If you run a venue in the city and have noticed Tuesdays are particularly busy, you’re probably not just imagining it, with the City of Sydney’s latest economic insights report revealing this is when visits to the CBD peak.
The insights indicate the city’s high streets have had strong recovery over the past few years when compared with pre-pandemic patterns.
But it’s Stanley St, Haymarket, and Crown St where the spends have increased the most since 2019, up 48 per cent, 43.5 per cent, and 32.5 per cent respectively. The only street to decline is King St, down 2.8 per cent, which may be driven by its popularity with students who have been especially affected by cost-of living pressures.
The City of Sydney October 2025 insight report says the night-time economy (6pm to 6am) is a critical part of the city’s economy and identity.
The areas with the highest proportion of night-time spend relative to overall spend are Haymarket (39 per cent), Potts Point (37 per cent) and Redfern (29 per cent).
In Haymarket, recent upgrades to George Street and the revitalisation strategy have boosted its appeal after dark, while Potts Point continues to perform strongly in dining, the City of Sydney says.
“Redfern’s high share of spend at night relative to its daytime trade suggests it’s emerging as an area tailoring to night-time activity,” says the report.
Smaller high streets such as Stanley Street, Harris Street and Glebe Point Road recorded night-time spend shares below 10 per cent, the report says.
Meanwhile, in September 2025, Tuesday was the busiest day for visitors to the city, and in June and August too. In total, an average of 508,000 people tapped-off their opal cards in the city on Tuesdays in September.
“Spending in September remained strong, with weekly average consumer spend up 7.2 per cent compared to 2024,” says the report.
Total financial year spend:
Haymarket: $630m
Potts Point: $322m
Redfern: $264m
King St: $209m
Oxford St: $197m
Crown St: $160m
Glebe Point Rd: $75m
Harris St: $53m
Stanley St: $40m
Photography by Horace Young / Pexels.
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Maia Hart
