The revitalised Darling Harbour precinct, including International Convention Centre Sydney, has formally opened to the public at the Celebrate Darling Harbour event, designed to give Sydneysiders a taste of the vibrant new city hub.

Visitors were invited to enjoy a parade of musical acts, including Grammy Award winner KIMBRA, and get a glimpse of Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and entertainment venue, before its first day of operation on December 20th.

Curious attendees experienced the five star convention and exhibition centres, 8,000sqm of meeting room space, 35,000sqm of exhibition space and a stunning 5,000sqm open air event deck, Australia’s largest Grand Ballroom and the 9,000 capacity ICC Sydney Theatre.

New South Wales premier, Mike Baird, unveiled a commemorative plaque to officially open ICC Sydney, and said the venue and its team will revolutionise the city’s business and entertainment offering for visitors and locals alike.

“ICC Sydney sits at the heart of the AU$3.4 billion reinvigorated domain and has been delivered both on time and on budget.

“It is a magnificent accomplishment for the State and will play a significant role in boosting the local economy, generating at least $5 billion in economic benefit for New South Wales over the next 25 years.

“By its third year of operation, ICC Sydney will hold over 1,000 spectacular events annually and attract countless visitors to our shores for a year-round calendar of activity.

“Sydney is truly set to boom.”

ICC Sydney features a striking contemporary design, purpose built to redefine the convention and exhibition experience, showcase the natural beauty of Sydney, and make the precinct a prime spot for people to live, work and do business in.

The flexible and fully integrated precinct is connected to the city’s key districts and has strong transport links and a raft of accommodation choices nearby.

The revitalised public domain also now includes a stunning new amphitheatre event space for up to 11,000 people, and an additional 3,000sqm of green space in Tumbalong Park.