Things to do
A guide to Sydney events, attractions, outdoor adventures and more
NAIDOC Week in Sydney
NAIDOC Week is held in the first full week of July, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. Events take place from July 2-9 honouring the theme ‘Our Languages Matter’. This year's theme celebrates the role Indigenous languages play in cultural identity and connecting us to place through storytelling.
What to do in Sydney
The best of Sydney
20 things to do in Sydney at least once in your life
Sydney’s a beautiful place to live and a glorious city to visit. We’ve picked out 20 things to do that show off our best side, from kayaking on the harbour and cocktails with a view to our favourite weekly markets, the best underground restaurant in the city and where to get your culture fix.
Escape rooms in Sydney
Puzzle rooms are taking Sydney by storm. Every time we check, another two seem to be popping up out of nowhere – and each one raises the bar with new ideas inspired by the hundreds of escape rooms found across the world. (Apparently Hungary is the place to go for the ultimate mystery room binge – there are more than 100 rooms in Budapest alone). The concept is simple: solve a variety of puzzles placed in and around the room before your allotted time runs out. Each room has a different theme and stimulates all senses, demanding a variety of problem-solving skills. Time Out took the challenge of visiting nine rooms in the city. Whether we got out in time? Well, that's a different matter.
The Sydney tourist hit list
Events coming up in Sydney
Skating at Cathedral Square
Ice skate under ‘real snow’ at St Mary’s Cathedral this June and July
Fairs and festivals
Sydney Science Festival
The Sydney Science Festival returns for the third year this August.
Way Out West Festival for Children
Sydney’s only contemporary arts festival for children and families is in its seventh year.
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Stockroom Restaurant and Stillery Cocktail Bar
With more than 100 varieties of rare, vintage and limited-edition gin.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards and exhibition showcase not only the best of the natural world, but the patience, ingenuity and talent of the photographers who spend their time embedded within wildlife so that they can get that incredible, revealing shot. Judged by a panel of industry-recognised professionals, this year's 100 finalists were taken by some of the world’s best nature photographers and selected for their creativity, artistry and technical complexity.
Bacco Osteria e Espresso
At Bacco Osteria, they’re playing the long game. Classic, three-ingredient Italian fare and ace wine might not be the hot new thing, but importantly it’s what people actually want to eat most nights of the week. This is the new venue from the masters of understated Italian in Sydney, Andrew Cibej and Scott Williams, who have cast off from the good ships 121 BC, Berta and Vini for a glass-fronted wedge of restaurant along the Angel Place warren in the CBD. Although their new digs lack some of the romance of a Surry Hills location, convenience is a big factor. It’s just behind the City Recital Hall, so that’s a big thumbs up for a post-concert plate of pasta, and it’s pared-back, functional aesthetic is the right pitch for regular CBD diners who want to be able to drop in for cured meats and wine straight from the office without a change of costume. Take a shortcut to happiness via the salumi plate. The salami here has that glossy, almost juicy quality to it that shames the pale imitations in your supermarket deli. One is spiked with fennel seeds, another with just a hint of chilli, and if the salty duck breast prosciutto is a bit metallic for your tastes, the soft, nutty capocollo will quickly mollify your palate. The three-ingredient waltz keeps perfect time with smoked, cured kingfish tacked on fresh apple slices and lightly pickled kohlrabi. The second dance is a rollick of stracciatella – imagine a burrata that has become so overwhelmed with cream it collapses into s