The best things to do in Sydney this weekend

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of our fave places to hang out year-round – and this December it welcomes a banging new exhibition from Melbourne-born artist Ron Mueck. Ron Mueck: Encounter is the artist’s largest exhibition ever in Australia, bringing together a stunning selection of his hyperreal human sculptures from around the globe.  The life-like and scaled up sculptures aim to challenge perceptions by offering a profound and observational look at the human experience. Grounded in realism, the captivating figures tenderly embody themes such as birth, death, alienation and togetherness.  After making his start in children’s television, Mueck trained under Jim Henson (The Muppets) in puppeteering and model making where he made a name for himself on major projects including Sesame Street and the film Labyrinth. Soon after he relocated to London to run his own animatronic studio, before finding his way to figurative sculptures in the late ‘90s and revitalising the medium.  Ron Mueck: Encounter runs daily from December 6 to April 12, 10am–5pm, and until 10pm on Wednesday nights, as part of the Sydney International Art Series, a government initiative that teams up with Destination NSW to bring the world’s most prolific artists exclusively to Sydney. Tickets are $35 for adults on weekdays, $37 on weekends and public holidays, with two-for-one Art After Hours deals on Wednesday evenings, or $45 flexi tickets (which are un-dated single entry tickets). You can book...

If you've ever wondered what would happen if a kid's drawing of their wildest dream utopia suddenly came off the page and into real life, you're in luck, because that's pretty much what's happening right now beneath the Art Gallery of NSW.  Artist and professional disruptor Mike Hewson has taken over the weird subterranean world of The Tank with his one-of-a-kind new exhibition, Mike Hewson: The Key's Under the Mat, where for the first time ever, all the main lights in the normally pitch-dark Tank will be switched on, revealing a weird wonderland of interactive art pieces and play equipment that have to be seen to be believed. We're talking: A steam room with stained glass windows that you can actually sit in, a functioning sauna with bespoke church pews, five actual operating public barbeques that you can cook on, rushing water to play in (seriously, bring your swimmers), a working laundry,  and a free-to-use recording studio, plus a whole plethora of bright and delightful surprises that are all about getting community together, to do cool stuff, for free. Basically, break your imagination and delete all adult expectations. This is unlike anything we've ever seen.  Kids who aren't afraid of some risk are also one of Hewson's big targets with this show (although parents, rest easy, the floor is specially made out of recycled soft rubber that's rated for use in public playgrounds), with the space also home to a wild children's playground. Intrepid kidlets can test their...

Somebody pop the Champagne, because the world's most beautiful outdoor cinema will be back by the harbourside, running over 47 nights from January 9 to February 24 – and tickets are now on sale. Westpac OpenAir will once again take over Mrs Macquaries Point this summer, with panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge as its staggering backdrop.  The line-up features everything from old-school hits to cult classics and brand-new Aussie debuts, including films like Dirty Dancing, Marty Supreme, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Hamnet and 10 Things I Hate About You. You can check out the full program here.  Meanwhile, there’s more than just iconic views and the latest blockbusters in store, with a bunch of excellent food and drink offerings available for every budget. Think fresh seafood and Spritzes at The Chandon Garden, a lush waterfront restaurant by acclaimed chef Danielle Alvarez called Summer House Dining, and a classy dining terrace for Westpac customers. A heads-up that you’ll need to book your spot in advance.Just after a sundowner? Then order a beer (or an entire bottle of Champagne, ice bucket and all) and settle in for a film screening projected on the huge 350-square-metre, three-storey-high screen that lights up as night falls over the harbour.  If you really want a run-up for the view, take a stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens on your way to the cinema (but word to the wise, don't leave it too late, lest you be caught...

