- Melbourne is Australia’s #1 night-time hotspot, earning the highest Vibe Score (82.0) in the new Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index 2025.
- NSW is rapidly closing the gap, with Sydney and surrounding metro areas taking 12 of the top 20 night-time precincts.
- Gen Z is the ultimate night-time generation: 73% go out once or more a week, averaging 9.4 nights a month, and half say nights offer more new experiences than the daytime, according to the Visa Vibe Economy Report developed with McCrindle.
- Regional and suburban centres are outpacing capital cities, with faster growth and some precincts even outranking metro hotspots in the Index.
- Dining out is king: 76% of Australians say eating out is their favourite night-time activity; but over half want more night markets and festivals to diversify their options.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: From city centres to regional hubs, Australia’s night-time economy is evolving, with new data from Visa showing it’s more dynamic, more diverse and increasingly driven by Gen Z. The Visa Australia Night-Time Economy Index 2025 reveals where the strongest vibes are, while insights from the Visa Vibe Economy Report, developed in partnership with McCrindle, uncover how Australians are shaping the future of life after dark. Together, these findings reveal that night-time activities bring energy, productivity and opportunity to our cities and regions - making now the perfect time to rediscover your nights.
Australia’s Night-Time Economy: How We Live After Dark
Life after dark is gaining momentum across Australia. The first-of-its-kind Visa Australian Night-time Economy Index 2025 shows where that energy is concentrated. The Index ranks more than 80 metropolitan, regional, and suburban areas on vibrancy, safety, accessibility, and policy support. Melbourne Inner takes the crown, but regional and suburban centres like Newcastle and Parramatta in NSW are proving that vibrant nights aren’t just for the big cities. Sydney and its suburbs dominate the top 20 overall, claiming 12 of the spots, reflecting strong investment, clear policy and community engagement.
What’s Powering Our Nights
Eating out is the top night-time activity for Aussies: 76% choose restaurants as their activity of choice when heading out after dark, according to the Visa Vibe Economy Report from Visa and McCrindle. However, more than half (53%) want more night markets and festivals, and 52% are looking for affordable night-time options.
Regional and suburban areas have a lot of potential, with local communities driving new vibrancy. These centres are seeing faster growth in activity and spend than some capitals, such as Newcastle and Lake Macquarie who rank higher in the Index than the Gold Coast, the self-proclaimed party capital of Queensland.
Gen Z leads the charge when it comes to night-time experiences. Young Aussies are the most active across generations, going out an average of 9.4 nights a month, while Gen Y is going out 7.2 nights a month. In addition to this, half of Gen Zers say that going out at night-time lets them try more new experiences than during the day.
In the last financial year, Visa’s spend insights shows Sydney’s restaurants and bars and pubs led NSW, with $1.1 billion and $550 million in night-time spend.¹ Melbourne’s bars and pubs saw a 15% year-on-year increase, surpassing $558 million. In-person spending in Perth’s bar scene has surged 65% since the 2020 financial year.
Visa Vibe Ambassador, food journalist and TV host Sofia Levin, says: “As a traveller who’s experienced cities around the world after dark, I love how each Australian city has its own personality at night. Whether it’s a tucked away wine bar, late night ramen, or a buzzing night market, there’s always something unexpected to uncover. The best nights weave together different venues and experiences, and that’s what makes our cities so exciting.”
What’s Holding Us Back — and What’s Next
Cost is the biggest barrier when it comes to Australians going out at night: 66% say it stops them going out more often, with 56% wanting more affordable options. Safety, accessibility, and inclusivity remain top priorities, with 45% wanting safer public spaces and 32% seeking extended public transport hours. Nearly half (47%) believe their local nightlife needs more investment, and 74% say they would go out more and try new things if it improved.
Insights from the Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index and Visa Vibe Economy Report point to a future shaped by flexibility, diversity, and community connection. As Australians seek more affordable, inclusive, and exciting experiences, there’s a growing opportunity for local businesses and communities to innovate and create a stronger night-time economy.
Alan Machet, Group Country Manager, Visa Oceania, says:
“Australia’s night-time economy is more than a social outlet. It’s a driver of productivity, creativity and community connection. From Melbourne’s laneways to Sydney’s buzzing suburbs and emerging regional hubs around the country, these after-dark spaces fuel local business growth, create jobs, and make our cities more vibrant and inclusive. By understanding how people want to spend their nights - and where the strongest vibes are - we can help cities and businesses unlock even more potential.”
To help bring these experiences to life, Visa will launch the Visa Vibe Grants program in 2026, supporting local businesses to grow, adapt, and deliver vibrant after-dark offerings that keep cities and communities thriving.
About Visa’s Spend Insights
Spending data featured uses Visa’s data normalisation model which adjusts Visa transaction data to reflect the overall card payments market, providing a comprehensive view of market trends and insights. This is achieved by integrating multiple data sources, including the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This approach enables Visa to contextualise its data within the broader payments ecosystem, all card payments (excluding cash and NPP).
The views, opinions, and/or estimates, as the case may be (“views”), expressed herein are those of the Visa Consulting and Analytics team and do not necessarily reflect those of Visa executive management and other Visa employees and affiliates. This is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for operational, marketing, legal, technical, tax, financial, or other advice and do not in any way reflect actual or forecasted Visa operational or financial performance. Visa neither makes any warranty or representation as to the completeness or accuracy of the views contained herein, nor assumes any liability or responsibility that may result from reliance on such views. These views are often based on current market conditions and are subject to change without notice.
About the Visa Night-time Economy Index 2025
The Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index was developed by Visa, led by Visa Business and Economic Insights, working in partnership with Dr Anna Edwards, leading expert in night-time economies. The Index combines global best practice in measuring consumer activity with locally relevant indicators of governance, vibrancy, and safety to provide the first national benchmark of its kind. Novel and informative measures of night-time economic activity is made possible using Visa’s data which show a wide cross section of spend by time of day, merchant location, sector and other depersonalised, anonymised cardholder persona characteristics.
About the Visa Vibe Economy Report
The Visa Vibe Economy report was commissioned by Visa and developed in partnership with leading demographer McCrindle. It is the collation of quantitative data gained through an online survey of 2,009 Australians. Respondents were nationally representative by age, gender and state and the survey was in field from 31 July 2025 to 5 August 2025.
About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.