Sydney – Leading Australia on the world stage
Sydney – vibrant, cosmopolitan, creative and naturally beautiful - is Australia’s global city.
Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s largest State, home to a third of Australia’s population and receives the biggest share of Australia’s domestic and international tourism.
The city is Australia’s lifestyle, business, media and creative capital, its international aviation gateway, a leading Asia Pacific financial centre and the nation’s economic powerhouse, alone accounting for 25 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product.
With a culturally-diverse population of 4.3 million and over 140 languages spoken, Sydney is one of the world’s best-known city brands, amid world-famous attractions and international icons. For the third year in in a row, Sydney has ranked in the top three cities in the world in the Anholt City Brands Index.
Home to one of the world’s most stunning harbours and blessed by a sunny, near-perfect climate, Sydney’s setting guarantees its place among the world’s most glamorous cities.
Natural treasures surround Sydney with the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, Central Coast and Hunter Valley wine region a day trip away.
Host City – Sydney
As well as playing host to some of the world’s biggest international events, Sydney offers residents and visitors an eclectic, year-round choice of sport, business, arts, entertainment, cultural and lifestyle events in an array of world class stadiums, theatres, performance spaces and other venues.
Sydney has hosted some of the world’s biggest international events including the ‘best ever’ 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 2002 Gay Games, Rugby World Cup 2003, APEC 2007, FIFA Congress 2008, World Youth Day 2008 (featuring a Papal visit), the World Masters Games in 2009 and Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2010.
In coming years, Sydney will host the International FIFA Fan Fest (Sydney is Australia’s and Asia’s Exclusive Official FIFA Fan Fest City for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™), Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series, Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival and Lions Clubs International Convention in 2010, a World Rally Championship round in northern NSW in 2011, the Rotary International Convention in 2014 and ICC Cricket World Cup matches in 2015.
Sydney offers a range of exciting world class festivals that highlight the creative energy and vibrancy of our city including Sydney Festival, Vivid Sydney, Crave Sydney, Sydney Film Festival and Sydney Writers’ Festival.
Sport is an important part of the identity and culture of Sydney and NSW. A number of national sports governing bodies call Sydney home including the Australian Olympic Committee, Football Federation Australia, Australian Rugby Union, National Rugby League and Australian Rugby League.
Sydney’s major events and cultural assets create the backbone to the city’s attractiveness as a place to live, work and visit.
Access Sydney
Sydney International Airport is Australia’s international aviation gateway and domestic airport with an average 90,000 passenger movements each day. Servicing over 40 international airlines, it accounts for half of all Australia’s international passengers and is just 9km from the CBD and major hotels
The city’s public transport system is Australia’s largest, carrying two million passengers every weekday on rail, bus, ferry, light rail, monorail, taxi and water taxi services.
Sydney has some of the best hotels in Asia-Pacific with nearly 30 five star hotels and 18,000 rooms in three, four and five star categories.
The proven event management expertise of NSW Government agencies is available to support the operational delivery of major events in Sydney through whole-of-government coordination led by the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet and Events NSW.
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