Immerse yourself in a night-time feast and tasting experience featuring a line-up of some of Sydney’s hottest chef’s, restaurants, beverages and musicians including Matt Whiley’s regenerative bar, Re and Kylie Kwong’s, Lucky Kwong plus some of the most intriguing and inventive dark beverages from local artisanal suppliers such as Archie Rose, BrewDog, Yulli’s Brews and more. Celebrating fire, music, performance, theatre of food and handcrafted tipples on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of June, the festival will take place throughout South Eveleigh in Innovation Plaza and Locomotive Street, Sydney.
With free entry, Dark Day Dark Night will be held over two evenings from 4pm till 9pm celebrating all things dark and decadent, whilst paying homage to the heritage and rich industrial and cultural roots of South Eveleigh and Australia’s oldest working blacksmith.
As the sun sets, the experience builds, with guided tours of the 130-year-old Eveleigh Locomotive Workshop. Grab a glimpse of our industrial past with live demonstrations by Matthew Mewburn from Eveleigh Works and a crew of local blacksmiths demonstrating the making of decorative, sculptural and artisan items throughout each evening.
With a torch in hand, join the exclusive After Dark Tour with Clarence Slockee from Jiwah and embark on a night time exploration at South Eveleigh. Clarence will highlight several native plant species used by First Nations people for thousands of years. You may also get to see some of the local nocturnal feathered and furry friends on their night time adventures.
Simultaneously, fires, integral to blacksmithing and the engine of the locomotive, come to life in Innovation Plaza, unveiling a range of Indigenous performances by Burrundi Theatre for Performing Arts, musicians and DJ’s (check out the full line-up below) including the Andy Golledge Band, Crawfish Po’Boys, emerging R&B talent Zia Jade, DJ Victoria Anthony, Kaleidoscope Dream and more. Plus, roving fire dancers and flamethrowers all amplifying the heritage experience.
Seasoned and budding artists can join a Sip and Sketch life drawing session on Thursday evening at Work Club. Draw inspiration from the creative South Eveleigh precinct and learn the artistic principles of form, line, shape and colour in this interactive workshop before igniting your taste buds and embarking on a multi-cultural culinary journey of South Eveleigh.
Offering an array of modern dining experiences along Locomotive Street, including the aforementioned exclusive night-time dining experience at Lucky Kwong. Opening for two nights only, there will be three sittings from 4pm – 9pm, with bookings essential, book here. Designed by South Eveleigh’s ambassador for food, culture and community, Kylie Kwong, the $55 per head, Dark Day Dark Night special set menu will showcase the highest quality, sustainable Australian produce, featuring delicious edible native plants grown onsite, just 50 metres from the eatery. Dishes include Steamed Scallop Dumplings with Sichuan chilli & bush mint, Caramelised Pork Belly with native Davidson’s plum and Stir-fried South Eveleigh & Boon Luck Farm greens with tamari and sesame to name a few. With the sittings sure to sell like wildfire, those who miss out can still enjoy some of Lucky Kwong’s dishes from the exclusive takeaway menu.
Try a classic of Mexican winter street food from Coyoacán Social or Charcoal Chicken or Mushroom Sliders from BrewDog. Grab a seat at Matt Whiley’s, Re, a regenerative drinking experience with a low-waste snacks menu including Tandoori Eggplant with mint Coyo raita, slaw, makhani hot sauce and coriander or the Koji Pork Neck with saffron mushrooms, macadamia ajo blanco and soft herbs plus a Mulled Sangria with apple Brandy and orange liqueur. There’ll also be delicious eats from RaRa Chan and Fishbowl, moreish pastries and sweet treats from Kürtősh plus the world-famous boutique ice cream from Anita Gelato.
Popping up for the two evenings in Innovation Plaza you can munch on Firepop’s ‘OG’ BBQ Lamb Skewers and The Butter 2.0, Fullblood Wagyu MBS9 dusted with Olsson’s sea salt blossoms and garlic chip crumbs. There’ll be boutique thai bites from Pepper Seeds including the Kao Soi Chicken with dark soy egg and an all new, foodie approved 5 Spice Beef Bowl from Fishbowl as well as a few delicious nibbles off their all new winter menu.
Enjoy a curated selection of dark beers, wines and spirits from several artisanal suppliers with tastings (from $2) and full pours (from $8) including Wayward & Batch Brewing Co., Yulli’s Brews, Wildflower, BrewDog, Vinden Wines, P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants, Archie Rose Distilling Co., Lark and Forty Spotted Gin.
Sip on a decadent line-up of tipples from dark beers including the Batch Brewing Co.’s silky smooth, nitro Elise The Milk Stout perfect for a cold winter’s evening, a sweet stout balanced by robust coffee and chocolate or the big and bold Yulli’s Dads Army – Chris’s Brix Rum Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with smooth vanilla and oak aromas and subtle fruit notes of plums and raisins.
Warm up with Wildflower’s Mulled Cider, or crack open a couple of cold ones from BrewDog’s bar including Elvis Juice, Punk XPA and the BrownSnake Ginger Beer to name a few. Vino lovers can also sip on some big but delicate Hunter Valley Shiraz from Angus Vinden of Vinden Wines, named in the Top 50 Winemakers, Young Gun of Wine, 2021-’20.
Archie Rose Distilling Co. will also be showcasing their limited release Triple Molasses Rum, a robust yet complex and well-balanced spirit with a mouth-coating palate of mango, caramelised pineapple and hazelnut butter and a long, complex finish with waves of dark caramel and tropical fruits.
Mark the dates in your diary as this is a night-time feasting and tasting experience not to be missed. Indulge in all things dark and decadent and ignite your senses with bites, sips and tunes by the fire this winter at South Eveleigh.
“South Eveleigh is a beautiful, rustic precinct that will come alive on 22 and 23 June as part of the Dark Day Dark Night event,” Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore said. “We’re proud to support this event that will offer something for everyone – from roving entertainers and delicious food, to live music and blacksmith demonstrations. We encourage everyone to come along and enjoy this exciting event and learn more about one of our city’s most unique, heritage sites.”
