The North Sydney pool will reopen to the public on Friday 7 August 2026, ending a closure that has lasted for more than five years and pushing the cost of its long-delayed refurbishment to $122m.

North Sydney mayor Zoë Baker said the formal handover of keys from the contractor to council staff had been completed by the end of the council meeting last night, marking what she called the shift from construction to operational readiness. She said additional fitouts, staff recruitment and final assessments are the last steps before swimmers can return to the art deco pool under the Harbour Bridge.

The reopening date puts a finish line on a project that was supposed to move much faster. The pool first opened in 1936, closed in 2021 for a major refurbishment and had been due to reopen in 2022. Instead, delays have stretched the work across several years and left the council with a bill that has now climbed to $122m.

Baker said the pool will reopen during its 90th anniversary year, underscoring how far the project has drifted from its original timetable. The site is one of North Sydney’s most recognisable public spaces, and the return of a facility that has sat idle for years will be watched closely by residents who have waited through the setbacks and cost blowouts.

The handover does not end the work. It only removes one of the last barriers before the pool can be brought back into service, with final preparations still to be done before opening day. But after more than five years shut, the council now has the keys, a reopening date and a clear path back to public use.