Wild scenes have emerged showing thousands of Aussies lining up in “absurdly” long queues outside pubs in Sydney on Anzac Day, eager for a game of two-up and to raise a glass to those who served.
Just after 8.30am, a massive line of patrons snaked around the block in Paddington, waiting to enter The London. It’s understood the venue is shutting down Underwood Street for “a full day of action”, including two-up, a barbecue and a DJ.
In Surry Hills, the queue for The Clock Hotel ran the length of the block.
At the same time, lines for the Clovelly Hotel stretched more than 100 metres down the street, with the popular Instagram page Bondi Lines telling Yahoo News it’s the “longest it’s ever been”.
Social media viewers questioned if it was worth it, while others labelled the lengthy queues as “nuts”.
In Surry Hills and Clovelly, similar scenes were spotted. Source: Instagram/tianamclennan, Instagram/BondiLines
“With that many people this morning, you’ll be lucky to get a drink every four hours,” one said.
Bondi Lines, the team behind the LINES app that tracks venue queues in real time, said this year’s turn out was already a record breaker.
“Across Paddington, they’ve been busier than they have in any other year,” co-founder Callum Weatherall told Yahoo News, saying they’ve “never seen anything like it”.
“All of Newtown as well is out of control.”
Callum said people began lining up as early as 7am, and those joining the back of the queue now would be in for a long wait.
“Once the venues hit capacity, it turns into one (person) in, one out, and at that point the lines just clog up, and some of them will get to as long as three hours.
“Each year it’s gotten busier and it looks like it’s going to keep growing.”
For those waiting for a calmer time to head to the pub, he recommended heading down after 2pm.
RELATED:
Warning issued ahead of chaotic Anzac Day scenes
April 25th is one of the biggest days of the year for pubs and clubs, occasionally leading to antisocial behaviour from unruly revellers.
This year, the NSW Liquor & Gaming Department issued a warning to participating venues ahead of the big day.
Venues don’t need a permit to host two-up, but they are required to ensure the game is run in its traditional format and that appropriate measures are in place to safely manage larger crowds, as well as the risks linked to alcohol service and gambling.
All advertising and promotions tied to Anzac Day must also comply with liquor promotion guidelines.
The department’s Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Dimitri Argeres said inspectors would be active across both metropolitan and regional NSW on Saturday.
“Inspectors will be out across the state to ensure venues are serving alcohol responsibly and meeting their obligations under NSW liquor and gaming laws,” he said.
How do you play two-up?
Two-up is played on Anzac Day, 25 April, as it was played by Australian soldiers during World War I.
There is a designated “spinner” tossing two coins into the air using a wooden paddle known as a kip, while players place bets on whether the coins will land as two heads, two tails, or one of each, continuing in rounds until a clear winning outcome is reached.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.