WinterFest at Hay St, Sydney’s winter playground, returns to Haymarket
WinterFest at Hay St transforms the Haymarket market into Sydney’s ultimate winter playground from 1st July to 2nd August, bringing together the world’s most loved cold-weather traditions under one roof. European Christmas market charm, alpine après-culture, and North American ice skating and college-party energy, all without leaving the city. Best of all, entry is free.
Experience the magic of winter as snow falls across Hay St’s central market. Combined with sparkling fairy lights, winter music and festive styling, the hourly snowfall moments create one of Sydney’s most immersive seasonal experiences, the kind built for lingering and for photos.
Skate beneath twinkling lights on the European-inspired ice rink from 9th to 19th July, Wednesday to Sunday, 45-minute sessions from 11am for $10.
Thursday 9th July will bring the viral Off Campus Party, inspired by the iconic American college party aesthetic, with DJs, cheerleaders, hockey players, and ice roller skaters, plus an $8 beer, $15 cocktail, and $5 taco happy hour from 5 to 9pm.
For something slower, Jazz by Candlelight on Saturday 25th July and Saturday 1st August turns Hay St into an intimate candlelit venue lit by hundreds of flickering candles, with live jazz, premium wines and winter-inspired dining from 6 to 9pm, free entry.
Running alongside all of it, Hay St’s traders have built a Winter Feast menu worth eating your way through. Raclette stations and croque-monsieur at Fina Deli, truffle gnocchi and pumpkin risotto at Pasta e Basta, slow-braised lasagne and crumbed pork cutlet at Pizzarina, porchetta and a Fireside Frost cocktail at Traders Bar, and mulled wine and cider on rotation across the precinct. Designed for repeat visits, there’s something new to discover every week through the month.