Inner West Council Reacts to City of Sydney’s Live Music Restrictions in Parks, Embraces Additional Events

The Inner West Council has reacted to the City of Sydney’s comprehensive ban on live music and other events in council parks by proposing to host additional events in its area.

In case you missed it, this week, the City of Sydney announced that live music events would no longer be permitted in council parks due to climate change. This decision has resulted in “severe weather events” and significant time and expenses related to re-turfing grass following major events.

The Council noted that re-turfing grass comes with a hefty price tag—repairing the damaged grass can reach as high as $250,000 and may require fencing for up to 13 weeks.

While live music events in City of Sydney parks are now prohibited, the Council remains supportive of events like Mardi Gras Fair Day, the Yabun Festival, and the Pyrmont Food and Wine Festival.

The Inner West Council has invited “any displaced event promoters and organisers” to consider moving their events to Inner West Sydney.

Describing the Inner West as the “beating heart and soul” of Sydney’s music and cultural landscape, the Council is eager to ensure that festivals and events continue to thrive in the city despite the City of Sydney’s new policy.

Mayor Darcy Byrne stated, “We’re reaching out to all festival promoters and organisers to let them know our door is open for those who wish to bring their events to our parks and venues.”

“Sydney cannot afford to lose any more of its live music events, and we disagree with the City of Sydney about restricting the use of parks for these cultural activities.”

Byrne further remarked that the decision to ban events in parks is a “retrogressive step” and encouraged the City of Sydney council to seek solutions rather than impose blanket bans.

Byrne added, “We have a variety of iconic venues and parks, including Enmore Park, Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Leichhardt Oval, and Henson Park, that are available for live performances and festivals.”

“We encourage anyone in the music industry interested in holding events in Sydney to reach out to us directly to explore all possibilities for hosting them in the People’s Republic of the Inner West.”