Happy Hours, from Eastside Sydney, is the first festival to emerge this summer, offering more than 100 mouthwatering food and drink deals as well as performances in smaller bars and venues, inspiring city dwellers to rediscover their neighbourhoods. It’s the second time the area has hosted Happy Hours, with locals encouraged to get out and support small businesses after more than 100 days of lockdown.
“We felt it was so important to give performers a chance to perform again,” Festival Director, Lorraine Lock says. “It’s been a long time between curtain calls.”
Some of the Happy Hours moments that can’t be missed include ‘Xmas Under The Sea With Seann Miley Moore’, as Sean poses as a life drawing model, hosts a singalong and discusses some deep and meaningful things; ‘Style Stories: The Glittering Mile’, a live podcast and fashion parade about the fashions of the Cross, once called the Glittering Mile; ‘Summer? I Hardly Even Know Her!’, a night of stories from some of Sydney’s finest queer comedians, writers and performers; ‘Stargazing V:2’, an immersive adventure of queer magic from Queer Sydney; and ‘Meet Me On Stanley’, as Stanley Street comes alive with food, drink, outdoor dining and live performance.
Image © Steven Woodburn
“It has never been more important for Sydney to support its local businesses than in 2021. With over 18 months without international tourists, many struggled to keep afloat,” Darlinghurst Business Partnership President Stephan Gyory says.
“Our precincts have the best that Sydney has to offer, and now is the time to show them our love. We know that locals will come out in their droves during Happy Hours, like they’ve done before, to support these neighbourhoods.
“Our team has worked incredibly hard and quickly to put together a top-class array of activities within this year’s event and I for one am looking forward to getting out and about once more.”
Happy Hours runs from 25 November-5 December at Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and Potts Point.
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