The best gigs to see in Sydney this winter

Sydney’s dance scene isn’t one homogenous entity. There are the weekly clubbers – those who spend their Saturday nights in sleek, sexy inner-city haunts like Sussudio and Carousel – and there are the warehouse ravers, whose weekend invites are likely to contain the words “secret Inner West location”. If there’s one event that unites them all, it’s Summer Dance: an annual event series that brings some of the biggest names in electronic music to a sun-soaked Sydney location.Presented by Astral People – one of Australia’s key culture-shaping music companies – the series has become a staple in Sydney/ Gadigal’s cultural calendar; a place where international tastemakers and homegrown faves meet under the same pulsing bassline, fuelled by big summer energy.In excellent news for the city’s dance fans, Summer Dance is back for 2025. Launching on November 29 at Liberty Hall, the beloved day-to-night party is set to transform the venue’s courtyard into an open-air celebration of sound, community and summer heat, before the energy moves indoors for 'After Dark'. Based on what we know so far, this year’s opening lineup sets the bar sky-high. First up, Eora’s own Club Angel will be leading the charge with a high-octane mix of UK speed garage, jungle and anthemic bass. Joining him is Naarm-based Crÿbaby, whose genre-bending sets splice Global Club, Dembow and Hard Dance into something irresistibly fun. Rounding out the daytime line-up is Bryson Hill, the Gadigal-born, London-honed DJ...

There are very few buildings as special as Sydney Opera House. Even for Sydneysiders who love to throw shade on our beautiful city, the magnificent harbourside venue is almost universally loved – its uniquely organic arc defining Sydney’s world-famous skyline. And while most people who head to the House for a show have sat within the insulated walls of the Concert Hall or the Playhouse, fewer lucky visitors have been treated to a show in the Utzon Room: a stunning glass-walled space with views across the water to Sydney’s beautiful Botanic Garden.   Named after Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Utzon Room is an intimate, 200-person space that gives guests an entirely different Opera House experience – one in which Sydney’s harbour plays a pivotal role. For the past 17 years, the secret waterfront venue has played host to a carefully-curated series of performances as an ode to the creative ambition of the man behind the House. Utzon Music is a year-long event series that celebrates awe-inspiring art, bringing world-renowned musicians into the small, unassuming space for afternoon performance set against the silent hum of the harbour.   For its 18th edition, Utzon Music is back under the direction of renowned arts advocate, performer, composer and recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey. For Utzon Music 2025, Lacey has programmed a diverse showcase of soloists and chamber musicians for ten super special one-off performances – with a vision of celebrating “human curiosity and...