Christmas and new year holiday hours 2025/26
Find out when our services and programs will be open over the Christmas and new year period
Essential City of Sydney services such as bin collections will continue over the holiday period including all public holidays.
You can contact us anytime, any day, including public holidays on 02 9265 9333 or email [email protected].
Most of our other services and programs will operate as usual until Wednesday Tuesday 24 December. Some centres and programs will close earlier to let our employees join their families and friends.
All library branches will close at 4pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen at 10am on Friday 2 January.
You can continue to renew and reserve items online, stream movies and borrow digital resources like ebooks and eaudiobooks throughout the holidays.
Access the City of Sydney library anytime, anywhere on the app where you can browse and search collections, manage loans and reservations.
Returns chutes will be open throughout the holiday period at Glebe, Green Square, Newtown, Surry Hills, Ultimo and Waterloo.
Booked pick-up services for bulky items will be paused from Thursday 25 December to Thursday 1 January inclusive. If you can, book in early or hold on to your items for another week. For any urgent requests, including booking a collection for your natural Christmas tree, call us on 02 9265 9333.
Our final Ultimo recycling pop-up of the year will be on Tuesday 23 December. The pop-up will be closed on Tuesday 30 December and will reopen at 2pm on Tuesday 6 January.
Our doorstep recycling service will pause collections from 5pm, Friday 19 December until Friday 2 January. Collections will resume on Monday 5 January.
We won’t accept any laser cutting or 3D printing requests from 6pm on Friday 12 December until Monday 5 January.
Please direct any enquiries to [email protected].
All community and recreation centres will close between 3pm to 4pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January.
Perry Park Recreation Centre will reopen on Monday 5 January with reduced hours until Thursday 8 January:
- Monday 5 January, 10am to 9pm
- Tuesday 6 January, 10am to 9pm
- Wednesday 7 January, 10am to 9pm
- Thursday 8 January, 10am to 9pm.
Pine Street Creative Arts Centre will close at 4pm, Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January.
- Neighbourhood service centres will close at 3pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January. The neighbourhood service centres at Glebe and Kings Cross will reopen on Monday 5 January with normal opening hours. Green Square neighbourhood service centre will reopen on Wednesday 7 January.
- Town Hall House customer service centre will close at 3pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Friday 2 January with reduced hours from 10am to 3pm.
- The visitor information centre at Customs House will close at 4pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Friday 2 January.
Bookings are recommended for all face-to-face visits at our customer and neighbourhood service centres. To make a 20-minute appointment, book online or call us on 02 9265 9333.
See customer and neighbourhood service centres for opening hours.
Meals on Wheels will operate as usual except Christmas Day (25 December), Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January).
The community transport service will close on Monday 22 December and reopen on Monday 5 January.
Childcare centres
All our childcare centres will close on Friday 19 December.
Eveleigh Early Learning and Preschool and Redfern Occasional Care reopen on Tuesday 6 January.
Hilda Booler and Broughton Street kindergartens reopen on Tuesday 27 January.
Outside school hours care
Outside school hours care will be closed during these times:
- Surry Hills closes on Friday 19 December and reopens Monday 2 February.
- Redfern closes on Friday 19 December and reopens Monday 12 January.
- The Rocks (KGV) closes on Friday 19 December and reopens Monday 5 January.
- Ultimo closes on Friday 19 December and reopens Monday 5 January.
- Woolloomooloo closes on Friday 19 December and reopens Monday 12 January.
All our outside school hours care services will be closed on Friday 30 January 2026 for an annual staff planning day.
Our outdoor events office will close at 5pm, Wednesday 17 December and reopens on Monday 5 January.
Event applications will not be assessed from 5pm on Wednesday 17 December to Monday 5 January. For any applications we receive during this time, the standard lead times will apply with the application date beginning on Monday 5 January.
Sports field enquiries and bookings will not be reviewed or responded to from 5pm on Monday 15 December until Monday 5 January. For enquiries we receive during this time, the standard lead times will apply with the booking date beginning on Monday 5 January.
Our filming and photography office will close at 5pm on Wednesday 17 December and reopens on Monday 5 January.
Road closure applications (or major traffic control) proposals will close at 5pm, Friday 28 November for productions occurring from Monday 22 December. Road closures and traffic control are also subject to Transport for NSW restrictions
Non-road closure or standard low-impact applications will close at 5pm on Thursday 11 December for productions occurring from Thursday 18 December.
We’ll assess and respond to all new applications and permit requests we receive after closure dates from 9am, Monday 5 January. The standard lead times apply with the application date beginning on Monday 5 January.
Our swimming pools will have the following opening hours:
- Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December, 6am to 4pm
- Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December, closed
- Boxing Day – Friday 26 December, 6am to 4pm
- New Year’s Eve – Wednesday 31 December, 6am to 4pm except Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool from 6am to 9am due to Sydney New Year’s Eve
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1 January, 8am to 4pm except Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool from 9am to 4pm.
On all other days the aquatic centres operate under usual opening hours.
Our gyms at Juanita Nielsen Community Centre and KGV Recreation Centre will close at 4pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January.
Our fitness centres at Cook + Phillip Park Pool, Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre, Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre and Victoria Park Pool will have the following opening hours:
- Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December, 6am to 4pm
- Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December, closed
- Boxing Day – Friday 26 December, 6am to 4pm
- New Year’s Eve – Wednesday 31 December, 6am to 4pm
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1 January, 8am to 4pm
On all other days the fitness centres operate under usual opening hours.
Our tennis courts can be booked for their usual opening hours over the holiday period.
The office and pro-shop at Prince Alfred Park tennis courts will have the following opening hours:
- Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December, 8am to 5pm
- Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December, closed
- Boxing Day – Friday 26 December, 5pm to 8pm
- Saturday 27 December to Tuesday 30 December, 8am to 5pm
- New Year’s Eve – Wednesday 31 December, 8am to 5pm
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1 January, 5pm to 8pm.
The office and kiosk at Rushcutters Bay tennis courts will have the following opening hours:
- Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December, 7am to 7pm
- Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December, closed
- Boxing Day – Friday 26 December, 7am to 8pm
- Saturday 27 December and Sunday 28 December, 7am to 9pm
- Monday 29 December and Tuesday 30 December, 7am to 10pm
- New Year’s Eve – Wednesday 31 December, 7am to 7pm
- New Year’s Day – Thursday 1 January, 9am to 7pm.
Request services are closed between Christmas and New Year.
Services will resume on Friday 2 January.
Our services and programs
As services and programs reopen in 2026, find out what’s on offer.
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