King Street Crawl is making its way back to the Inner West this Sunday for a packed day (and night) of free live music.
The Crawl will light up Newtown, Enmore, Erskineville and Marrickville, with more than 40 participating venues hosting more than 250 artists throughout the day.
Participants of the Crawl will have free entry to over 50 venues across the Inner West suburbs, including favourite nightlife hotspots Botany View Hotel, The Marly, BUDDY’S and Pleasure Club.
What is the King Street Crawl?
Back in 2014, former Annandale Hotel owner Matt Rule witnessed the devastating impact of Sydney’s lockout laws firsthand. Determined to stop Newtown from suffering the same fate, he joined forces with The Music and Booze Co. to launch the festival in 2015 with a simple goal: to give musicians more opportunities to perform while bringing new customers through the doors of local businesses.
Drawing inspiration from festivals like SXSW and the music-filled streets of Nashville, their vision was to bring that same vibrant energy to Sydney’s Inner West.
The Crawl kicked off in 2015, with over 40 artists playing in venues from St Peters to Sydney University. After running annually until 2019, the event took a brief hiatus and made its return in 2022 under a new name: the King Street Carnival.
The future of the event remained uncertain after 2022, but after a short two-year absence, the team behind the Crawl obtained a grant from the Australian Government’s Revive Live program, bringing back the event in 2025.
Since its return, King Street Crawl has gone from strength to strength. Its Summer Crawl edition in January attracted tens of thousands of people, cementing its place as the Inner West’s biggest celebration of live music.
What’s new this Crawl?
One of the biggest additions to this month’s King Street Crawl is a brand-new ticketed headline stage at the Enmore Theatre.
Leading the lineup is Melbourne rock band Tropical F*ck Storm, joined by Sydney funk and hip-hop favourite Winston Surfshirt, dance collective Humana Movement, ARIA-nominated hip-hop and R&B artist Miss Kaninna, Sydney post-punk outfit Body Type, electropop artist Djanaba, and singer-songwriters Hannah Brewer and Yasmina Sadiki.
The new stage marks a major expansion for the festival, bringing some of Australia’s most exciting emerging acts under one roof.
Tickets to the headline event cost $57.50, and also include a Priority Pass. This means you’ll get preferential entry into a selection of the Crawl’s venues, including Vic on the Park, Waywards Ballroom, Mary’s, The Bank, The Warren View, Factory Theatre and more.
Our top picks
As seasoned King Street Crawlers, we’ve scanned this Sunday’s program and picked out our must-see acts and events.
If the weather plays nice, make the Eliza Street Party your first stop. Just steps from Newtown Station, Eliza Street will be transformed into a vibrant open-air music venue, with a stage hosting live performances from D.D Mirage, Lahgo, Lily B, Mini Skirt, Selve and Stereogamous.
Between sets, grab a glass of Doom Juice wine or a Young Henrys beer from the pop-up bar, and refuel with a snag from Volkwurst before diving back into the action. The party will run from 12pm until 8pm, though we’d recommend getting there early, as they’ll be enforcing a first-in, best-dressed policy.
For music, we’d recommend going to gigs at The Vanguard, the Trocadero Room or Waywards Ballroom. All of these venues have great stage set-ups with plenty of space to boogie and enjoy the tunes.
Last year, Buddy’s was one of the festival’s busiest venues, with crowds spilling out onto the street. If it’s anything like last year, you’ll want to get there early to secure a spot.
Some of the acts we’re most excited to catch include singer-songwriter Will Barker at the Botany View Hotel (8:45pm), Sydney DJ Edseven’s back-to-back set with Cinta at Deadwax (8pm), Cracked Suzies at Earl’s Juke Joint (7pm), and Dollhouse at the Duke of Enmore (6:25pm). If none of these acts sounds like your vibe, you can check out the full timetable and lineup of artists here.
It’s also worth stopping by the Young Henry’s Pints and Pre-Loved markets pop-up at the beer brand’s tasting bar. Selling everything from rare vinyl to vintage workwear, you can take a break from dancing to peruse the stalls.
Do I have to buy a ticket?
The King Street Crawl is completely free to attend, but organisers are encouraging everyone to RSVP. It only takes a moment and helps the team gauge attendance and plan for the day’s crowds. You can RSVP for the Crawl here.
As always, entry to venues is on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s worth planning your day and arriving early for the sets you don’t want to miss.
New for this year is a ticketed headline stage at the Enmore Theatre. Tickets cost $57.50 and include a Priority Pass, giving holders priority entry at participating venues so you can spend less time queuing and more time enjoying the music.
You can buy your tickets to the headline stage here.
