Guide to Oxford Street
Updated 6 months ago
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Oxford Street is one of Sydney’s most important thoroughfares. Though it starts at Bondi Junction and runs all the way to the CBD, it’s best known for its Paddington and Darlinghurst sections.
In the 1980s, Oxford Street – the Darlo strip in particular – was the heart of Sydney’s nightlife. The area was particularly important to Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community, which helped turn Sydney into one of the world’s party capitals by the turn of the millennium. That influence is celebrated each year at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade – one of the world’s largest parties and one of the most anticipated days in Sydney’s cultural calendar.
During the lockout law era, the street’s nightclubs took a big hit. But its bars and restaurants picked up the slack, particularly on the Paddo end of Oxford Street. In the 2010s, many of Sydney’s best restaurants and bars (including the world-renowned Saint Peter) opened on Oxford – so the street’s never stopped being a destination.
With lockouts now lifted and nightlife well on its way back, you can now enjoy some of Sydney’s best drinking and dining before the party gets started. And by day, Oxford is arguably the best place in Sydney for shopping. You’ll find plenty of independent fashion, beauty and homeware retailers on the strip, alongside more established names
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