When Parramatta Lanes lights up, the City shifts gear.
Laneways hum. Shopfronts stay open late. Music spills onto the street. And local businesses become part of something bigger — shaping the experience, feeding the crowds and telling their own stories in new ways.
In 2025, that energy translated into real impact.
Across four nights, generated an estimated 4.9% uplift* in local spending, with 72% of that spend coming from visitors to the area, not just locals. The result? Fuller restaurants, busier shops and new audiences discovering what Parramatta businesses have to offer.
*All statistics sourced from banking transaction data.
Turning a busy week into a big moment
For businesses, Parramatta Lanes offers foot traffic, exposure to new audiences and an opportunity to align with a much-loved, award-winning festival.
A chance to be creative, to experiment. To stay open later. To try something new, in front of thousands of people ready to explore.
Beatdisc Records leaned all the way in.
Celebrating 30 years, the long-standing store stayed open late and transformed its space into a live music stage. Vinyl, DJs and crowds filled the store and outside the Queensland Arcade, turning a milestone birthday into a city-wide moment.
“We've been huge fans of Parramatta Lanes since it began in 2011, so it was an absolute honour to host our own lane in 2025,” says Beatdisc Records owner Peter Curnovic. “Rolling our 30th anniversary into the event worked perfectly & we loved seeing longtime regulars alongside tons of new faces who discovered the shop for the first time through the festival. Lanes really succeeds at getting people out and about to support local businesses and showcasing Parramatta.”
Nearby, Eckersley’s Art & Craft invited people to step inside and get hands-on. Their “paint your partner” activation brought colour, laughter and a steady stream of visitors — many discovering the store for the first time.
“Being involved in Parramatta Lanes was a fantastic opportunity for Eckersley’s to connect with the local community in a special way. The event created a vibrant atmosphere throughout the precinct and allowed us to showcase creativity, run an engaging art activity and introduce our brand to people who may not have visited our store before,” says Store Manager Tori Hanshaw.
“We saw great engagement throughout the event, with strong foot traffic, new faces discovering Eckersley’s and plenty of conversations with locals who were excited to learn more about art and creativity. It was a great way to increase our visibility within the community while creating memorable experiences beyond the traditional retail environment.
We would absolutely recommend other businesses get involved in Parramatta Lanes. It’s a very well-organised event that brings together local businesses, creatives and the community providing a unique opportunity to build brand awareness.”
Out in Parramatta Square, Sol Bowl stepped beyond its usual footprint, serving up a limited menu from a festival food stall. That move put their brand right in the middle of the action — reaching new customers in a completely different setting.
And for Baba Ghanouj, Parramatta Lanes continues to build on a tradition. Year after year, they extend their dining experience outdoors — tables under fairy lights, live music drifting through the street, and plates moving quickly from kitchen to crowd.
More visitors, more spend, more reasons to explore
The numbers tell a clear story — but the energy on the ground tells an even better one.
- Retail, hospitality and entertainment* spend all increased during the event
- Accommodation saw a notable spike*, signalling more overnight visitors
- Friday night delivered the biggest surge in spending, bringing the city centre to life after dark
- The average spend reached $71.50* per person, with even higher spend from visitors travelling in
*All statistics sourced from banking transaction data.
Visitors came from across Western Sydney and beyond — from Cumberland and Blacktown through to Camden and the Hills* — bringing new energy and new customers into the CBD.
A platform for local stories
What makes Parramatta Lanes different is how it brings businesses into the story.
It’s not just stalls and stages. It’s record shops hosting gigs. Art stores turning retail into experience. Restaurants spilling out onto the street and into the night.
It’s local operators shaping what the festival feels like — and in return, gaining visibility, trialling new ideas, and connecting with audiences they might not reach otherwise.
Looking ahead
For businesses thinking about getting involved, we're inviting local businesses to submit their expression of interest in getting involved in Parramatta Lanes 2026.
Create an activation or offer something special after hours and reach a growing audience of hundreds of thousands discovering the city.
