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A scene from Jeromaia Detto: Giuseppe's Love Quest
Supplied/Jeromaia Detto | A scene from Jeromaia Detto: Giuseppe's Love Quest
Supplied/Jeromaia Detto

The best things to do in Sydney this weekend

Hello weekend, we're ready for you

Avril Treasure
Edited by Avril Treasure
Editor, Time Out Sydney
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Looking for weekend fun? You've come to the right place.

Sydney Fringe Festival has kicked off! This week I saw Giuseppe's Love Quest (pictured) – a heart-warming, five-star show exploring the meaning of love that's as silly as it is hilarious. It's only here for a few more days before it goes to Melbourne, so come and see it.
There's plenty more on, from cabaret to comedy, theatre and dance – we’ve rounded up our top picks.

Hong Kong is coming to Chatswood this Sunday, with the free Hongkonger Street Market 2026 taking over Victoria Avenue for a day of street food, culture, shopping and entertainment. Expect Hong Kong-inspired precincts, seriously good food (hello, Hong Kong-style cold noodles), local creatives and a nostalgic double-decker bus tour.

Some of the world’s most extraordinary nature photography is on display in Sydney, from a sawfish and sea turtle encounter to dramatic wildlife and otherworldly landscapes. The 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition showcases the best images from more than 2,000 entries from around the world – it's on now at the Australian Museum, and it's free.

Harbour Heat has landed at Q Station Manly, bringing a wood-fired sauna to the private wharf, where you can sweat it out before plunging straight into Sydney Harbour. The experience runs from Wednesday to Sunday, surrounded by the bush, harbour and history.

Feel like seeing a show? Check out the best ones to see this month in Sydney here.

Eating-wise, we’ve got you covered, with Time Out’s guide to Sydney’s best cafés, restaurants, bars, affordable eats and wine bars. Plus, check out Sydney's hottest bars and pubs.

Want to get outside? These are Sydney’s prettiest picnic spots, and we’ve rounded up a bunch of excellent walks too.

Hope you have a fun weekend.

Weather not looking so hot? Check out our list of the best things to do indoors in Sydney.

Looking for weekday fun? These are the best things to do in Sydney this week.

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

The best things to do this weekend

Sydney Fringe Festival at the Entertainment Quarter

  • Things to do
  • Fairs and festivals
  • Moore Park
Sydney Fringe Festival at the Entertainment Quarter
Sydney Fringe Festival at the Entertainment Quarter
Jacinta Oaten
The Sydney Fringe Festival is back for another year, taking over Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter from August 26 to October 11. This year’s line-up is stacked, and will see the return of the Fool’s Paradise hub alongside a dedicated Fringe Kids program. For acrobatics, comedy, cabaret, live music and burlesque, head straight to Fool’s Paradise. Spanning two dedicated venues, ‘The Virago’ and ‘The Bunker’, this year’s festivities are curated by the award-winning team at Head First Acrobats. Expect edge-of-your-seat stuff, with performances – day and night – that are guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping (all from the safety of your seat). Got little ones in tow? The Fringe Kids program takes over the precinct for two weeks during the school break, with a line-up of music, magic, giant bubbles, hands-on science and circus acts. With highlights like All Star Circus and the Flying Bubble Show, and tickets starting at just $12, consider your kids' holiday boredom cured. With the entire seven-week line-up consolidated into one hub, you can catch a show, grab a bite to eat and soak up all the Fringe vibes without even having to rack up a massive step count. Refuel at the Fool’s Paradise bar with signature cocktails and snacks, or explore the many restaurants, cafes, markets and pop-up food stalls around the precinct.Performance times and ticket prices vary by show. To explore the full program, check session times and secure tickets, visit the Sydney Fringe Festival website.
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Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Darlinghurst
Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Photograph: © Georgina Steytler
A sawfish swimming alongside a sea turtle in the Pilbara. Royal penguins stopped in their tracks by an enormous elephant seal. A Tassie devil fighting for survival. A whimbrel racing an incoming wave with a freshly caught crab in its beak. Flame-like patterns formed by the tides across a Western Australian sandbank. It’s true what they say: a picture definitely does speak a thousand words. Opening at the Australian Museum on September 12, the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition brings you face-to-face with some of the most extraordinary moments in the natural world. From wildlife encounters to otherworldly landscapes, these photographs offer a rare glimpse into the beauty and fragility of nature in our region. This free exhibition, produced by the South Australian Museum, showcases the finest images selected from 2,129 entries by 501 photographers across 17 countries. Spanning Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea, the photographs take in everything from critically endangered species and dramatic animal encounters to patterns and textures of the natural landscape. Western Australian photographer Matt Deakin has been named the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year for Ethereal Encounter. His mesmerising aerial photograph captures a critically endangered green sawfish moving towards a group of green turtles in the shallow waters of the Pilbara. Shot in the last light of the day, the milky water gives the...
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Housework

