Things to do in the Blue Mountains at Night

This started off being what I thought would be a small article on weekly trivia nights, and then it grew! So whether you are visiting or you’re a local looking for something to do in the Blue Mountains at night, I’ve done the research for you!

Planned events were correct at the time of compilation, but I recommend confirming on the venue website in case of any changes to regular sessions.

Free Things to do at night in the Blue Mountains

While many of the organised evening events through the mountains are technically free, you’re likely to spend money on food and drinks while you’re there.

But there are ways to enjoy the Blue Mountains at night without spending any money!

Glow worm walks

There are a number of bushwalks in the Blue Mountains which feature glow worm colonies that aren’t too hard to visit.

Lawson Waterfall Circuit

Also known as the South Lawson Waterfall Loop, this lovely Blue Mountains bushwalk is located on Honour Avenue in Lawson. There are two entries to the track, if you start from the one which is farthest away from the Highway you will be closest to Cataract Falls. If you carry on past the larger falls pictured below you will come to a smaller, lower part of the falls beside a large rock overhang which is home to a colony of glow worms.

Horseshoe Falls

One of my absolute favourite walks in the Blue Mountains, the Horseshoe Falls track features at least 2 waterfalls which have a glow worm colony. Both Horseshoe Falls and Oakland Falls feature large overhangs behind the waterfalls where the glow worms can be found. Based on my last visit I think the colony at Oakland Falls was bigger than the one at Horseshoe Falls.

Birdwood Gully

While I’ve done this walk numerous times in the day I haven’t visited the glow worm colony, but I have it on good authority it can be found at the small waterfall which is closest to the Lucinda Avenue entry in Springwood. At the right time of year you might also see fireflies and Ghost Fungi, making Birdwood Gully a truly magical place to visit!

Grand Canyon

Often recommended as the best bushwalk in the Blue Mountains, with good reason, the Grand Canyon track is always spectacular. Again, while I have visited many times during the day, I haven’t been through at night but have heard there are glow worms there. Given the volume of waterfalls and rock walls this would not surprise me.

Katoomba Falls Reserve Night Walk

A lovely option to enjoy the Blue Mountains at night, the Katoomba Falls Reserve Night walk features a pathway with installed lighting as well as floodlights for the key attractions, and offers a different perspective on some of the big landmarks. The lights turn on at dusk and the floodlights are on until 10.30pm and the path lights until 11pm. The walk is about 1.5km and is one the dog friendly walks in the Blue Mountains.

Keep your eyes peeled when enjoying the bush at night and you might just spot some of the nocturnal Blue Mountains animals such as this one!

Regular Events

Live Music

While it might not have the large venues of the city, there is still live music to be found most weekends across the mountains across the weekend.

Friday

• The Ori Springwood from 6pm
• The Royal Springwood
• Lawson Bowling Club from 8pm on the last Friday of the month
• The Alexandra Hotel Leura has DJs from 9pm until late
• Bootlegger Bar Katoomba from 9pm. Entry is free but bookings are advised.
• Station Bar Katoomba
• The Family Katoomba from 7pm
• The Old City Bank Katoomba from 8pm
• Katoomba RSL from 6.30pm
• Friday Supper Club at The Avalon in Katoomba runs every Friday night featuring live local music in the restaurant.
• Hotel Etico in Mount Victoria from 6pm

Saturday

• The Ori Springwood; from 8pm
• The Royal Springwood
• Hazelbrook Bowling Club Band night from 8pm on the 2nd Saturday of the month and solo artists 4th Saturday of the month
• Two Doctors Whiskey Bar Leura (at the Fairmont Resort) 8.30-10.30pm
• Bootlegger Bar Katoomba from 9pm. Entry is free but bookings are advised.
• Station Bar Katoomba
• The Family Katoomba from 7pm
• The Old City Bank Katoomba from 8pm

Karaoke and Open Mic Nights

• The Royal in Springwood have an open mic night on the first Thursday of the month from 8.30pm
• Hazelbrook Bowling Club resumes Karaoke nights in April on the 1st Saturday of the month
• Lawson Bowling Club Karaoke one Saturday a month
• The Alexandra Hotel Leura Karaoke from 9.30pm until late
• The Gardners Inn Blackheath hold an open mic night on the 2nd Sunday of the month from 6-9pm
• The Ori in Springwood has a midweek mayhem from 7pm Wednesdays featuring free Pool, Mario Cart and Karaoke. Cocktails are 25% off from 7 – 9pm.
• The Family in Katoomba has a Blues Jam the last Sunday of the month from 4.30pm.

