Sydney Australia lights up December with Christmas street decorations. From art to kitsch: decorated trees, blinking LEDs, blow-up Santas, flying reindeer.
Christmas in Sydney means
- decorated trees everywhere
- thousands of sparkling lights
- animated window displays
- lots of family events.
- concerts with carols and Christmas songs for kids
Christmas Street Decorations in the City
Sydney Australia’s buildings and parks are bathed in ever-changing coloured lights and patterns throughout December.
A stroll around any street will pretty much guarantee you a xmas display.
Hyde Park always looks magical at night, and all the buildings along Macquarie Street will be lit up.
It’s also fun to wander around The Rocks. And, of course, the Sydney Town Hall and, from there on, down to Darling Harbour.
After you’ve seen the outdoor Christmas lights, the city stores are choc-a-bloc with Christmas window decorations.
Both the large Sydney department stores, David Jones and Myers, are creative with their animated Christmas decorations. They’re always worth a look, even without children as the excuse.
Christmas Trees
Outdoor christmas tree lights are absolutely everywhere. Sydney Australia’s ‘big’ xmas tree is in Martin Place. It is 21 metres high with over 58,000 LED lights, 315 star lights and a 1.5 metre seven-pointed star on the top.
Each year in Sydney Australia, in the second half of November, there’s a children’s christmas concert in Martin Place.
It finishes with the lighting of the xmas tree and a firework display. Its usually from 1800-2030 (6pm – 8.30pm).
And don’t forget Sydney’s annual Carols in the Domain in December.
There are lots more decorated christmas trees in Sydney.
There’s a large tree outside Customs House in Circular Quay and Darling Harbour always has at least one big tree.
Unofficial Christmas Street Decorations
For complete ‘over the top’ christmas decorations outdoor, join the hundreds of Sydneysiders who make an annual pilgrimage to see the outdoor xmas decorations in the suburbs.
Prancing reindeer, dancing christmas lights, inflatable christmas decorations, homemade christmas decorations – the list goes on.
There are whole streets with house after house exhibiting extravagant light displays.
This is the Overton’s house at 7 Mallee Street, Quakers Hill in Sydney’s west.
There’s a whole Christmas village in their front yard.
Peter Overton spends months in his home workshop each year making the Christmas decorations. These include motorised reindeer and a snow machine.
On any December evening the house may be visited by the Australian Salvation Army band, local church carollers or a neighbourhood Santa Claus.
As in many houses with Christmas lights, visitors are invited to make donations towards a charity, children’s hospital or other good cause.
The Santa and his penguins, at the top of the page, are another installation in the same street.
Find The Best Displays
Each year sees a new crop of Sydney houses with spectacular outdoor Christmas decorations. Radio stations run competitions to identify them (try 2GB on 873 AM). For an up-to-date list of the top rated displays in Sydney click here.
Details of all ‘official’ Sydney Christmas events are here
More Things for Children
A useful resource to keep in mind is Sydney City Library. Not only does it have branches throughout the city that you can use, there are many other resources available to visitors as well as residents.