I was one of the many people who picked up roller skating during the pandemic. Inspired by cool gals doing tricks on TikTok and determined to do something fun in lockdown, I declared it my brand-spanking-new hobby (and by extension, my new personality). Some cute 70s-looking blue roller skates with hot-pink laces rocked up and I ended up using them a grand total of one (1) time. But I have not given up. Hooning around a roller rink while bangers play are peak memories from my childhood. I just need some fellow skaters to go with and somewhere safer than a car park to roll with my new skating pals.
And lo and behold, it’s like Xanadu herself is looking down on me because a roller skating rink popped up in Sydney last weekend. And it’s staying put for a whole month! So, if you too picked up roller skating as a lockdown hobby, whip those skates back out and head on down to Darling Harbour. Rollerama kicked off on the weekend and will stick around until April 24. It’s open seven days a week and has a stack of free-wheeling fun planned in the program, from RollerFit dance classes to Hello Kitty-inspired Mondays.
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Forget swim-up bars because roll-up bars are the next big thing. You can glide on over to Pumphouse Sydney to get a fix of American-themed diner food while you’re at Rollerama. And you should, because if there’s one piece of skating info I can pass on from my singular foray into skating, it’s that it’s a huge bloody workout. My legs were absolutely killing me the next day, so stop, rest and have a hefty feed between your hot laps.
Rollerama is going to be a non-stop party, too. From Dollar Bin Darlings to Charlie Villas, Carolina Gasolina, Queen Bee Collective, Victoria Anthony, Teriyaki Mami, Estèe Louder and Soul Of Sydney, you’ve got a bevvy of brill DJs on deck to soundtrack your skating-montage moment. And if you wanna live the full fantasy, whip out those flares because there are fancy dress nights each Thursday. You can rock ‘fits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the future for the chance to cop some best-dressed prizes. But that’s not the only way you can win big, keep your eyes peeled here to see how you could score customised skates designed by artist and designer Bianca Beers and a dream staycation.
If it’s been a hot minute since you’ve been to Darling Harbour, PSA: it’s swish as hell now. It’s been done up with a bunch of restaurants and a lot of open space. Rollerama will be held at the Pier Street Underpass and is sheltered – so you can skate rain, hail or shine. And parking is literally mere metres away at Darling Square car park or the ICC Sydney car park. If you’re on foot, it’s just a quick walk (or roll) from Town Hall Station.
It’s about time we all reignite this hobby (personality). Roll over here to grab some tix to the event.
