Sydney’s night-time economy to receive a boost

group of people toasting with beer

The changes to be introduced are:

  • the removal of 1:30am last entry and restrictions on serving cocktails, shots and drinks in glass after midnight for all venues in the Sydney CBD and Oxford Street entertainment precincts
  • the extension of ‘last drinks’ at venues with good records by 30 minutes
  • the extension of bottle shop opening hours across NSW until midnight from Monday to Saturday, with 11:00pm closing on Sunday
  • an increased patron capacity for small bars from 100 to 120 across NSW.

Existing arrangements will remain in place for the Kings Cross precinct.

The NSW Government will introduce the changes following a review of the Joint Select Committee’s report on Sydney’s night time economy.

The Joint Select Committee’s report includes a review of the 2014 lockout laws. The lockout laws were introduced by the NSW Government following a number of alcohol-fuelled violent deaths and attacks in Sydney.

The committee consisted of members from all sides of politics working in consultation with police and health authorities, and taking feedback from community, and entertainment and live music stakeholders to develop the recommendations.

The changes will be implemented over summer to ensure that Sydney has a thriving, safe and diverse nightlife.

The government will monitor the impact of these changes and conduct a review after 12 months.

Read the full government response to the new recommendations on Sydney’s lockout laws

Find out more about the NSW Government’s investment in Sydney’s night-time economy

/Public Release. View in full here.