Sydney Nightlife: Best Nights and Peak Hours by Area

When Sydney nightlife gets busy, night by night. BestTime forecasts.

Night by night

Busyness is shown as % of the venue's own weekly peak (100%), not a head count, and the peak hour shows when the average venue is fullest.

Sydney fills up early and empties fast. On Saturday the average venue is at 70% by 7 PM, holds 75% at 8 PM and 9 PM, and is still at 70% at 10 PM. Then it drops to 55% at 11 PM and 25% at midnight. By 2 AM it is at 10%.

Friday and Saturday share the same 45% average, but they differ in shape. Friday peaks a little lower at 70%, from 7 PM to 9 PM. Saturday is the busiest night for 56% of venues, against 32% for Friday. Saturday also has the most lively venues, at 87%.

Weeknights build steadily from Monday to Thursday. Thursday's 7 PM peak of 60% is the high point before the weekend. Sunday is an early night: it peaks at 6 PM (40%) and no venue in our set has Sunday as its busiest night.

Night by night at a glance

• Monday: peaks at 6 PM and 7 PM (30%), averaging 15%, with 5% of venues lively.
• Tuesday: peaks at 6 PM and 7 PM (45%), averaging 20%, with 21% of venues lively.
• Wednesday: peaks at 6 PM to 8 PM (50%), averaging 25%, with 32% of venues lively.
• Thursday: peaks at 7 PM (60%), averaging 30%, with 42% of venues lively.
• Friday: peaks at 7 PM to 9 PM (70%), averaging 45%, with 85% of venues lively.
• Saturday: peaks at 8 PM and 9 PM (75%), averaging 45%, with 87% of venues lively.
• Sunday: peaks at 6 PM (40%), averaging 15%, with 14% of venues lively.

Neighborhoods

Sydney CBD

The CBD's 39 venues are busiest on Friday and quietest on Sunday. This is the laneway and small-bar area around Clarence and York Streets. Friday peaks at 6 PM to 8 PM, with 95% of venues lively. Saturday peaks later, at 9 PM and 10 PM. Thursday matters here: 59% of CBD venues are lively that night.

The Baxter Inn, a basement whisky bar down a laneway off Clarence Street, peaks on Friday at 10 PM and is at 90% at 11 PM on both Friday and Saturday. The Duke of Clarence, an old English-style tavern in a laneway off Clarence Street, peaks on Thursday at 6 PM. El Loco at Slip Inn, a Mexican-themed bar on Sussex Street, peaks on Saturday at 11 PM.

The Baxter Inn:

The Duke of Clarence:

Kings Cross

Kings Cross, including Potts Point, has 12 venues in our set. Saturday is busiest, and Monday, Tuesday and Sunday are equally quiet. Friday peaks at 9 PM. Saturday peaks at 10 PM and 11 PM, and every venue here is lively that night.

Kings Cross Hotel, a multi-level pub on William Street with a rooftop bar, peaks on Saturday at 11 PM. Potts Point Hotel on Darlinghurst Road peaks on Friday at 9 PM. CULT peaks on Saturday at 11 PM but is at 15% at 11 PM on a Friday.

Kings Cross Hotel:

CULT:

Darlinghurst

Darlinghurst centres on Oxford Street, the heart of Sydney's gay nightlife. Its 9 venues are busiest on Saturday, which peaks at 10 PM and averages 60%. Friday peaks at 10 PM and 11 PM. Monday, Tuesday and Sunday are equally quiet.

The Soda Factory, a 1950s American diner-style bar on Wentworth Avenue, peaks on Friday at 10 PM. The Cliff Dive, a tiki-themed basement bar, peaks on Saturday at 11 PM. Universal Sydney also peaks on Saturday at 11 PM.

The Cliff Dive:

Newtown

Newtown's 21 venues lean hard on Saturday: 90% have it as their busiest night. King Street is lined with pubs and bars and has a strong alternative and LGBTQ+ scene. Friday peaks at 8 PM to 10 PM and Saturday at 9 PM and 10 PM. Monday and Tuesday are equally quiet, both at 10%.

Websters Bar Newtown, with its rooftop area, peaks on Saturday at 10 PM. The Marlborough Hotel, known locally as the Marly, peaks on Saturday at 11 PM. Courthouse Hotel, a pub with a beer garden on Australia Street, peaks earlier, on Saturday at 8 PM.