  • Drama
  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Housework
Housework
Photograph: Prudence Upton
We all know that politics is a greasy machine where idealism goes to die. A hot new frontrunner for a local electorate seat can hold the bright-eyed hope of youth, while a hard-edged minister eroded by the gravity of office just wants to get the day done so they can head to the nearest bar.  Emily Steel’s Housework aims high, wanting to cover the vast range of staffers of every rank who keep our democracy running – from hopeful interns through to the highest seat in office. Where she lands is often predictable and all-too-familiar territory. The result is an Australian version of House of Cards, but with a lot less blood and a lot more pastries. What is the plot of Housework? First-term MP of a marginal seat in Sydney, Ruth Mandour (Susie Youssef), won her campaign on first-hand experience and relatable candour as a nurse during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, her hard-working Chief of Staff Anna (Emily Taheny) is the real backbone of the successful campaign. With Media Advisor Ben (Laurence Boxhall) and the preppy new junior staffer Kelly (Franca Lafosse) rounding out her team, their task is to keep the energy from Ruth’s win all the way through to the nation’s capital. After a negative Covid test sees Ben replaced by Kelly on a trip to Canberra, Anna uses her previous – possibly intimate – relationship with the Minister for Science, Paul (Johnny Nasser) to help get Ruth’s women’s health bill to cabinet. But Paul’s eyes linger elsewhere as an all-too-familiar scandal...
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Sydney Fringe

  • Things to do
  • Fairs and festivals
  • Sydney
  • Recommended
Sydney Fringe
Sydney Fringe
Photograph: Supplied | Sydney Fringe Festival 2026
A friend who recently returned from Tasmania's Dark Mofo told me it was her mission to "find the Dark Mofo every day" here in Sydney, and I had to admit it was a pretty good strategy for living well. Tracking down offbeat arts on any given day in the Harbour City generally takes a bit of digging, but during Sydney Fringe, it’s served up on a silver platter. NSW's biggest celebration of independent arts is landing back in Sydney this spring, and I know we say this every year, but seriously – this year's program is bigger than ever. From August through October, Sydney Fringe Festival will transform theatres, warehouses, heritage buildings and public spaces across the city with more than 350 events featuring 2,000-plus artists at 64 venues. From delightfully boundary-pushing theatre to wildly impressive circus acts, conversation-shaping comedy and full-throttle parties, this year's line-up is stacked with shows and events that are pretty much guaranteed to fill your cultural cup, no Tassie trip required. The festivities kick off with Fringe Ignite! on Saturday, August 29, when Darlinghurst's Stanley Street will be closed to traffic and transformed into a free, all-ages street party. Expect live music, roaming performers and plenty of food as one of Sydney's fave inner-city streets comes alive for one wild afternoon and evening. Arts-wise, there's way more on than we can cover in one listing. Among this year's biggest drawcards is Copa on The Rocks, where Andrew Bukenya will...
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Live Well at South Eveleigh

