sydney’s free event listing website, What’s On.
- Simply create a City of Sydney account and upload details and an image of your event or offer.
- What’s On is one of Sydney’s most trusted event platforms, with more than 100,000 visitors a month and over 30,000 email subscribers.
- To be part of the What’s On program marketing upload your events or special offer at least 2 weeks before your high street event. Note, if you are applying for an express of interest to activate on the street, you will need approval prior to submitting on What’s On

Opportunities for businesses in surrounding streets

If your premises is based near Sydney Streets, make the most of increased visitors on the day.

- We encourage retailers and hospitality venues, including clothing and shoe stores, design shops, art galleries, bookstores and florists to activate in-store during the 1-day street closure.
- Activations could include special events such as talks, exhibitions, workshops, product demonstrations, cultural programming or a special promotion or offer exclusive for that day to help drive trade to your business
- Upload your unique event, promotion or offer to the City of Sydney’s What’s On platform to be part of the overall marketing and promotion.
- List your in-store activations or special offers on our free event listing website, What’s On.
- Simply create a City of Sydney account and upload details and an image of your event or offer.
- What’s On is one of Sydney’s most trusted event platforms, with more than 100,000 visitors a month and over 30,000 email subscribers.
- To be part of the Sydney Streets What’s On marketing, upload your events or special offer at least 2 weeks before your high street event.
- Consider joining us at Sydney Streets by setting up an event space or temporary food stall. To be eligible, you must be a business, organisation, community group or government agency within the City of Sydney’s local area with a product or service provided to residents.
- Businesses within the road closure area will be prioritised, however we’ll consider expressions of interest from businesses within the surrounding streets.
- We’ll consider the mix of businesses and activations at the event to balance the offerings on the day.
- The distribution of flyers or promotional collateral material isn’t permitted and is in line with our guidelines for single-use items.
- Political, offensive, religious offerings or marketeers won’t be permitted.
- Contact Sydney Streets project manager Tony MacGregor to discuss your plans at [email protected] or on 02 9265 9333.

Further event information

Sydney Streets is part of our community recovery plan, supporting the economic and social recovery of businesses and local communities impacted by the pandemic.

We’ll promote the Sydney Streets program through our event listing website What’s On. All business offers or activations can be listed on the free event listing platform and be part of our promotional content. Our What’s On e-newsletter has over 30,000 subscribers and the event-listing platform is an essential marketing tool for your business this summer.

To be part of the What’s On program marketing list your activations, special offers or in-store activity as early as possible.

Note the following:

Each business will be responsible for management and costs involved with the use of the approved outdoor area, including seating, waste management and extension of liquor licensing if required.
Temporary structures will not be permitted for any outdoor activity without approval.
Only the area in front of business premises will be available for retailer/hospitality business use subject to approval by City of Sydney and Liquor and Gaming (in the case of temporary liquor licence extensions).
Covid-19 responsibilities lie with businesses when business is conducted within their indoor and approved outdoor areas, as required.
A food court style arrangement of up to 150 tables and 475 chairs will be arranged by the City of Sydney at each street closure for patrons to consume food and drink (non-alcoholic), as well as waste management services to attend to any additional waste generated.
We cannot supply tables and chairs for individual businesses. Placement of communal furniture will be within the closed street-space for communal use and benefit of all businesses.
Consumption of alcohol will not be permitted outside of the approved licensed areas of hospitality businesses.
The management of waste generated on premises or within the outdoor dining space of businesses will be the responsibility of each business.
City of Sydney site management and security will patrol each pedestrianised site on the day.
NSW Police may be present and will provide assistance if needed.

Contact us

Contact the City of Sydney’s Business Concierge team on 02 9265 9333 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm or at [email protected] for one-on-one support.

We can advise what may be possible during the road closures, support you through the approval process and help you benefit from our marketing and promotional channels.

Stay informed on Sydney Streets

Receive updates on how we are transforming village high streets into spaces for walking, shopping and dining with a series of special events.

subscribe

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Business support & funding

Strategies & action plansCommunity recovery planPublished 30 June 2020

Join us for Sydney Streets

Sydney Streets EOI

What we’re doing and why

Stay informed on Sydney Streets

Event details

Sydney Streets May to June

Opportunities for retailers

Activate inside your store

Display your goods on the footpath

Apply to activate road space in front of your premises

Promote your activation on What’s On

Opportunities for hospitality venues

Activate inside your venue

Temporary outdoor dining

Temporary extension of a liquor licence for approved outdoor space

Pop-up bars

Promote your activation on What’s On

Opportunities for businesses in surrounding streets

Activate inside your premises

Promote on Whats On

Apply for a pop-up retail activation or food stall

Further event information

Contact us

Stay informed on Sydney Streets

Get help in your language