Lakemba Nights during Ramadan
| Lakemba Nights during Ramadan | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Dates | Thursday to Sunday during Ramadan |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location | Lakemba |
| Inaugurated | 2007 |
| Previous event | 2025 |
| Next event | 2026 |
| Attendance | 1.6 million (2024) |
| Activity | Food from multiple cultures |
| Organised by | City of Canterbury Bankstown |
| Website | www |
Lakemba Nights during Ramadan (formerly known as Ramadan Nights, Lakemba) is a festival in the western Sydney suburb of Lakemba that takes place during Ramadan. The festival takes place along Haldon Street.
History
The festival started in 2007 and as of 2022 can attract up to 30,000 attendees on weekends.[1][2]
Reforms took place in 2024 to streamline the running of the event including a name change from "Ramadan Nights, Lakemba" to "Lakemba Nights".[3][4]
In 2024, the festival was attended by 1.6 million people from all over Australia.[5]
In 2025, the festival had around 51,000 visitors per day over the 20 nights it was open.[6]
Reception
When the festival was renamed from Lakemba Ramadan Nights to Lakemba Nights, the reaction from western Sydney's Muslim and non-Muslim community was mixed.[2]
Muslims have been critical that there is a much larger share of non-Muslim patronage and fewer true links to Ramadan at the festival.[7]
Funding
The New South Wales state government partially funds the event via their Vibrant Streets Package under the Permit/Plug/Play Pilot Program. The event is also funded by the Multicultural NSW Stronger Together Local Council Major Festival Grant. The event is sponsored by Western Union, SBS and Sydney Water.[6]
References
- ^ Chrysanthos, Natassia (8 April 2022). "How a barbecue stand in Lakemba turned into Sydney's biggest street food festival". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Tamer, Rayane (2 March 2025). "'Outgrown Ramadan': Fears Australia's biggest food market has lost its roots". SBS News. Archived from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ Segaert, Anthony (24 October 2024). "A million people visited Lakemba's night markets this year. There's a big shake-up coming". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Todoroski, Caitlyn (30 November 2024). "Sydney's popular and tasty Lakemba night markets will never look the same". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ Brown, Hudson (19 February 2025). "Lakemba Nights Is Returning for Ramadan in 2025 with 60-Plus Food Stalls and Trucks Primed to Break Your Fast". Concrete Playground. Archived from the original on 29 March 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Record-breaking daily attendance at Lakemba Nights during Ramadan" (Media release). City of Canterbury Bankstown. 9 April 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Rachwini, Mostafa (26 March 2023). "'It's not ours any more': the changing face of Lakemba's Ramadan night markets". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
Further reading
- Treasure, Avril (18 March 2025). "Lakemba Nights". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 30 December 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- Rachwini, Mostafa and Earl, Carly (9 May 2021). "Ramadan night markets: Sydneysiders celebrate at Lakemba after sunset – photo essay". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2026.