  • Things to do
  • Sydney
Live Well at South Eveleigh
Live Well at South Eveleigh
Photograph: Supplied
Put down your crystals and cottage cheese and head over to South Eveleigh this September – and get around the month-long program of free and affordable events designed to help you move, reset and feel your best. Now back for its third year, Live Well runs from now until September 28, with everything wellbeing – think free run clubs and pickleball, body composition scans, mindfulness experiences and creative workshops. This year, Sunrise clinical nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo is joining as the Live Well ambassador, hosting three free talks and Q&A sessions throughout the month covering nutrition, health and workplace wellbeing. She’ll also be signing copies of her book at one of the sessions. Elsewhere, you can get your sweat on with South Eveleigh’s weekly 5km run club, have your aura photographed (yes, really) or get a gang together for a few games of pickleball. There are also free body composition scans, and a series of Thursday night Plants & Pours workshops, including bonsai, botanical incense making, terrarium building and kokedama creation. Throughout the month, there’ll also be free pop-ups and fun including crystal finding, pet photography, archery, Aboriginal Elder Walangari Karntawarra’s sand painting session and a bike tune-up. Michael Carabetta, portfolio manager at South Eveleigh, says: “Spring is the perfect time to reset and invest in your own wellbeing. Live Well is about giving our community easy ways to move, connect and look after themselves, right in...

How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

  • Musicals
  • Elizabeth Bay
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Photograph: John McRae
Society’s definition of success has long been measured in the currencies of wealth, status, power and prestige. The threads of capitalism are so deeply woven into the fabric of our lives that we can sometimes mistake power for responsibility, prestige for accountability and influence for merit. It is a particularly pertinent distinction at a moment when the world’s most powerful democracy is once again led by a businessman, and popularity, power and status are increasingly treated as interchangeable with competence, responsibility and merit. What is the premise of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying? It is within this uncomfortable landscape that How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which premiered on Broadway in 1961, could find renewed relevance. The musical follows J. Pierrepont Finch (Jake Speer), an ambitious young window cleaner who uses a self-help book to manipulate his way into a job at the World Wide Wicket Company and climb the corporate ladder. As he becomes entangled with Rosemary Pilkington (Georgia Laga’aia), rival Bud Frump (Max Macdonald) and company president J. B. Biggley (Simon Burke), Finch’s increasingly audacious schemes satirise workplace politics, unchecked ambition and the uncomfortable reality of success in a world that rewards the shameless and self-interested. What are the highlights of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying? The production shows considerable promise from the outset. Director and...
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Suntory House

  • Things to do
  • Food and drink
  • Sydney
Suntory House
Suntory House
Photograph: Supplied
A celebration of all things Suntory has transformed the basement of Sakura House into Suntory House – where drinks from across Japan and the world are front and centre until October 3, 2026. Suntory is one of the biggest names in the global drinks industry, and you’ll be able to order any one of their crowd favourites alongside Japanese-style share plates at this limited-time residency in this top CBD bar. Suntory House is broadly inspired by the Japanese concept of nomikai: informal, communal after-work drinks. Expect spirits, RTDs, cocktails (especially highballs) and beer on tap alongside a food menu inspired by konbinis and izakayas – think chicken karaage, Balmain bug katsu sandwiches, aburi salmon handrolls and more. If you’re into your spirits, you’ve probably sampled Suntory-owned labels like Roku Gin, Toki Whisky, Haku Vodka, Laphroaig and Jim Beam. And if you prefer your drinks carbonated, it’s unlikely you’ve never tasted a -196 RTD or a crisp Japanese beer like Suntory The Premium Malt’s. Suntory House is open daily from 5pm, but Wednesday visitors will be treated to Hi-Kara Wednesdays presented by Suntory “Kabukin” Whisky. As part of this promotion, you can order a Suntory Kabukin Whisky Highball with chicken karaage for just $25. It’s all on offer for a limited time only – you have less than a month to visit and see it firsthand. Suntory House is taking place inside Sakura House daily from 5pm until October 3, 2026, walk-ins only. For more information, visit...
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Fiddler on the Roof

