The old Sydney Fish Market, opened in 1966, was one of the city’s most beloved institutions. The old-timey building – complete with fishy smells – appealed to those looking for charm and authenticity. B&T spoke with Lauren Drummond, Sydney Fish Market’s CMO, to find out how the new institution has positioned itself on the shoulders of a giant.
After nearly five years of construction, the new Sydney Fish Market is stepping out of the shadow of its predecessor. Rather than replace the original, the strategy behind the multi-billion-dollar redevelopment has been to carefully evolve it.
The architects and planners behind the building were conscious not to “sanitise” the old Fish Market, Drummond told B&T. The question guiding the project—and which continues to guide its marketing strategy—was clear: how do you modernise an icon without losing the rustic charm that made people fall in love with it in the first place?
The reimagining of the Sydney Fish Market began more than 10 years ago as part of a broader government-led revitalisation of the Blackwattle Bay precinct. The selected site presented immediate challenges – the new structure sits on land previously occupied by a concrete plant, requiring the market to be built out over the harbour itself.
The result is a dramatic shift from the old market’s single-level sprawl into a multi-storey destination designed to house wholesale, retail, hospitality, tourism and events under one roof.
While the new market significantly elevates the visitor experience, its architects and government partners were clear about avoiding what they saw as the biggest risk: over-polishing the brand.
“There was a strong push not to make it feel clinical,” Lauren said. “The old market’s grittiness was something people genuinely loved, so authenticity became a central design principle.”
That philosophy is reflected in the tenant selection. The market retained its six existing fishmongers and chose not to introduce new competitors during the leasing process – a move aimed at preserving legacy operators and familiar customer relationships.
Alongside them, the market is broadening its food and beverage footprint, with new tenants including dumpling, yum cha and hot pot eateries, as well as patisserie and international celebrity chef-led restaurants, such as Turkish-inspired venue Hamsi run by Somer Sivrioğlu and Luke Nguyen’s Lua Restaurant and Bar.
The layered offering aims to ensure the market is accessible while expanding into fine dining and global culinary experiences.
“There is something for everybody” has become a guiding principle, ensuring the market appeals equally to local seafood buyers, casual visitors and high-end diners.
Preserving ‘Theatre Of Seafood’
At its core, the market remains a serious commercial operator. The wholesale seafood trading business continues to process roughly $170 million worth of seafood annually, operating 24/7 with product arriving from 4pm and moving through the supply chain until around 10 am the following day.
That constant movement of product – from fishing boats to auction floor to restaurants and export markets in near real-time – is something the new market has deliberately brought into public view.
One of the most significant design changes is the wholesale auction room itself, historically hidden behind closed doors. In the new market, it has been opened up as a centrepiece – both operationally and as a visitor experience. Whereas in the old fish market, the auctioning of fish to wholesalers was kept very much “behind the scenes” now the auction room is housed in a glassed room in the middle of a busy consumer traffic area.
“If you arrive early enough, you’ll see the auction room in action,” Drummond said.
The intention is to create what Drummond describes as the “theatre” around seafood, allowing visitors to engage with the scale, pace and complexity of the industry.
This thinking extends across the entire building. Retail occupies a central level that physically and conceptually bridges the wholesale operations below with dining, tourism and event spaces above.
The approach is what Drummond believes makes Sydney Fish Market unique globally – the co-location of working seafood logistics, hospitality and visitor experiences in a single integrated destination. Communicating this uniqueness to visitors—in particular international tourism markets—is a central part of its market proposition.
From Market To Destination Brand
Beyond food, the redevelopment signals a clear shift towards positioning Sydney Fish Market as a multi-purpose destination and cultural precinct.
The venue includes a cooking school, merchandise offerings, partitioned spaces for private events and event spaces capable of hosting gatherings of up to 500 people. A 1,000-person upper-level venue is also earmarked as a potential future large-scale activation space.
Placemaking NSW is already fielding requests from brands and event organisers keen to use the site. The Fish Market has already hosted cultural moments including Australia Day celebrations, with plans to develop a year-round events calendar that could extend to initiatives such as fashion week activations. Drummond confirmed there will be Lunar New Year Celebrations at Sydney Fish Market, including special guest chefs at Sydney Seafood School.
Operating hours have also expanded, with retail and dining trading until 10pm Sunday through Thursday and midnight Fridays and Saturdays, reinforcing the precinct’s role as an evening destination.
Tourism, Tours & Global Ambitions
Tourism sits at the heart of the market’s growth strategy. The team is working closely with Destination NSW and Tourism Australia to position the site as a must-visit international attraction.
The expanded tour program offers four curated visitor experiences, including behind-the-scenes wholesale access, tasting tours and supply chain-focused experiences that follow seafood from arrival through to sale. Private and corporate tours are also being developed.
The market already holds strong recognition across Asian tourism markets, and leadership is investing in international travel trade partnerships, including participation in the Australian Tourism Exchange.
Despite the scale of the redevelopment, the market has intentionally leaned heavily into earned media and PR-led storytelling during its launch phase.
“There’s been a conscious decision to focus on earned attention first,” Drummond said.
Paid social activity supports the campaign, but the overarching strategy acknowledges the brand equity Sydney Fish Market already commands.
Retail media and brand activation opportunities are also being explored, with strong inbound interest from marketers, though formal networks have not yet been established.
With several tenants still to open and the precinct expected to reach mid-capacity by the end of the year, Drummond said the Market is comfortable with the market evolving gradually rather than launching as a finished product.
“It’s a massive process, and it’s okay for it to keep unfolding,” she said.
That measured approach may ultimately mirror the market’s broader brand strategy: balancing reinvention with patience, ambition with authenticity and commercial growth with cultural preservation.
The new Sydney Fish Market may be bigger, more sophisticated and globally positioned, but its success will likely depend on whether it can hold onto the gritty, sensory energy that made the original an icon in the first place.
