The Best Night Markets Around
Every Friday night, Saturday and Sunday crowds flock to the South Bank Lifestyle Markets in Brisbane, which offers around 80 stalls selling everything you can think of in the way of art, homeware, fashion, home-made food, fresh produce and cakes of all kinds. This is the only only three-day day market in the region and additionally offers evening music and street performers.
Friday in Perth sees the Twilight Hawkers Market, bringing street food from all over the world to the centre of the WA capital. Being so far from anywhere, Perth has an amazing mix of cultures and all of them are on show at this great market that operates throughout the summer and also offers fantastic free entertainment from local live artists and bands.
Up north in the tropics, Darwin’s markets tend to start and finish late. The Mindil Beach Sunset Market manages to combine beach, tropical paradise, shopping, food and beverage and an evening stroll in one possibly unique location.
The Palmerston and Rural markets some 20km south of Darwin also open during the evenings and have become famous for their semi-tame lorikeets (beautifully coloured birds).
Palmerston has an astonishingly varied cultural mix and ethnic food and art is on sale every Friday night when the markets also have live entertainment with multicultural dancers, country and western or mainstream bands, a DJ and competitions with prizes to give away.
Established only in 1991, the night market in another tropical paradise, Cairns, has flourished, with more than 130 regular stalls and a 200-seat food court where you can get some of Australia’s freshest and best-value seafood. Most of the market is nowadays under roof in air-conditioned comfort to enhance the shopping experience.
Down in Sydney, the Chinatown Night Market has rapidly become one of the city’s top tourist attractions with its vibrant cultural and dining based on its ethnic local population. This is real Chinese food â freshly cooked and very reasonable â every Friday till midnight. Chinatown is at the Haymarket, Dixon Street.
Melbourne’s Chinatown likewise has its summer evening market every Friday at Hefferman Lane, while another local landmark is the Suzuki Night Market within the Queen Vic.
Melbourne also features the trendy South Bank night market on Thursdays till Christmas and the Supper Night Market at Abbottsford Convent every Friday in December, January and February (as long as the weather holds!). Plenty of food, entertainment and knick-knacks here!