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San Agustin Church in Manila lit at night for Simbang Gabi, with Christmas lights in the trees and people walking to Mass
Photo: Richmond Chi · CC BY-SA 4.0

Nine nights · December 15/16 – 24 · in the Australian summer

Simbang Gabi in Australia: nine Masses before Christmas, and the churches that hold them

For nine days before Christmas, Filipino Catholics in Australia gather for Simbang Gabi, the 'night Mass' novena. Some parishes keep the old dawn start, others hold it in the evening to suit work and the summer heat, and afterwards there is a Filipino breakfast or supper in the parish hall. Everyone is welcome. Here is what it means and which Australian churches have held it.

33 churches in 7 cities and regions · checked October 2026

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until Simbang Gabi

What is Simbang Gabi?

Simbang Gabi is a novena, nine days of Masses leading up to Christmas, and the best-loved Christmas custom of the Philippines. The name means 'night Mass'. It is also called Misa de Gallo, the rooster's Mass, because the Masses were once said before sunrise; the final one on Christmas Eve is sometimes called Misa de Aguinaldo, the gift Mass.

The custom goes back to the Spanish colonial period, when priests held Mass before dawn so that farmers and fishermen could attend before the day's work. Filipinos in Australia brought it with them, and Filipinos are now one of the larger migrant communities in the country; around three quarters of Australians who identify as Filipino are Catholic. Many believe that completing all nine Masses brings a wish granted, though most people simply come for the company.

How it is kept in Australia: dawn, evening and summer

December falls in the Australian summer, and what you find depends on the parish. In Melbourne, the archdiocese's own 2025 listing shows a mix: a dozen parishes held the nine Masses at about 5 am, while others, including Dandenong, North Fitzroy, Melton West, Bundoora and Berwick, held them at 7 to 8 pm. Sydney's Chatswood and Blacktown parishes have long kept a very early start, with Chatswood at 5:30 am in the listings we found. Canberra and Perth parishes have mostly held the novena in the evening.

Dates differ as well. Dawn novenas normally run 16 to 24 December, while evening 'anticipated' Masses start the night before and run 15 to 23 December, so that the ninth Mass is the evening of the 23rd. Some parishes shorten or shift the nine nights around the priest's other Christmas duties; one Gold Coast parish held its 2025 novena from 15 to 23 December for that reason. Because times change from year to year, treat every time on this page as last year's and check the parish bulletin.

Food after Mass: bibingka, puto bumbong and salabat

Eating together is half the point. In the Philippines the stalls outside the church sell bibingka, a rice cake baked in banana leaves with salted egg and cheese, and puto bumbong, purple sticky rice steamed in bamboo and served with butter, coconut and sugar, with salabat, hot ginger tea. In Australian parishes the food is usually a shared breakfast or supper in the hall, often sponsored by a different family each night; a Sydney choir leader and a Gold Coast organiser both describe a Filipino breakfast after the dawn Masses.

Newcomers are welcome to join. Non-Filipinos attend in good numbers in several parishes, and some, like the multicultural evening Mass at North Fitzroy, are meant to be shared with other communities.

Two bibingka rice cakes in banana-leaf liners with a golden topPhoto: Obsidian Soul · CC0

The parol and Noche Buena

The symbol of the season is the parol, a star lantern for the star of Bethlehem, traditionally made from bamboo and paper or capiz shell and lit in windows and churches from early December. Many parish halls and church porches are hung with parols for the novena.

The nine Masses lead to Noche Buena, the family feast after the Christmas Eve Mass, usually a late supper that goes past midnight. Filipino families in Melbourne and elsewhere describe ham, pasta and rice dishes on the table, then presents on Christmas Day, which in Australia is often a warm day at the beach or in the garden.

Three traditional star-shaped parol lanterns glowing at nightPhoto: Eugene Alvin Villar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tips for visitors

Check the parish bulletin or the archdiocese's events page in late November; 2026 times are normally posted then. Arrive 10 minutes early for the dawn Masses, which fill quickly, and expect the Mass to be in English with Filipino hymns and sometimes a few Tagalog responses. Dress is the same as for any Sunday Mass, but in summer you will be glad of something light. You do not need to be Filipino or to attend all nine nights; people come to one, to a few, or to the last. Bring a small plate if the parish hall asks for contributions, and stay for the food.

Churches that have held Simbang Gabi in Australia

Melbourne's list is the Archdiocese of Melbourne's own 2025 schedule. Other cities rest on the latest listings we could verify (Filipino Times Australia, diocesan and press reports), and each church shows the year it was confirmed. Australian dioceses do not publish one national list, and we could not confirm any 2025 or later schedule for Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart or most of Brisbane, so check your parish. 2026 times are posted around late November.

33 churches in 5 states and territories

By city

Sydney, NSW

  • Chatswood

    Our Lady of Dolours Parish, Chatswood

    The Filipino Chaplaincy of Chatswood Parish runs a dawn novena with an all-Filipino choir, and many non-Filipinos come; volunteers sponsor a breakfast afterwards. The best-documented Simbang Gabi in Sydney.

