Current Time in Sydney
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sydney runs on Australian Eastern Time — AEST (UTC+10) in autumn and winter, and AEDT (UTC+11) in spring and summer. As Australia's largest city and financial capital, home to the ASX, Sydney is the first major financial centre to open each trading day, setting the tone for Asian and then global markets.
"Time is the wisest counselor of all."
— Pericles
Today's Observance
No major observance today.
Current Weather
Typical business hours (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM) in this city translate to:
Sydney Time Zone: AEST and AEDT
Sydney uses Australian Eastern Time, which switches between AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10) and AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time, UTC+11). Australia's DST runs in the opposite direction to the northern hemisphere: clocks spring forward in early October and fall back in early April. This means Sydney is at UTC+11 during the Australian summer (October–April) and UTC+10 during winter (April–October).
This reversed DST schedule can cause confusion when scheduling with Northern Hemisphere counterparts, because both parties may be shifting clocks at similar times of year — narrowing or widening the gap unpredictably. Always verify Sydney's current UTC offset before scheduling international calls in March–April or September–October.
ASX Trading Hours and Sydney Business Day
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) operates Monday to Friday with its main equities session from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM AEST/AEDT. A pre-open phase runs 7:00–10:00 AM and a closing auction from 4:00–4:12 PM. As the first major equity market to open each day, the ASX gives global investors their first look at market sentiment before Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, or New York open.
Standard business hours in Sydney are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM AEST/AEDT. Sydney is UTC+10/+11, making it one of the most advanced time zones relative to global peers — while Sydney is having lunch, it is still yesterday evening in New York.
Time Differences: Sydney to Major Cities
| City | Difference from Sydney |
|---|---|
| London (GMT) | −10 hrs (AEST) / −11 hrs (AEDT) |
| Dubai (GST) | −6 hrs (AEST) / −7 hrs (AEDT) |
| New York (EST) | −15 hrs (AEST) / −16 hrs (AEDT) |
| Singapore (SGT) | −2 hrs (AEST) / −3 hrs (AEDT) |
| Tokyo (JST) | −1 hr (AEST) / −2 hrs (AEDT) |
| Mumbai (IST) | −4:30 hrs (AEST) / −5:30 hrs (AEDT) |
About Sydney
Sydney is Australia's largest city with a population of over 5.3 million in the greater metropolitan area. It is the capital of New South Wales and the country's primary financial, commercial, and cultural hub. Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge make it one of the world's most recognisable cities. As a financial centre, Sydney hosts the headquarters of Australia's four major banks, the ASX, and hundreds of multinational regional offices. Its port and airport are the largest in Australia by volume, connecting it to every major time zone on earth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sydney is in the Australian Eastern Time Zone. It uses Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST, UTC+10) in winter and Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT, UTC+11) in summer.
Yes. New South Wales (where Sydney is located) observes daylight saving time. Clocks move forward 1 hour to AEDT (UTC+11) on the first Sunday in October, and back to AEST (UTC+10) on the first Sunday in April. Note: Queensland (Brisbane) does NOT observe DST, creating a split within Australia.
Standard business hours in Sydney are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM AEST/AEDT. The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) trades from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Sydney time. Financial services often start from 7:30 AM.
The time difference varies due to opposite hemisphere DST. In Sydney's summer (AEDT, UTC+11, Oct–Apr), Sydney is 11 hours ahead of London GMT. In Sydney's winter (AEST, UTC+10, Apr–Oct) when London is on BST (UTC+1), the gap is just 9 hours. It ranges from 9 to 11 hours throughout the year.
Sydney is typically 14–16 hours ahead of New York. The exact gap changes four times per year as each city independently starts and ends daylight saving on different schedules. In Sydney's summer/New York's winter it can be 16 hours; in Sydney's winter/New York's summer it can be 14 hours.
Sydney (AEST, UTC+10) is 6 hours ahead of Dubai (GST, UTC+4) in Sydney's winter. When Sydney is on AEDT (UTC+11), it is 7 hours ahead. Dubai never changes its clocks.
The best overlap for UK–Sydney calls is 7:00 AM–9:00 AM London time (5:00 PM–7:00 PM Sydney time in winter, 6:00 PM–8:00 PM in summer). This catches Sydney near the end of business and London at the start of the working day.
Queensland (Brisbane, UTC+10) does not observe daylight saving time, while New South Wales (Sydney) does. During Sydney's summer (AEDT, UTC+11), Sydney is 1 hour ahead of Brisbane. This creates scheduling complexity within Australia from October to April each year.