26°C | Thursday November 13, 2025 
10 April 2025
North Sydney Council is set to endorse a four-day Rugby Festival at North Sydney Oval from 30 July to 2 August 2025, featuring a Classic Wallabies vs Classic Lions match, a Wallaroos test against Wales and a community live site for the Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions third test.
The festival is being developed in partnership with Rugby Australia and the Classic Wallabies, and would make use of North Sydney Oval, Bon Andrews Oval and surrounding areas of St Leonards Park. Plans include a temporary 12,000-capacity expansion of the Oval footprint and the creation of a secure, licensed “Fan Zone” incorporating big-screen broadcasts, live music and food and beverage options.
According to a report to be considered by North Sydney Council on 14 April, the event will open with community clinics at Bon Andrews Oval on Wednesday 30 July, followed by the Classic Wallabies vs Classic Lions match on Thursday 31 July and the Wallaroos vs Wales test on Friday 1 August. A live broadcast of the Wallabies vs Lions decider at Accor Stadium will anchor the final day of festivities on Saturday 2 August.
Rugby Australia has endorsed North Sydney Oval as an official “Live Site” for the test series, while the Classic Wallabies have committed to local outreach activities and fan engagement.
The “Fan Zone” will occupy sections of St Leonards Park from 28 July to 6 August and is expected to remain open to the public on the non-game days of Wednesday and Saturday, while being restricted to ticketed patrons on Thursday and Friday nights. Council documents indicate that the area will host amenities including toilets, seating and entertainment, and would operate under a temporary extension of North Sydney Oval’s liquor licence.
Zone fencing and access control will be deployed to manage crowd flows. North Shore Police and Council security contractors will oversee safety arrangements, with “user pays” police also engaged. A formal risk assessment has been undertaken by an external consultant, and a Local Licensing Agreement for sports-based festivals is being implemented at the venue.
Council staff note that running the live site on a standalone basis would not be viable, and that integrating the initiative with a four-day festival provides both financial and community benefits.
The Classic Wallabies originally secured a booking for their fixture in May 2023. Subsequent coordination with Rugby Australia saw that expanded into a broader slate of events, including overlapping British & Irish Lions training bookings and the proposed test match involving the Wallaroos.
The council report recommends formal authorisation for the festival and endorsement for final negotiations with Rugby Australia, the Classic Wallabies and food and beverage providers. Community consultation is not required under the park’s Plan of Management, though notification of the temporary closures and changes will be issued.