Jay Gatsby invites you into the decadent world of The Green Light, nestled inside The Studio theatre of the Sydney Opera House, where the roaring '20s is reborn for an evening of decadence, debauchery and delight. Gatsby at the Green Light is back by popular demand and, with an extended run until March 2026, there’s clearly a demand for cabaret with a touch of elegance and plenty of grandeur.  What type of show is Gatsby at the Green Light? Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic text, The Great Gatsby, director Craig Ilott once more takes audiences into an exploration of the liquor-fuelled parties, yearning and lust of the illusive figure, Jay Gatsby, in an evening of professional cabaret. Ilott doesn’t so much play out the story of The Great Gatsby, but instead takes the crux of it – one of greed, love, decadence and the unreachable American Dream – to showcase some of the best talents in cabaret, aerial acrobatics, tap and circus. Set inside the fictionalised bar, The Green Light, designer Stuart Couzens creates a world that feels like you’ve stepped back into a speakeasy bar of Fitzgerald’s America. The three-tiered seating elements of Green Light mean that audiences have the choice of sitting back in the rafters and overseeing the party (much like the host himself) or the middle of the space set far enough back to see all but not be so close as to feel the intimacy of the stage.  Those who want to hear the heartbeat of the waiter-come-dancers around you, feel the heat...

The Art Gallery of New South Wales’ newest exhibition – Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940 – spotlights 50 trailblazing females who were among some of the first to draw attention to the fact that women can make some pretty bloody great art too.  The speedy rate of industrialisation in the 19th century meant a major shift in European society. Artists used it as a chance to reject traditional themes like religion, and instead focused on fresh ways to portray individuals (in a time where it felt like machines were going to rule the world). Meanwhile, women used it as their ticket to pull a seat up at the table. The focus of the exhibition is specifically on our very own Australian and New Zealander artists who made the journey to Europe to immerse themselves in the modernist movement. Gallery-goers can peruse works from historic names like Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith, and also witness the work of some lesser-known but equally important creatives like CL Allport, Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Featuring celebrated and rediscovered paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture and ceramics, the exhibition includes work by celebrated artists such as Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith, alongside lesser-known but equally compelling figures such as CL Allport, Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Dangerously Modern’s run in Sydney spans all the way to mid-February so a hot (art) girl summer awaits. You...

Yes, Melbourne plays host to the Australian Open tennis, but our summer of tennis action actually hits off in Sydney with the United Cup. Now in its fourth year, this international mixed tennis tournament sees top male/female teams from 18 countries compete in Sydney and Perth. In 2026, there'll be five of the world's top 10 men and four of the top 10 women tennis players including Alex de Minaur, Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, Iga Świątek, Alexander Zverev, Jasmine Paolini, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Draper. Other pros include Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Belinda Bencic, Stan Wawrinka, Stefanos Tsitsipas and more. What sets the United Cup apart from other tournaments? It's where teamwork makes the dream work. Yes, it's not an individual event but rather a country-versus-country tennis tournament with tons of camaraderie. Each team is made up of men and women in this mixed tennis tournament. Want to know more? We answer all your United Cup FAQs. When is the United Cup 2026? The United Cup will start in Perth on January 2. The first Sydney games will begin on January 3. Games will be played in Sydney every day with day sessions beginning at 10.30am and night sessions starting at 5.30pm. When are the United Cup finals? The United Cup finals will be played in Sydney. The semi-finals are on January 10 and the final is on January 11 at 5.30pm. Where is the United Cup being played? The United Cup will be played in Sydney in the Ken Rosewall Arena (don't worry, it has a roof cover...

If you were under the impression that Sydney’s summer fun peaks in December, you stand corrected. Every summer, right after the dust settles from the Harbour City’s sparkling NYE fireworks display, Sydney Festival is waiting to take over the city with a hefty helping of fresh arts and culture. This is your chance to get in on an almost-month-long program overflowing with avant garde performances, immersive art installations, phenomenal live musicians and parties that rock on well into the night. This year, the annual event is turning 50 – and if you were expecting a quiet midlife moment, think again. This summer, from January 8 to January 25, the city is throwing itself into a full-blown cultural block party, cracking open five decades of artistic history and inviting everyone in for a look at what’s next. Under the direction of Kris Nelson, who’s stepping up for his first year at the helm, the 2026 program is a sprawling, joy-sparking mix of theatre, music, dance and art.  At the heart of this anniversary edition is a deep dive into connection across generations, playing out through a (delightfully off-the-wall) theatre program. There’s the world-premiere roller-derby spectacular Mama Does Derby, which will see Virginia Gay and Clare Watson transform Sydney Town Hall into a full-scale rink for a tender, sweaty mother-daughter story. There’s Dear Son, bringing Thomas Mayo’s powerful collection of letters to the Belvoir stage with music, dance and theatre-makers Isaac...