Websters Bar Newtown:

The Marlborough Hotel:

Surry Hills

Surry Hills has 16 venues and a dense pub and cocktail-bar strip. Friday and Saturday are equally busy, both averaging 50%, and every venue is lively on both nights. Friday peaks early, at 7 PM. Saturday peaks at 8 PM to 10 PM. Monday and Sunday are equally quiet.

Keg & Brew Hotel on Foveaux Street, Dove & Olive on Devonshire Street and Li'l Darlin Surry Hills all peak on Friday at 6 PM. The Rover peaks on Friday at 8 PM.

Keg & Brew Hotel:

The Rocks

The Rocks is Sydney's oldest neighbourhood, known for its historic pubs. Its 14 venues are busiest on Saturday and quietest on Monday. Friday peaks at 7 PM to 9 PM and Saturday at 6 PM to 9 PM, so this is an early-evening area.

The Oriana Sydney, at the northern end of the Overseas Passenger Terminal, peaks on Friday at 9 PM. Orient Hotel, a heritage pub on George Street, and The Ship Inn, a waterfront pub at Circular Quay, both peak on Saturday at 10 PM.

Orient Hotel:

Lively on a weeknight

The number below is how close each venue gets to its own peak late on Monday to Thursday, on average, between 9 PM and 2 AM.

Forest Lodge Hotel leads with 75%. Its busiest hour of the whole week is Tuesday at 8 PM, and it is only at 20% at 11 PM on a Friday.

The Oriana Sydney reaches 70% and peaks on Friday at 9 PM.

Zetland Hotel also reaches 70%, with its busiest hour on Thursday at 7 PM. Tea Gardens Hotel, Tennyson Hotel and Lakes Hotel reach 65%. Tea Gardens Hotel peaks on Saturday at 10 PM.

Zetland Hotel:

Busiest at 11 PM on a Friday

By 11 PM on a Friday the average Sydney venue is down to 50%. Five are at 100% at that hour: Maloney's Hotel, Plaza Hotel Sydney, The Soda Factory, The Civic Hotel and Coach and Horses Hotel.

Maloney's Hotel:

The Civic Hotel peaks on Friday at 11 PM and is at 80% at 11 PM on a Saturday. Coach and Horses Hotel also peaks on Friday at 11 PM.

Clubs

We analysed 25 venues listed as clubs. Saturday peaks at 11 PM, and Friday at 10 PM and 11 PM. Saturday averages 50% with 84% of clubs lively, against 45% and 64% on Friday. 60% of clubs have Saturday as their busiest night and 36% have Friday. Monday is their quietest night, with no club lively.

ivy Sydney peaks on Friday at 11 PM and is at 90% at 11 PM on Saturday.

Side Bar peaks on Saturday at 11 PM and is at 95% at 11 PM on Friday.

Side Bar:

Tips

• Arrive by 8 PM on a Saturday. The average venue is at 75% at 8 PM and 9 PM, then falls to 25% by midnight.
• For a late night, head to Darlinghurst or Kings Cross. Both peak at 10 PM or later on Saturday.
• Do Surry Hills on a Friday straight after work. It peaks at 7 PM, and several of its pubs peak at 6 PM.
• Start in The Rocks at 6 PM on Saturday, then move to Oxford Street for its 10 PM peak.
• On a Monday or Tuesday, try Forest Lodge Hotel. It peaks on Tuesday at 8 PM.
• Want space? Monday and Sunday are equally quiet, both averaging 15%.

How we measured

These numbers are BestTime forecasts, built from anonymized, aggregated phone location data combined with real-world signals such as weather, events and holidays. Busyness is a percentage of each venue's own busiest hour of the week (100%), so it is not a head count or capacity. Nights run from 6 AM to 5 AM, so 1 AM on Saturday morning counts as Friday night. The forecasts describe a typical week and do not cover seasons, holidays, special events or door queues. Read more about how the forecasts work.

Next steps

• Find busy bars tonight in the free Sydney bar guide.
• Check when clubs fill up in the free Sydney nightclub guide.
• Learn how to see if a bar or club is busy before you go.
• Browse all busy times guides.