Sydney Fish Market Opening Date January 2026

Sydney Fish Market Finally Confirms Opening Date

After years of delays, lawsuits, and Christmas prawn marathons, the $700 million Blackwattle Bay icon is officially set to open January 19 2026, and it’s going to be massive.

The Big Splash: January 19 2026

Sydney’s long-awaited new fish market is officially set to throw open its doors on Monday January 19 2026, after years of legal battles, construction drama, and push-backs that could rival the light rail saga. The $700 million development will replace the original Pyrmont site (est. 1966) with a three-storey waterfront precinct that’s equal parts fish, feast, and architectural flex.

Cross the Anzac Bridge and you can’t miss it; that 200-metre-wide angular roof arches over Blackwattle Bay like Sydney’s newest cultural landmark. Premier Chris Minns is calling it “a magnet for tourists,” and with more than six million visitors expected annually, this isn’t just a facelift, it’s a new era for Sydney seafood.

But beyond the architectural theatrics and foodie hype, this is also a wellness story. Fresh, sustainably sourced seafood is one of the most nutrient-dense, omega-3-rich foods on the planet, and this new precinct puts it front and centre. With sashimi bars, olive oil boutiques, and late-night waterfront dining, Sydney Fish Market 2.0 is set to become a destination where culture, clean eating, and lifestyle collide; the kind of place where a sunset oyster run counts as self-care.

The Last Hurrah at the Old Site

Before the new era begins, the original Pyrmont markets are going out with a bang. This December marks the final 36-hour seafood marathon, a round-the-clock buying frenzy where over 150,000 Sydney-siders line up for their Christmas prawns, oysters, and bugs.

This year’s event (from 5 am on December 23) will be the last ever at the old site, a proper farewell to the market that’s fed the city for nearly six decades.

Why the Wait? A Quick History of the Delays

Plans to move the Sydney Fish Market were first floated in 2016, with approval granted in 2020 for a new site on Bridge Road. But since then, it’s been a rocky swim:

Legal disputes and planning objections from locals slowed progress.
COVID-era supply chain chaos pushed back critical build stages.
Environmental design tweaks were needed to meet new standards for Blackwattle Bay.
Fit-outs lagged as dozens of retailers needed extra time to get operational.

CEO Daniel Jarosch says the January date ensures they can “open with a bang” giving retailers time to finish interiors, train staff, and prep for the crowds. Construction is expected to be complete by mid-November 2025, with a summer shakedown to follow.

Longer Hours, Bigger Buzz

Trading will run until 10 pm daily (compared to the previous 4pm close), turning the markets into a sunset seafood destination. Picture golden hour on the harbour, Anzac Bridge in the background, gelato in hand, sashimi plate in the other.

The precinct will be highly connected with two light rail stops, new pedestrian paths, a planned ferry wharf, and a future Pyrmont metro station, making it a genuinely walkable and transit-friendly hub.

Photo credit: Sydney Fish Market / NSW Government

Ice Machines the Size of Shipping Containers, Sashimi Like You’ve Never Seen

Inside, the scale borders on the theatrical. On the ground level, seafood will be wheeled in by the boatload, kept fresh by a custom ice machine the size of a shipping container, capable of churning out the equivalent of 6,000 bags a day.

Public walkways of glass let visitors peer down into the working wet market and a classroom-style auction room, where buyers bid on the morning catch through an app. Upstairs? Think cathedral of seafood: all your old favourites plus Luke Nguyen’s Lua, Dirty Red’s Touch Wood café, and newcomers slinging gelato, flowers, and wine like it’s the Riviera.

Photo credit: Steve Markham / AAP - This image shows the classroom-style auction room inside the new Sydney Fish Market, the space where buyers will bid on the morning catch via an app, visible through public viewing windows.

All the Retailers You’ll Find

The three levels will feature more than 40 food, drink, and specialty retailers, blending heritage names with fresh newcomers:

Seafood & Fresh Food

Christie’s Seafood
Claudio’s Seafood
Nicholas Seafood
Musumeci Seafood
Peter’s Fish Market (now with takoyaki and aburi bars)
Fish Market Café
Get Fish
Get Sashimi (including sushi train & Japanese diner)
Nanjing Dumplings
Lua (Luke Nguyen’s Southeast Asian restaurant)
Tam Jiak by Ho Jiak (Junda Khoo’s Malaysian concept)
Hamsi (Turkish charcoal & mezze by Somer Sivrioglu / Efendy team)

Dining & Cafés

Cow & The Moon (gelateria)
Gotcha Fresh Tea
La Dea Pizza
Luneburger (German bakery)
Mani (modern Asian fusion)
Ichie
Squid Ink Bar & Grill
Sergio (high teas, cakes & pastries)
Sushi Oe
The Japanese Collective (ramen, donburi, seafood BBQ, sake bar)
Touch Wood (from Glebe’s Dirty Red)
TJ’s Po Boys (Southern-style lobster rolls)
Top Juice
Boatshed Café
Little Red Wine Bar

Specialty & Deli

Blackwattle Deli
Fisherman’s Fine Wines
Olivetta (specialty olive oils)
Boatshed Gifts
Green Valley Goes Nuts
Scoop
Mayfarm Flowers
Leyrd
Net & Tackle Sales

The BioHax Take

This isn’t just a market relocation, it’s a culinary and cultural reset. Sydney has been waiting almost a decade for a food precinct that can rival global icons like Tsukiji in Tokyo or Barcelona’s La Boqueria. With extended hours, serious culinary firepower, and a roofline that demands a drone shot, this is poised to become one of the city’s most magnetic wellness-adjacent destinations.

And for the gut health crew? You’re looking at some of the freshest omega-3 sources in the country, sashimi bars on tap, and olive oil boutiques that’ll make your liver sing.