ICC Sydney turns 10: a decade in the life of the city

Designed by the Hassell + Populous joint venture, ICC Sydney brought a Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre and entertainment theatre together on the waterfront. The three venues were designed to operate independently or as one connected destination, giving organizers room to create events of very different sizes and formats.  

The relationship with the city was just as important. The Grand Ballroom opens to harbor and skyline views, while the Exhibition Centre was worked into terraced parkland. Paths, planting and public spaces connect the buildings with Darling Harbour. Across the wider redevelopment, public space increased by 30% and 9,000 square meters of green space was added for the public to enjoy and experience. 

Ten years later, those decisions continue to shape how the venue works. They help a very large venue feel open to its surroundings and allow events to connect with the harbor, parks, streets and neighboring cultural and technology precincts. The venue can hold thousands of people from both Sydney and international visitors. 

Visitors may not see what gives the venue its flexibility, but they experience the benefits. Connections between the buildings, built-in services and production areas allow several events to run at once and spaces to change for each new occasion.  

That adaptability can be seen in the variety of events the venue has hosted. SXSW Sydney spilled beyond ICC Sydney into the surrounding precinct, while the Australian premiere of Gladiator II turned Darling Harbour Theatre into a cinema, with a red carpet and fan zone outside.  

When the pandemic made gathering in person impossible, ICC Sydney shifted again, helping organisers continue to connect with their audiences online.

“When Hassell and Populous began the design process for ICC Sydney, the intention was to create something that would bring value to the entire city in addition to convention delegates and concertgoers. Ten years on, the entire precinct is now immersed into the everyday life of Sydney. The buildings have accommodated an extraordinary range of international events, and the public realm has had an equally important role, connecting people to the waterfront, to the city and to each other. This everyday use by the whole community is a significant part of the precinct’s legacy.”

Glenn Scott, Principal, Hassell

By end December 2026, ICC Sydney will have welcomed 10.5 million attendees across 5,296 core events, generating AU$5.8 billion in delegate expenditure and 10.9 million hotel room nights. The benefit reaches beyond the venues. Over the same period, ICC Sydney had spent AU$415.1 million with local suppliers. In FY2026, it spent AU$12.8 million with NSW food and beverage producers alongside 353 Legacy Program activities connecting events with local people, businesses and ideas.

Those results belong to the operator, organizers, suppliers, partners and communities that have filled the venue with activity. The design provided the framework for that work to happen at scale, while remaining closely connected to the city.

Some of the most telling stories sit away from the headline events. Moriarty Walk is also known as Dancers’ Alley, continuing a Darling Harbour tradition that began outside the former Sydney Entertainment Centre. In 2025, ICC Sydney worked with the dance community to improve the space.  

New uses continue to emerge. Eight tournament grade pickleball courts opened on the Event Deck in 2026. The venue has also introduced visual stories and sensory maps to make visits easier to prepare for and navigate, as part of wider work on accessibility and inclusion.  

When ICC Sydney opened, no one could have predicted every way it would be used. The strength of the original design is that it did not need to. It created a flexible foundation that has allowed the venue to keep evolving alongside new events, technology and the changing needs of its visitors. 

Today, ICC Sydney is much more than a collection of event spaces. It is a place for international gatherings, live entertainment, local suppliers, dancers, visitors and everyday city life. The anniversary belongs to everyone who has helped it grow into that role and made it part of Sydney.