Laeeqa Lutta

During the sacred month of Ramadan, people of the Islamic faith fast from sunrise to sunset. But once the sun sets, iftar begins – a fast-breaking feast where family and friends gather together to enjoy delicious dishes and incredibly moreish treats. Below are some of the best Sydney spots to break fast when iftar begins – including the Ramadan Nights markets in Lakemba. When is Sydney iftar time? You can see the Sydney iftar time for each date over here. When is Sydney sehri time? The Sydney time for sehri, the morning meal eaten by Muslims during Ramadan before the sun has come up, can be found over here. When is Eid al-Fitr in Australia?  Eid is a major holiday celebrated by Muslims, and it commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It will be celebrated on April 9, 2024. Looking for a late-night feed? These are Time Out’s go-tos for a late night bite at any time of the year. 

Pottery has been an essential practice for centuries, from the ancient Roman’s vast clay collections through to that classic Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore throwing wheel scene in Ghost. For those taking up the discipline, it’s a transformative journey: it starts with a lump of clay, gets a little messy, and ends in a practical piece of art.  If you’d like to try your hand at throwing, coiling, pinching and building pottery, check out these studios hosting classes in Sydney.  Since you’re in an arty mood, seek out Sydney’s best public art or check out the best exhibitions open this month. RECOMMENDED: The best dance classes in Sydney.

When the holy month of Ramadan ends, Muslims gather and celebrate the holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr. Many spend the festivities with their friends and family, dressing their best and showering each other with gifts. The celebration is welcomed and extended to all members of the community, and many flock to the various Eid festivals held in Sydney. With diverse feasts, traditional performances, family-friendly activities and fairground rides, it’s a joyful party for all cultures and ages. We've found six exciting Eid festivals coming to Sydney. Keep exploring Sydney's food scene on these fabulous food tours, or put your tastebuds to the test and work your way through Sydney's top five spicy dishes for die-hard chilli fans. RECOMMENDED: The best public art in Sydney.

For a super relaxed pottery making experience, Clay Sydney is a great chilled-out option. As a fairly new company, they’re very enthusiastic and offer a wide range of workshops.  If you’re new to the ceramic scene, they offer taster classes, which give you an introduction to wheel-throwing, firing and glazing. If you’re an experienced ceramicist, they also rent out their spaces to members who want to work on their own projects. They host wine and cheese hand-building classes on Friday nights where you’ll learn how to build mugs and mini vessels. The snacks are included and BYO drinks are encouraged. Clay Sydney also provides private tailored classes. They offer workshops in their studio for groups of 10-30 people, and can bring the clay action off-site for groups of up to 100 amateur makers. Snacks are provided and you can bring your own beverages.

The Pottery Shed is exactly that: a warehouse with everything you need to make your pottery dreams come to life. Walking through the atrium, you’ll see pieces for sale that were made on-site in an intimate seating space that opens to high ceilings and clay covered floors.  There are allocated areas for each step. You’ll find pottery wheels for throwing clay, an area for trimming and another for glazing your finished creations. As you explore the space, you’ll come across shelving with hundreds of pre-fired vessels wrapped and ready for the next part in the process as well as a dedicated shelf for finished works. The artistry, imagery and vibrant colours are a delightful contrast next to the yet-to-be-glazed pieces. Charismatic owner Joe Darling has a history of making pottery dating back to 1976 in California, and is on hand to assist you with any queries. He may even share a story or two, like how he won the Army Commendation medal for the best pottery tea set.  The rest of the energetic staff will teach you step by step how to make your own bowls and cups with earthenware clay. Beginners tend to get messy and make a few mistakes, however broken pieces and excess clay is recycled on the premises. You can expect to jam out to sweet tunes and have plenty of laughs while you create a new star for your mantelpiece.  The classes run for two hours, and the studio operates seven days a week with flexible class times in the morning and evening. Students can learn at their own pace,