  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Photograph: Daniel Boud
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London has become a home for staggering visuals and reimaginings of classic musicals. The most recent touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar arrived with rave reviews and award-winning performances from its electrifying revival of the rock musical. Now, Fiddler on the Roof gets its turn for a facelift at Theatre Royal Sydney, with a backing from a stellar team whose work covers Olivier and Tony Award-winning productions.  What is the premise of Fiddler on the Roof? It’s 1905 in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka set in Tsarist Russia, twelve years before the Russian Revolution of 1917. A ghostly rise of the curtain sees Ben Adler’s Fiddler on a flat-roofed stage, the name of the village faces backwards towards the band sitting behind a high row of wheat fields. Tevye, a Jewish milkman, leads his family by their proud traditions. This means a loyal wife, visits to the matchmaker, five obedient daughters, and daily conversations with God. But this is a time of change, his daughters wish to break away from the closed community’s traditions amidst the backdrop of a changing world.  Throughout, we see more than just Tevye’s family dynamics needing to grapple with forces far greater than Anatevka can withstand.  Who are the cast and crew of Fiddler on the Roof? Jordan Fein’s direction gives ample scope for spectacle, particularly when Julian Cheng’s choreography is placed front and centre – the high-energy traditional dances are the show’s...
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The Lion King

  • Musicals
  • Haymarket
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
The Lion King
The Lion King
Photograph: Daniel Boud
The opening note of ‘The Circle of Life’ may just be one of the most recognisable in a Disney musical. If you don’t agree, then you may have to convince the entire theatre-going audience who were at Disney’s The Lion King on opening night. The full house’s roars could be heard all the way out of the Capitol Theatre’s front doors as the king of musicals triumphantly returns to Sydney – the first time in more than a decade. What type of show is The Lion King? It’s called The King of Musicals for a reason. If it’s not Elton John’s iconically recognisable music, or Tim Rice’s lyrics you’ve sung over a late-night karaoke session, then its Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi’s book featuring the characters you love, the characters you hate, and the ones you undoubtedly cry over – tears were definitely still shed during that scene. What’s so beautiful about The Lion King is the blurring of worlds and culture that merges in between all of these. Julie Taymor’s directorial conception blends African culture, language, movement and costume underneath masks and puppetry of the animal characters. Mufasa’s “crown” is a stoic, strong and towering headdress. The elegant lionesses soar and leap through the sky through Garth Fagan’s choreography as wing-like gowns flow behind them. The animals of Pride Rock are adorned with larger-than-life puppets of intricate designs and architecture: a re-engineered bicycle becomes leaping antelope, birds fly above the crowd on poles manipulated by performers,...

200 Years of Awe

  • Things to do
  • Literary events
  • Sydney
200 Years of Awe
200 Years of Awe
Photograph: Daniel Boud
The State Library of NSW is celebrating its 200th birthday – and you’re invited. 200 Years of Awe is a six-week program of performances, talks and free events that brings together First Nations storytelling, live music, theatre, dance and plenty of reasons to visit. RECLAIM: A Contemporary Ceremony September 11-12, Mitchell Library Reading Room Director, choreographer and storyteller Stephen Page AO brings dance, spoken word, poetry and music together in RECLAIM. The powerful work celebrates the resistance, resilience and enduring culture of First Nations peoples. Earth Flow September 18-19, Mitchell Library Reading Room Composer and yidaki (digeridoo) master William Barton presents Earth Flow, a stirring celebration of memory, connection and living knowledge. Joining Barton are Aunty Delmae Barton, Jack Thompson, Ray Martin and the Sydney Street Choir. A Night at the Library September 20, 29, 30 & October 1, Library Auditorium What happens when a young student who doesn’t like reading gets stuck in a library overnight? Bell Shakespeare’s A Night at the Library turns that nightmare into an adventure filled with literary greats, fictional characters and plenty of fun.  The Scott Sisters: Pioneers of Science and Art September 25-27, Library Auditorium Step into the remarkable world of Harriet and Helena Scott, the 19th-century sisters whose exquisite illustrations helped put Australian butterflies on the map. Created by Skye McIntosh, this immersive work blends animation,...
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