{"id":902147,"date":"2026-09-23T05:36:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T05:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/902147\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T05:36:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T05:36:19","slug":"sydney-nighttime-economy-why-spending-is-shifting-from-the-inner-city-to-the-west-and-south-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/902147\/","title":{"rendered":"Sydney nighttime economy: Why spending is shifting from the inner city to the west and south-west"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Cindy<\/p>\n

September 23, 2026 \u2014 11:30am<\/p>\n

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Nighttime spending in south-west and western Sydney is outpacing the eastern suburbs and inner west, underscoring the citywide trend of dining and entertainment hubs shifting west from the CBD.<\/p>\n

As concerns about affordability and safety ease, Australians are heading out an average of 80 nights a year, a 15 per cent increase from 69 nights out in 2025. Sydney is also closing the gap on Melbourne as the nation\u2019s top nighttime economy, 2025-26 card transaction data from Visa reveals.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Where Sydneysiders choose to spend money at night is changing too, highlighted by western Sydney\u2019s growing influence in Australia\u2019s nighttime economy.<\/p>\n

Compared with the previous year<\/a>, south-west Sydney jumped up eight spots in the Visa weighted rankings, which record all spending at night, such as at bars, pubs, and on entertainment, fast food, retail, and dining. Parramatta, Blacktown, and Sydney\u2019s inner south-west also climbed one to two spots in the national ranking.<\/p>\n

Visa Oceania\u2019s group country manager, Alan Machet, said part of the reason nightlife had diversified beyond late-night drinking in the inner city was because of the increase in activities in suburbs where more people live and work.<\/p>\n

But growth in the nighttime economy isn\u2019t solely tied to western Sydney\u2019s population growth.<\/p>\n

\"AnthonyAnthony Nguyen and Henry Nguyen (standing) are two of the organisers behind the booming outdoor space in Canley Vale attached to Lang An restaurant.Janie Barrett<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the bigger part is coming from people choosing those areas that have better infrastructure, better transport solutions,\u201d Machet said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see [places] where population growth is there, but you\u2019re not seeing that translate [to nighttime spending] because the infrastructure isn\u2019t keeping up with it. There isn\u2019t the diversity of nighttime options that\u2019s creating that vibrancy and excitement to go and try something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sydney\u2019s eastern suburbs and inner west have lagged, dropping eight and three ranks respectively. Dr Anna Edwards, research fellow at the University of Melbourne and an expert in the 24-hour economy, attributed this to many eastern suburbs residents preferring earlier lifestyles, which naturally shapes when and how people spend their money.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re well known for their morning economy \u2026 it\u2019s thriving in the morning as opposed to at night,\u201d Edwards said, pointing to morning routines of wellness activities, run clubs and lifestyle habits.<\/p>\n

Why spending has shifted<\/p>\n

These shifts in consumer behaviour did not emerge accidentally. They are the result of long-term investment in planning, public spaces and precinct activation making it easier and more appealing for people to head out after dark, Edwards said.<\/p>\n

The state government has introduced policies making it easier for businesses to operate at night. Among these are live music incentives: venues can stay open for two hours longer, with an 80 per cent reduction in liquor licence fees if they offer live music and performances.<\/p>\n

The so-called \u201cvibrancy\u201d laws have also included tearing up \u201cno entertainment\u201d clauses, restrictions on genres of music venues can play, as well as stopping single-neighbour noise complaints from shutting down pubs and other licensed venues. The government\u2019s 24-hour economy office found<\/a> the $110 billion nighttime sector is in better shape than it had been for a decade after years of lockout laws, COVID lockdowns and cost-of-living pressures.<\/p>\n

\"CustomersCustomers buy food from participating restaurants on the street in Canley Vale. Janie Barrett\"LiveLive music laws have changed to promote vibrancy in Sydney\u2019s suburbs and boost the nighttime economy.Janie Barrett\"InIn the mood for food: Tucking into dinner at Canley Vale has become a community event.Janie Barrett<\/p>\n

Visa\u2019s research found small businesses were the backbone of a vibrant nighttime economy. This is especially true for one bustling nighttime hub at Canley Vale<\/a>, a suburb in Sydney\u2019s growing south-west.<\/p>\n

Lang An is a Vietnamese-inspired street food and live entertainment hub open until midnight. When it\u2019s not used for outdoor dining, live music, and karaoke nights, it is used for dance practice or kung fu training for kids during the day.<\/p>\n

It sits within the broader Little Asia cultural district spearheaded by its chairman, Anthony Nguyen, who intended Lang An to be a free third space.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is purely for community,\u201d Nguyen, who grew up in the area, said. \u201cI have so much pride in Canley Vale. I feel like Canley Vale has been left in the dark compared to Cabramatta and Canley Heights. We want to change the narrative that Canley Vale is boring, that there\u2019s nothing here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where to next<\/p>\n

The business environment (the conditions to allow businesses to thrive at night) is strong in Sydney, but the harbour city still lags Melbourne in one persistent area: vibrancy.<\/p>\n

Vibrancy measures the number of people working, and the number of businesses trading at night. The more businesses open, the more options there are to spend time at them. The more options, the more people.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Kai<\/a><\/p>\n

The 24-hour economy office also identified a lack of late-night transport options<\/a> as one of three primary barriers to Sydneysiders going out, along with safety and affordability.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s [24-hour public transport] number one, but it\u2019s very close to the top in terms of what enables people to participate,\u201d Edwards said.<\/p>\n

While the government confirmed it was looking at 24-hour public transport for major events after a successful trial over the Mardi Gras weekend, it has not yet clarified what stage planning was at.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"CindyCindy Yin<\/a> is an urban affairs reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"September 23, 2026 \u2014 11:30am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":902148,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[64,63,99,164],"class_list":["post-902147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-business","tag-economy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=902147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902147\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/902148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=902147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=902147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=902147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}