Record-breaking crowds descended on the Sydney Fish Market for its final 36-hour Christmas seafood marathon at its historic Pyrmont site, causing severe traffic congestion as thousands sought their festive feasts.
A Festive Farewell and Record Haul
The marathon, a decades-long tradition for families stocking up for Christmas, ran non-stop from 5am on 23 December until 5pm on Christmas Eve. This farewell edition proved the most popular yet, with more than 100,000 visitors passing through the doors. They snapped up a staggering 350 tonnes of seafood, including 120 tonnes of prawns and nearly 70,000 dozen oysters.
The event marked the end of an era for the world's third-largest fish market at its current location. The atmosphere was thick with nostalgia as shoppers bid goodbye to the Pyrmont site ahead of its relocation just metres away to the new Blackwattle Bay waterfront complex in January 2026.
Traffic Meltdown and Midnight Queues
The unprecedented demand created traffic chaos in the Pyrmont area. By late morning, the main car park and the overflow facility at Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay were completely full, leaving drivers stranded in lengthy jams.
Incredible footage showed queues of vehicles with headlights snaking along Pyrmont Bridge Road, with motorists crawling towards the market well past midnight. Social media was flooded with images and videos of cars waiting for hours just to enter the precinct.
Even in the early hours, the market buzzed with activity. At 1am, crowds continued to surge under the fluorescent lights, hauling away boxes of fresh prawns and oysters. Exhausted but exhilarated shoppers took to social media to share the experience.
Social Media Reaction and Future Plans
One shopper posted, 'Last time at the old fish market too! I’ve never seen so many people here!' Another declared at 11:55pm, 'Five minutes to Christmas Eve, Sydney Fish Market is bursting.' Posts continued through the night and into the morning, with one person noting at 7am that it was still 'packed.'
One user sharing a video asked, 'Guess where is the most lit place in Sydney on Christmas Eve?' while another simply commented, 'That is insane!'
The current Pyrmont site is scheduled for demolition in early 2026 to make way for a major urban renewal project. Developers plan upmarket residential towers, landscaped green spaces, and a waterfront promenade to reconnect the area with Sydney Harbour.
The new $700-$750 million Sydney Fish Market at Blackwattle Bay promises improved facilities, better parking, and enhanced sustainability features. The future precinct will mix apartments, retail, and public spaces while preserving nods to the area's maritime history. Construction is set to begin soon after the market's move, with completion targeted for the early 2030s.