Get a glass of wine, crawl under the blankets and settle in on the beach for another season of movies in bed at Barangaroo. Yep, Mov'in Bed is back! This fun twist on the classic outdoor cinema has been running since 2016 – and from 2023, it's been bringing in 280 tonnes of white sand to transform Barangaroo into a pop-up beach, offering film buffs the chance to see new releases and beloved classics on the big screen. Located in Barangaroo's Harbour Park, it's close to the new Metro station, which means that snuggling under the stars in this beautiful harbourside spot has never been easier.  Hate sitting on grass for hours? Mov'in Bed has 150 queen- and king-sized beds, perfect for two or three people to share. Tickets start at just $12 for sand positions (BYO blanket), with queen-size bed experiences from $45 per person and VIP packages from $75 per person including sparkling wine, butler service, unlimited gourmet popcorn and premium viewing. The season kicks off with romance in Regretting You, followed by action-packed thrills like Tron: Ares, dramas including Twinless and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and blockbusters such as Now You See Me Now You Don’t and Fantastic Four. From mid-December, the program goes full festive mode with Christmas favourites like Home Alone, Love Actually, Die Hard, Elf and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Find out what's screening and book your tickets here.  

In a city where culture is constantly evolving, the Powerhouse Museum has no problem keeping up. Spanning four sites – including Sydney Observatory, Powerhouse Castle Hill, the heritage-listed Powerhouse Ultimo site currently undergoing a $300-million transformation and a brand-new Powerhouse Parramatta location set to open in late 2026 – it’s officially the largest museum group in Australia. Now, Powerhouse Castle Hill is taking centre stage with its latest instalment Powerhouse Materials – a new series of exhibitions and events that showcase the Powerhouse Collection (home to more than half a million objects!) through the lens of a guest curator and a chosen material. Actor and activist, Chloe Hayden was the first to curate a colourful and quirky exhibition focused on textiles, and now Andy Griffiths is in the hot seat. The second iteration continues to embody imagination and eccentricity with Powerhouse Materials: Paper. Curated by best-selling children’s author Andy Griffiths (the mind behind the Just! and Treehouse series), this exhibition dives deep into the world of paper. From November 22 to March 8, this free exhibition features a quirky collection of paper objects from the Powerhouse Collection, ranging from the ordinary to extraordinary. Every visitor will receive a self-guided activity book packed with drawing and story prompts developed in collaboration with Griffiths – perfect for sparking young imaginations, and giving older ones a blast from the past. For...

Great Scott! All the way from 1985 to 1955 and now 2025, Sydney has landed the opening of mega-movie musical Back to the Future: The Musical, complete with a superb ensemble, captivating visual effects and enough nostalgia to power a time-travelling DeLorean.  For full transparency, Back to the Future is one of my favourite films of all time. Growing up watching Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Dr. Emmett Brown travel through time across three films was a large part of my movie-watching childhood. So when it was announced that it would be getting a high-octane staging, I was both ecstatic and sceptical. However, like the show’s original writer (and now the musical’s) Bob Gale said, “we’re not going to do this unless we can do it right”.   Thankfully, of the musical version I can safely say – to borrow from the Doc – “IT WORKS!” What’s the premise of Back to the Future: The Musical? After uncovering an old folder of photos in his parents’ basement, Gale wondered, after seeing a high school version of his father, whether he would have been friends with him back then. “The answer is no,” he joked at the opening night bows. The result of this is classic ’80s nostalgia – in both setting and plot.  BTTF follows teenager Marty McFly in Hill Valley, 1985, whose life is less than spectacular. He dreams of being a rock 'n’ roll star but he’s told he’s too loud and a “slacker” like his father. His family are just as hopeless. None more so than his father George...