Has Sydney’s Nightlife Rebounded Post-Covid?

Sydney’s nightlife has changed dramatically over the last decade thanks to lock-out laws and the pandemic.  

It wasn’t long ago businesses were forced to close due to Covid- and with pubs shut and singing and dancing illegal, naturally, people turned to other forms of entertainment rather than grabbing a couple of drinks. 

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So what is it like right now? Have we improved or lost the long-standing competition against Melbourne as Australia’s social capital?

In today’s episode of THIS ARVO IN SYDNEY, host Sacha Barbour Gatt and LiSTNR journalist Kimberley Braddish chat about whether Sydney’s nightlife can bounce back to pre-pandemic times as well as the significant changes brought by lockdown laws that continue to shape people’s lives.

In 2014 the NSW Government introduced controversial lockout laws, following a spate of alcohol-fuelled violence resulting in the closure of over a hundred businesses. They were lifted in 2020.

This was followed by the 24-Hour Economy Strategy in September 2020, to revitalise Sydney’s nightlife and reputation as a 24-hour city – but has it worked?

According to Dr Peppin-Ness from the University of Sydney: yes! The general nightlife in NSW has grown by about 10.6% post-COVID.

Despite this massive turnaround for venues in Sydney’s CBD, psychologists and experts acknowledge there has been a flow-on effect with some people remaining anxious about big crowds and venues.

It’s still fine. I still had a great time. But as a single 30-year-old, I probably preferred it time before Covid, to be honest,”

A night-time reveller we spoke to.

CEO of Night Time Industries Association Mick Gibbs said it was essential to focus on safety issues and forming a more accessible transport when revitalising the city’s nightlife.

So really, it’s a way of making sure that people know this particular area is safe to go out in, and there’s the vibrancy and excitement that you’ll be looking for on a night out,”

CEO of Night Time Industries Association Mick Gibbs

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