Sydney’s nightlife is edging back onto the global stage as it continues to rebuild from the long shadow of the lockout years.
ivy Sydney and Chinese Laundry have both secured spots in this year’s DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs poll, placing them alongside some of the world’s most iconic dance floors across Ibiza, Berlin, London and New York.
ivy enters the list at No. 92, making it the highest-ranked Australian club, while Chinese Laundry follows at No. 97. It’s the first time since 2020 that Australia has had two venues in the global ranking.
The annual poll, now in its 20th year, is voted on by fans across 226 territories and is widely considered a barometer for global club culture.
For Sydney, the timing matters. The rankings arrive weeks after the NSW Government officially scrapped the final remnants of the city’s controversial lockout laws — restrictions that reshaped nightlife for more than a decade.
Introduced in 2014 to curb alcohol-related violence, the laws imposed 1.30am lockouts, 3am last drinks, and a raft of additional restrictions across Kings Cross, Oxford Street and the CBD. While violence did decline, the broader impact on live music and club culture was severe. By 2019, foot traffic in key nightlife precincts had dropped by 80 per cent and hundreds of venues had closed.
NSW Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy John Graham recently described the policy as having a “diabolical impact” on Sydney’s global reputation, pointing to the loss of venues that once fostered acts like RÜFÜS DU SOL and Flight Facilities.
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With the final restrictions — including last drinks limits, plastic cup mandates and late-night service caps — now lifted, the government is betting on a revitalised, more flexible nightlife economy, supported by special entertainment precincts and extended trading hours.
Against that backdrop, ivy’s debut in the Top 100 underscores its scale and positioning within the global circuit. The multi-level, open-air complex has long hosted international heavyweights like Carl Cox and Peggy Gou, alongside homegrown acts including Flume and Peking Duk. Its large-format staging and d&b Audiotechnik system have helped cement its reputation as one of the country’s most technically advanced venues.
Chinese Laundry, by contrast, has built its standing on longevity and underground credibility. Operating for more than 30 years, the Sussex Street club has become a proving ground for emerging talent, with early support for artists like Dom Dolla and Flume. Its focus on tightly curated programming and collaborations with local collectives has kept it embedded in Sydney’s grassroots dance community.
