A blockbuster events calendar, packed hotels and cricket whites are delivering a much-needed lift to Sydney and regional NSW.
Sydney is doing what it does best, rolling out the red carpet and filling hotel rooms, thanks to a summer events program that is already pumping an estimated $250 million into the New South Wales visitor economy.
According to Accommodation Australia, strong December occupancy figures combined with a calendar bursting at the seams with sport, culture and music are setting the state up for a bumper January, particularly across Greater Sydney.
Accommodation Australia chief executive James Goodwin said the Minns Government deserved credit for delivering more than 20 major cultural and sporting events that are drawing visitors not just to the Harbour City, but deep into regional NSW.
“Sydney really is the home of world-class events and that’s on display right now,” Mr Goodwin said.
The New Year’s Eve fireworks may have faded from memory, but the economic afterglow remains. The United Cup at Ken Rosewell Arena is underway, the New Year’s Ashes Test has cricket tragics flocking to the SCG, and the Sydney Festival is about to lift the curtain.
“That’s an estimated $250 million spend in the visitor economy with accommodation hotels, pubs, restaurants, retailers and transport providers all directly benefiting,” Mr Goodwin said.
Those benefits are already showing up in the numbers. Sydney recorded an average December occupancy of 80.3 per cent, up 3.7 per cent year-on-year, while the CBD ran even hotter at 83.6 per cent, a 3.1 per cent lift.
Mr Goodwin said events such as the Ashes were economic heavyweights, attracting dedicated international visitor groups, such as the UK’s famously loud and loyal Barmy Army.
“Every major event means more tourists, more tourism dollars, more hotel rooms filled, more tables in cafes and restaurants booked—and that means more jobs for the people of Sydney,” he said.
Importantly, the party does not stop at the city limits. Thousands are expected at the Parkes Elvis Festival, while the Tamworth Country Music Festival kicks off on 16 January, delivering a powerful boost to regional accommodation and hospitality.
Mr Goodwin praised the Minns Government and Tourism Minister Steve Kamper for keeping tourism front and centre as the state looks ahead to 2026.
After a difficult end to 2025, NSW’s summer of events is proving that when Sydney shines, the whole state feels the warmth.
by Christine Nguyen – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 2 minutes.
About the Writer.
Christine’s journey is one of quiet courage and unmistakable grace. Arriving in Australia as a young refugee from Vietnam, she built a new life in Sydney brick by brick, armed with little more than hope, family, and a fierce curiosity about the wider world. She studied Tourism at TAFE and found her calling in inbound travel, working with one of Sydney’s leading Destination Management Companies—where she delighted in showing visitors the real Australia, the one beyond postcards and clichés.
Years later, when the call of the sea and a gentler pace of life grew stronger, Christine and her family made their own great escape. She turned her creative hand to designing travel brochures and writing blogs, discovering that storytelling was as natural to her as breathing. Today, she brings that same warmth and worldly insight to Global Travel Media, telling stories that remind us why we travel in the first place.