    Last held: Dawn novena still running in December 2025 (press report, 23 Dec 2025); latest listing found: 16–24 December 2023, 5:30 am

    94 Archer St, Chatswood NSW 2067Organiser's page

  • Blacktown

    St Patrick's Church (Mary Queen of the Family Parish), Blacktown

    Western Sydney's very early start, with the nine dawn Masses before the working day.

    Last held: 16–24 December 2023, 4:30 am

    Allawah St, Blacktown NSW 2148Organiser's page

  • Quakers Hill

    Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, Quakers Hill

    Offers both versions: a dawn novena and an evening novena a day earlier, so you can pick the time that suits.

    Last held: 2023: dawn 16–24 December 4:30 am and evening 15–23 December 7 pm

    125 Barnier Dr, Quakers Hill NSW 2763Organiser's page

  • Dee Why

    St Kevin's Church, Dee Why

    An evening novena on the northern beaches, run by the Filipino chaplaincy of the Diocese of Broken Bay.

    Last held: 15–23 December 2023, 7:30 pm

    50 Oaks Ave, Dee Why NSW 2099Organiser's page

  • Kogarah

    St Patrick's Catholic Church, Kogarah

    A dawn novena in southern Sydney.

    Last held: 16–24 December 2023, 5:15 am

    143 Princes Hwy, Kogarah NSW 2217Organiser's page

  • Lidcombe

    St Joachim's Catholic Church, Lidcombe

    A dawn novena in Sydney's inner west.

    Last held: 16–24 December 2023, 5:15 am

    2 Mills St, Lidcombe NSW 2141Organiser's page

Melbourne, VIC

Brisbane, QLD

Gold Coast, QLD

  • Coomera

    St Mary's Parish, Coomera

    A family-organised dawn novena with a Filipino breakfast sponsored by parishioners; the dates were moved a day earlier to fit the priest's Christmas Eve duties.

    Last held: 15–23 December 2025, 5:30 am

    Coomera QLDOrganiser's page

Perth, WA

  • Cloverdale

    Notre Dame Parish, Cloverdale

    Perth's longest-running parish Simbang Gabi, with the San Lorenzo Ruiz choir. The Archbishop of Perth has celebrated one of the Masses.

    Last held: 2024 (seventh year); 2023: 15–23 December, 8 pm

    345 Wright St, Cloverdale WA 6105Organiser's page

  • Kiara

    Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Kiara (Lockridge)

    An evening novena in the north-east, with earlier Masses on weekends.

    Last held: 16–24 December 2023: 7 pm weekdays, 6 pm Saturday, 5 pm Sunday

    215 Morley Dr E, Kiara WA 6054Organiser's page

  • Perth CBD

    St Mary's Cathedral, Perth

    The cathedral has announced a Simbang Gabi celebration in English, open to all, and mentions that city parishes often hold it around 8 or 9 pm.

    Last held: Announcement dated 2022; no later date confirmed

    Victoria Square, Perth WA 6000Organiser's page

Canberra, ACT

Regional Victoria, VIC

Questions

When is Simbang Gabi 2026 in Australia?
The dawn novena traditionally runs 16 to 24 December 2026, and evening 'anticipated' Masses 15 to 23 December. Individual parishes set their own nights and times and usually publish them in late November, so check the bulletin of the church you plan to visit.
Where can I attend Simbang Gabi in Sydney?
Parishes that have held it include Our Lady of Dolours in Chatswood (dawn, with a Filipino chaplaincy), St Patrick's Blacktown, Mary Immaculate in Quakers Hill, St Kevin's in Dee Why (evening), Kogarah and Lidcombe. Times in our list are from the latest listings we could verify, so confirm before you go.
Where can I attend Simbang Gabi in Melbourne?
The Archdiocese of Melbourne listed 17 churches for 2025 (including Geelong's Corio and two in the Diocese of Sale). Most held dawn Masses at 5 am, including St Albans, Deer Park, Maidstone, Kings Park, Hoppers Crossing, Lalor, Frankston and Seaford. Evening options were Dandenong, North Fitzroy, Melton West, Bundoora and Berwick.
Do you have to be Filipino to go?
No. Simbang Gabi is an ordinary Catholic Mass, open to everyone. Parishes in Melbourne and Sydney specifically invite non-Filipinos, and some evening Masses are multicultural. You are also welcome to stay for the food afterwards.
Is Simbang Gabi at dawn or in the evening in Australia?
Both. Many Australian parishes keep the early dawn Mass, usually 4:30 to 5:30 am. Others hold it in the evening, around 7 to 8 pm, which suits work schedules and avoids long travel in the dark; Canberra, Perth and several Melbourne parishes do this.
What is a parol?
A parol is the Filipino star lantern of Christmas, a symbol of the star of Bethlehem. It is traditionally made of bamboo and paper or capiz shell and lit in windows, churches and parish halls during the novena.
What food is served after Simbang Gabi?
In the Philippines it is bibingka (rice cake baked in banana leaves) and puto bumbong (purple sticky rice steamed in bamboo), with salabat, hot ginger tea. In Australian parishes it is usually a shared Filipino breakfast or supper in the hall, with different dishes each night.