Trivia Nights

If you’re the king or queen of Trivia there is a trivia night to be found in the mountains most nights of the week.

Tuesday

• The Royal Hotel Springwood from 7pm
• Gardners Inn Blackheath, register 6pm for a 6.30pm start

Wednesday

• Glenbrook bowling club, register from 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Cost is $4 per person.
• Winmalee Tavern from 7pm. Bookings are essential.
• Springwood Sports Club register from 7pm for a 7.30pm start
• The Alexandra Hotel Leura has themed trivia every 2nd Wednesday from 7.30pm
• Bootlegger Bar Katoomba has themed trivia once a month from 6.30pm and includes prizes for the best dressed. Check dates at their website.

Thursday

• The Henry Lawson from 7pm
• The Grand View Wentworth Falls from 6.30-8.30pm
• The Family Katoomba from 7pm

Friday

• Hazelbrook Bowling Club from 7pm. Cost is $3 per person.

Sunday

• Lawson Bowling Club once a month. Check their website for dates and times.

Bingo Nights

• Springwood Sports Club has a Bingo night on Tuesdays. Books are on sale from 6.30pm and calling starts at 7pm and jackpots and prizes are on offer.
• Winmalee Tavern runs DJ Bingo on Tuesdays kicking off at 7pm. Free to play with prizes available. Bookings recommended.
• Lawson Bowling Club run Musical Bingo once a month on a Thursday. Check their website for dates and times.

Poker Nights

• The Ori in Springwood runs a Tuesday Poker night kicking off at 7pm. Buy-in to the game at $35.
• Springwood Country Club runs a Wednesday Poker night from 7.30pm. Registration from 7pm.

Pool Competitions

• The Ori Springwood runs a free Pool competition at 7pm on Thursdays with prizes on offer for 1st – 6th place.
• Winmalee Tavern has a Pool competition at 7pm on Tuesdays. Entry cost is $10 which includes a beer, entry is matched by the tavern for a prize pool for first and second place.
• The New Ivanhoe Hotel in Blackheath runs a free pool competition at 6.30pm on Wednesdays. Prizes on offer including a $100 voucher for first place.

Winmalee Tavern also does a game show on Thursday nights.

Shows

While not an every night of the week event, there are often shows to be found throughout the mountains that offer up some options for a fun night out.

• The Hub at Springwood has regular shows including music, comedy and theatre.
• Lawson Bowling Club periodically have shows or bands in addition to their regular events
• Katoomba Comedy Club runs at The Avalon on the first Friday of every month. Shows run from 8pm – 10pm with an intermission and tickets are $22 plus booking fee. Bookings are essential.
• In addition to weekly live music at the Old City Bank, the Carrington often has shows on in one of their venues.
• In addition to weekly live music Katoomba RSL has regular bands, comedy and other shows in their auditorium.

Cinemas

We are fortunate to have three small cinemas in the Blue Mountains. Mount Vic Flicks shows a lot of independent and arthouse films, while The Edge at Katoomba and Glenbrook Cinema show the big releases with some smaller films padding out the schedule. Glenbrook Cinema is also the venue for the local theatre company. You can check the current performances at the Glenbrook Players website.

Organised Tours

Blue Mountains Stargazing

If the skies are clear check out the experiences on offer with Blue Mountains Stargazing and get your chance to explore the night sky with an Astronomer, while enjoying some good old fashioned hot chocolate.

If astrophotography is an interest, the Blue Mountains offers plenty of choice to get away from the noise pollution and enjoy the stars at some great photography locations.

Blue Mountains Ghost Tours

If you’re looking for something unique to do and the creepier things that go bump in the night are more your fascination, check out the tours available at Blue Mountains Ghost Tours with Paranormal Pete. Whether you’re a believer or sceptic there are a range of tours on offer that are fun for seeing a different perspective of the mountains, and many include transport. I’ve checked out the Mount Victoria Museum Ghost Tour, and despite being a lifelong resident there were things I learned about the mountains, and I visited places I hadn’t been before. Pete makes the tours a lot of fun.

Prices start at around $80 per person and can be booked through the website.

Did I miss any of the great things to do in the Blue Mountains at night? Let me know in the comments below!