At Silky Shapes you’ll learn how to mould clay into anything from a basic bowl to an intricate sculpture.  Beginner’s classes at this intimate studio are held in three lesson packages across three weeks. They feature wheel throwing, trimming and glazing. In our introduction, we learned the process of weighing the clay, releasing the air bubbles, tossing onto the wheel – an essential throw which secures the clay to the device. You get to watch the little ball of clay form into different shapes and sizes at the end of this messy process. “I hope they are gaining the ability to leave stress aside and fully immerse themselves into a really creative, beautiful process where they start with a lump of clay and end with a fully functional piece,” says Yegana Jafarova, owner of Silky Shapes. Classes at the Crows Nest venue range from wheel throwing to hand-building, slip casting, mold making, coiling and slab building. But Jafarova will help you work on passion projects outside of these criteria, too.  “If someone walks in and says ‘I want to make a lamp-shade with three tiers’ I'll sit down and discuss the best way to help them work and how to build it,” says Jafarova. Returning students are free to explore different methods and create more intricate pieces.

Something at Mary’s is a small ceramic studio in Bundeena. The space overlooks the ocean, so you have a salty, scenic vista to inspire your creations in class.  Your teacher Marion Stehouwer has over a decade of experience in the field, hosting pottery-making classes for individuals and small groups. In the personalised classroom featuring only four wheels, she’s able to attend to all questions and assist as you get to know the clay and building process. There’s a carefree and casual vibe to the classes, which lets beginners feel comfortable making mistakes or asking questions. While most pottery spaces hold lessons for the entire process, from throwing to glazing, these classes focus primarily on the throwing and trimming aspects, with wheel throwing, trimming and hand-building lessons. However, Stehouwer is happy to assist students with sculptures and other projects.  Group bookings are also taken for specially tailored corporate team-building classes, hens parties and family sessions. And unlike many other spaces, Something at Mary’s is mobile. The workshops can be brought to your work or added into the fee to hire a hall, with all clay and materials provided to make hand-built pots. 

Dyson has opened up its first demo beauty lab in the Queen Victoria Building from today. They are bringing their expertise down under, so you can have your mop styled by one of their hair-styling professionals. The salon is open from 7.30am on weekdays, and open late on Thursdays, and you can book all your appointments online via their website. Their hair styling appointments start at $50, which include a consultation with a free drink, followed by a head massage, hair wash, treatment and style to however you like it. You’ll have your hair done with the new Dyson styling technologies such as their new hair dryer and air-wrapping styler. Stylists will be able to whip up some bouncy curls, smooth out your kinks and dry your hair according to a menu of hair style options. According to Dyson, their products use intelligent heat control to prevent your hair from fizzing and breaking. And if you don’t want to fork out the price of a new hair dryer to find out if they’re right, having your hair done in the salon is a cheaper way to test that theory for yourself.  They’ll also have Dyson products available to buy in store. If you do choose to buy, you get a free gift and your appointment cost is refunded.  You can find the Dyson Demo Store at Shop 62, Lower Ground Floor, QVB, 455 George St, Sydney 2000. dysonqvb.gettimely.com/book. Mon-Wed, Fri 7.30am-6pm; Thu 7.30am-9pm; Sat, Sun 10am-6pm. Need to treat yourself? We tried and tested the best spas in Sydney.

For many moons, May 4 has been recognised by Star Wars fans as the annual day to honour their favourite cult movie franchise. It originated from a pun – May the fourth (force) be with you – and has become a worldwide celebration where Star Wars lovers dedicate their day to the Rebel Alliance, the Empire and all the Sith and Jedi in between. If you don’t have a party or movie marathon to go to, there are plenty of family-friendly events and activities for mature fans running across Sydney where you can celebrate the biggest day in the Star Wars calendar (besides the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). Start your May 4 morning by visiting the Powerhouse Museum for Stormtrooper Saturday from 10am. They’re encouraging all visitors to dress up as their favourite Star Wars character in a galactic competition for best dressed. The family-friendly, interactive event offers intergalactic storytelling sessions for kids and the opportunity to create your own exclusive character. Or, you can assist in constructing a massive Lego Star Wars structure at Westfield Chatswood from 10am-2pm. If you’re keen on dressing up again, prizes will be awarded for best dressed, and you can channel your character in a round of Star Wars trivia. If you want to party through the night, the three floors at the Marlborough Hotel will be getting a Mos Eisley-style makeover, with themed cocktails, boxes of Star Wars dress-ups, DJs and trivia. It won’t be a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but the