Global music stars, immersive art installations, skateboarding spectacles and some of Sydney’s most talked about street food will transform the heart of Parramatta into a vibrant playground of culture and creativity when Parramatta Lanes returns next month.
Leading this year’s music line-up is ARIA Award-winning powerhouse Genesis Owusu, alongside acclaimed US poet and performer Aja Monet, legendary American bassist Nik West, Japanese dance music duo Stereo Champ, rising indie star Esha Tewari, genre-defying collective Shady Nasty and Luritja singer-songwriter from Papunya, Keanu Nelson.
Making his festival debut, Dim Sim Lim will serve up bold Asian street food flavours, featuring crispy honey chicken and Flying Bowl Noodles from Dumpling King, dumpling cups from Dragon Express and colourful tanghulu and Dragon’s Breath treats from Fruity Poppin.
The free festival, running from 21-24 October, will also transform Parramatta CBD into an arts playground featuring Benjamin Akuila’s PurseZilla, an illuminated sculpture inspired by culture, identity and community, Mechelle Bounpraseuth’s Ma ma ma exaggerated offerings of fruit and condiments as well as immersive experiences including Samuel Kim and Lawrence Liang’s OURO and Rosie Deacon’s colourful The Great Putty Pop-Up: Art Mini Golf.
City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said the flagship festival continues to cement Parramatta’s reputation as Australia’s most exciting cultural destination.
“Parramatta Lanes is where our City’s creativity comes alive across four nights of incredible food, world-class entertainment, art, culture and experiences that you won’t find anywhere else in Sydney,” Cr Zaiter said.
“From international headline acts to talent from Western Sydney, this year’s program celebrates everything that makes Parramatta such a dynamic destination.
“This festival is one of the highlights of our event calendar, bringing people together through music, art, food and culture while showcasing the incredible diversity and creativity that define Western Sydney.”
Festival-goers can also experience the return of Parranda Down Under at the Latin Quarter, Bodega Collective’s Pass the Mic Grand Final, Red Bull Turn It Up and Concrete Plaza, a program of skateboarding activations across all four days. They can also enjoy strolling along George Street, which will be closed to vehicles within festival boundaries.
Food lovers can sink their teeth into everything from woodfired pizza to viral tanghulu, loaded street food creations, charcoal-grilled skewers, authentic hawker classics and sweet treats from across the globe.
More foodie crowd favourites include Bianco’s signature pasta finished inside a wheel of Grana Padano, Burger Head, Bossman Eat Street Car Park takeover, May’s Malaysian Hawker, Satay Brothers, Tokyo Taco, Antico Woodfire Pizza, KOI Dessert Bar, Mix Mix Co. and many more.
Parramatta Lanes is proudly funded by the City of Parramatta and the NSW Government’s 4 Year Multi-year Funding program led by Create NSW and the Open Streets Program 2025-28 led by Transport for NSW.
The City of Parramatta received a $350,000 grant through the Open Streets Program to deliver the event over three years.
Member for Parramatta Donna Davis said “Parramatta Lanes is an amazing opportunity for locals and visitors to come together through music, art and food.
“This year Lanes will once again transform Parramatta into a buzzing, vibrant hub for people of all ages to enjoy.
“Backed by the Minns Government’s continued support of events in Western Sydney, Parramatta Lanes is a great example of how support for the night time economy can be a boost for local businesses and creatives.”
Other highlights include:
- Bossman: Western Sydney collective Bossman takes over Eat Street carpark with DJs, live performances and street food.
- Wingstop: vibrant laneway activation transforming Civic Link and the area outside its store with a 92Wrld-curated music stage with nightly live performances and a Wingstop food truck.
- Sound Off by Low and Slow: featuring Siren cars, MidBox sound systems mounted on vehicle roofs blasting music accompanied by large-scale video projections.
This event has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
For the full program and event information, visit Parramatta Lanes 2026.
For more information on the Open Streets Program, visit Transport for NSW.
