Information for residents and business

What you need to know.

Residents and businesses in the City of Sydney

Sydney New Year’s Eve attracts more than 1 million people to Sydney Harbour.  With so many people celebrating in the city, getting around will be different and access to your property and parking will be affected.

There will be widespread road closures, on-street fencing and diversions to help people get around safely and move crowds towards public transport. 

Access to vantage points

Most vantage points around the harbour foreshore will have free access this year. With many people expected to attend these areas, it’s important to plan, arrive early together and secure your spot.

Here’s what businesses and residents need to know about Sydney New Year’s Eve 2023.

Parking restrictions and road closures

Special event clearway parking restrictions will be in effect on most roads across the city centre from 6am on New Year’s Eve to 4am on New Year’s Day. Times vary, check signs for details.

Clearways are strict no-parking zones and apply to all vehicle types including those with City of Sydney or Transport for NSW mobility scheme parking permits. Check signs carefully before parking on the day and the night before as vehicles left in clearways will be towed and a fee applies. If your vehicle is towed, call 132 701 or visit tfnswtowlink.my.site.com/findmycar/s/ to find its new location.

Roads start closing from as early as 4am on New Year’s Eve, with major closures from 7pm. Most roads reopen by 4am on New Year’s Day.

You must not exit a driveway or drive onto a closed road unless directed by the NSW Police Force. Vehicles driving through road closures pose a serious safety risk and will be treated as a direct threat to the safety of the general public.  Fines apply.

Find out more about road closures, cycleway and walkway closing times.

You can also browse through the full list of road closures or download the special event clearways and road closures map for city centre and Pyrmont.

Business operations

Access to your business may be affected.  Below are some important things to consider for your operations.

  • Keep footpaths clear.  Do not place bins, furniture, signs or other temporary equipment on them.

  • Review and consider alternative evacuation points and assembly areas as these may not be accessible on New Year’s Eve.

  • Talk with your employees and contractors about alternative access arrangements.  Tell your service providers about alternative pick-up and drop-off locations.

  • Help your guests and ticket holders plan their night.  You may want to include this information on your event and ticket communications: Getting in and out of the city centre is different on New Year’s Eve.  There will be road closures, on-street fencing and diversions to help people get around safely and move crowds to public transport.  Visit sydneynewyearseve.com/plan-your-nye for details

  • Communicate to any ticket holders attending events in the northern part of the city to arrive before 7pm or they may not be able to get in.

 If you’re hosting an event, you can list it on the City of Sydney’s free What’s On directory.  Visit whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Walking

Access for people walking around vantage points will be restructured.  There will be checkpoints throughout the city centre for local residents, event ticket holders and authorised employees.  Road closures may affect access to buildings for residents and businesses.

The way you arrive at your location may differ to the way you travel home.  Be prepared for a longer journey time and potential access delays to your property.  There will be wayfinding assistance on the night to guide pedestrians.

Public transport changes

With thousands of extra services, catching public transport is the best way to get around on New Year’s Eve.

Visit the public transport page for more information about trains, bus stops, metro, ferries, light rail and taxis.

Live transport and traffic updates

Follow @BusesInfo, @TrainsInfo, @sydneymetro and @FerriesInfo on X for real-time transport updates.

Visit livetraffic.com and follow @LiveTrafficSyd for real-time updates on road closures.