Two decades ago Abdul Obeid set up a barbecue on a shopping strip and now more than one million people visit his suburb each year.
Held during the month of Ramadan, Lakemba Nights brings southwest Sydney to life with a global food bazaar featuring Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian cuisines.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, where Muslims across the world abstain from food, drink and other activities from dawn until sunset.
In 2024, 1.57 million people visited the markets, almost double the number who attended Sydney's Royal Easter Show.
The vast majority weren't Muslim, prompting some to argue the community event has drifted away from its roots, but Mr Obeid sees the growth as a success.
"Not only for the event but for our culture and our religion," he said.
"People who might never have met a Muslim come to Lakemba and start to understand."
Chef Mohammed Mureuza from local restaurant Shahi Dastarkhwan agreed with Mr Obeid and said the market was important for businesses along the shopping strip.
"It is a big relief," he said.
"If we do all our business in this month, we have stability for four to six months after that."
The event was renamed from Ramadan Nights to Lakemba Nights during Ramadan in 2025, sparking controversy.
A council report released in November 2024 revealed a majority of local residents were against the change but Mr Obeid said it made the event more inclusive.
"It still means the same to me as it did on day one," he said.
The decision is part of a series of changes made by the council to reduce the cost of operating the event and disruption to residents.
Canterbury Bankstown Deputy Mayor Khodr Saleh said the decisions were shaped by community voices, consultation and a shared sense of belonging.
"We ensured Ramadan stayed at the centre of this event," he said.
In 2009 when Mr Saleh first helped establish the markets as a councillor, he said many locals saw them as a way to push back against discrimination, while celebrating their faith and culture.
The markets have since grown exponentially, with more than one million people attending in 2022, about four-times the amount who previously visited in 2019.
While Islamophobia remains a challenge, the deputy mayor said Lakemba Nights would continue to act as a platform for unity.
"If sharing a meal is the key to bringing people together, then so be it," he said.
"People who are open-minded come here, meet Muslims and realise we're just like everyone else."
