Blessing Of The Fleet - Sydney Fish Market

Sydney Fish Market is celebrating the annual Blessing of the Fleet festivities on Sunday 23rd September. Visitors are invited to join Sydney’s incredible fishing community to celebrate this colourful event.

Predominantly a Catholic tradition originating in the Mediterranean, The Blessing of the Fleet ceremony blesses fishing vessels and their crew to ensure a plentiful fishing season and a safe voyage home. As the local fishing fleet has strong Italian origins, the event holds a cultural significance for both the Italian and Sydney fishing communities.

The focal point of the event is the procession of the Madonna – a replica statue of the Santa Maria Di Porto Salvo, the guardian of Safe Ports or Safe Harbour, that was commissioned by the Association Bagnara Calabra. The statue is taken on a colourful procession around the site before returning to the market wharf for the blessings to begin. This year the event will welcome the return of ‘Shirley Smith’, a tug boat from the Port Authority of New South Wales that will form part of the fleet for the day.

Following the procession there will be a host of live entertainment including music from DJ and percussion fusion, The Sincopa Trio; free face painting for kids; the crowd favourite spaghetti-eating competition; stalls from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Maritime Safety Authority and UrbanGrowth NSW Development Corporation, as well as a fishing display by the Professional Fisherman’s Association and OceanWatch Australia.

The blessing and festival is a free event that encourages the recognition and support of local fishing communities, with the colourful procession and blessing kicking the day off at 10.30am.