Heavy Traffic Expected for Ed Sheeran Finale and Lunar New Year Events

Commuter Alert: Heavy Congestion for Ed Sheeran and Lunar New Year

Sydney residents and visitors should prepare for significant congestion and high demand for public transport today, Sunday, 15 February 2026. The combination of global superstar Ed Sheeran’s final concert at Olympic Park and ongoing Lunar New Year festivities in the CBD is expected to put significant pressure on the road and rail networks throughout the day and into the evening.

Olympic Park: 70,000 Fans for Ed Sheeran

Global sensation Ed Sheeran is performing the last of his three Sydney shows at Accor Stadium tonight. With an estimated 70,000 fans expected to descend on the Olympic Park precinct, heavy traffic is anticipated on the M4 Motorway, Homebush Bay Drive, and Concord Road from early afternoon. Transport for NSW has confirmed that special event buses and trains will be in operation. Concert-goers are strongly urged to leave their cars at home and utilize the frequent public transport services. Travel on all modes of public transport is included in the concert ticket price, requiring only a tap-on with an Opal card or contactless payment for tracking purposes without incurring a fare.

Public Transport: Rail Maintenance and Service Changes

While the Sydney Metro is operating a full service between Tallawong and Sydenham, passengers using the traditional rail network should be aware of several maintenance projects scheduled for today:

• South Coast Line: This morning, buses are replacing trains between Bomaderry and Wollongong. Commuters should allow for an additional 30 to 45 minutes of travel time when using replacement services.
• Regional Services: Coaches are replacing the 07:40 AM Sydney to Melbourne service and the 07:05 AM Sydney to Griffith service.
• T4 Illawarra Line: Planned maintenance at the Mortdale Maintenance Centre continues. While trains are still operational, minor delays may occur through the southern suburbs due to shifted schedules.

Roadworks and Major Arterial Updates

Motorists traveling from the south will find that the M1 Princes Motorway northbound between Oak Flats and Yallah has successfully reopened as of 4:00 AM this morning following bridge maintenance. However, several other projects remain active:

• Pitt Town Bypass: New scheduled roadworks begin today on Glebe Road. Local detours and speed restrictions are in effect between Pitt Town Road and Old Stock Route Road through late February.
• CBD and Haymarket: Increased pedestrian activity and brief traffic holds are expected for the Sydney Lunar Festival. Key events today include High Pole Lion Dance acrobatics at Market City at 2:00 PM and store blessings along Sussex and Hay Streets between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM.

All commuters are advised to monitor the Live Traffic NSW app for real-time updates and use the Transport for NSW Trip Planner to verify the latest service frequencies and platform changes before starting their journey.