Things to do in Sydney this weekend

Ok, we know this may be controversial, but picnics kind of suck. However, after months of lockdowns and with the weather warming up, we've been granted a little extra freedom by way of al fresco rug dining. So now that picnics are just about the only thing we’re allowed to do (provided you're double vaxxed and there's only five adults) it’s time to kick it into high gear and organise the picnic of your dreams.

Most of Sydney can simply summon an eccentric gelato fix delivery from one of its 14 NSW outlets. But north of the harbour has been a Messina-free zone. Until now, that is. Messina has launched a new collaboration with Freshwater fave the Harbord Hotel. In the pub’s carpark, punters can roll up to the cute-AF Messina caravan to pick up takeaway tubs of gelato, as well as a selection of bake-at-home sweet treats.

Keepers have just welcomed five purrfect new African lion cubs into the Taronga family. This is the first time Taronga Zoo has had lion cubs in over 18 years. While the babes are still finding their paws, the public will be able to gain live behind-the-scenes access to watch the cubs grow on what the zoo is calling ‘Cub Cam’. With a small tax-deductible donation of just $7, you can access a 24/7 live stream. There is also plenty more free livestreams and keeper talks to watch on Taronga TV.

Rejoice! Sydney-based online-only bakery Black Cream has released its latest product; the mini Basque cheesecake. The relative newcomer has only been on the scene for a year but is making big waves, especially given Sydney's insatiable appetite for delivered desserts since lockdown. 

Whether you’re navigating the socially distanced online dating scene, or cohabitating with an intimate partner, Aunt ‘Rona has had an enormous impact on the way in which we navigate our intimate lives. If you’re feeling a little dusty, this free online festival might be just what you need to shake off the cobwebs this spring. Sextember offers fun, informative and spicy events free of charge for those seeking to explore sex, intimacy, consent and frisky new frontiers (whether partnered or solo).

Dreaming about the end of lockdown? Our House: Originate 2021 was dreamt up by eight emerging theatre-makers working collaboratively. Set in the near future, jubilant housemates are about to throw a massive birthday party and everyone’s invited. But will the actual guest of honour show up? Through the safety of your chosen screen, you’ll be able to wander around the house listening in to snippets of conversation, picking up on juicy tidbits of information, and even questioning the housemates while trying to figure out what’s behind the no show.

If you’re still smarting from the news that the Sydney Film Festival has been pushed back until November, then panic not. Boredom has no hope of setting in as the brilliant team at the Queer Screen Film Festival (QSFF) is here to save the day. Streaming direct to homes across Australia from September 16-26, the LGBTIQA+ showcase of cinematic gold is and bold and beautiful as ever, even if the screens are a bit smaller than usual.

You can’t keep a good smorgasbord of artistic endeavour down for long. Following the model of last year’s wildly fun Global Fringe program, The Essence of Fringe digital program kicks off from Friday September 10 to October 1 with a sparkling array of both free and ticketed events. Nine gigs that were planned to take place in this year’s IRL line-up will make the switch to digital, with local acts and international stars popping up.

Pivoting to bring their outrageous excellence to our homes instead via the darkest corners of the internet, SUFF is back to do it all online. The 15th annual program will invade your laptops and stream insane stuff to your TV from September 9-26. Navigating all the outré places most other festivals rarely dare to tread, it’s one of the best film festivals on the Sydney calendar because it’s unafraid of pushing the envelope right over the edge of a cliff.

If there is one thing we've learned in the last year it's that treating yourself is no longer reserved for cheat day. Life's too short for mediocre cookies so we've rounded up the best that Sydney has to offer, which won't even need to leave your house to get.  

The Battle of the ‘Burbs is an online trivia quiz with a twist. You’ll be teamed up with other people from your neighbourhood to fight it out for the glory of being named the ‘smartest suburb’. After going a few rounds since Sydney went back into lockdown, attracting more than 500 punters earlier this month, the next event – on Saturday, September 25 – could be the last before restrictions ease. Sign up your household to be in the running for prizes from Botany-based brewery One Drop, pimped-out burger joint Suburgia, and fitness gear from Arena Strength.

While many restrictions remain as Sydney waits out the Delta lockdown, as of September 13, picnics are back on. Yep, up to five fully vaccinated adults can gather to enjoy a sanga in the sunshine. Check out our list of top picnic spots, and don't worry, we've done the research on if there’s parking, toilets and barbecues available.

Australia has been going all out to stop the spread of the Delta variant, but there’s one Delta we have all the time in the world for, and that’s the inimitable Delta Goodrem. She’ll join a global sparkling line-up of stars worldwide as part of 24-hour livestream concert Global Citizen Live. She'll be in the company of Jennifer Lopez, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Cyndi Lauper, Ed Sheeran, the Black Eyed Peas, Christine and the Queens, Stevie Wonder, Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato, Kylie Minogue, Duran Duran and many more.

It's one of life's simple joys, flicking through the pages of a must-read book. But it doesn’t work so well if you’re doing the household chores. That’s when the joy of listening to an audiobook kicks in. There are millions of brilliant audiobooks on the go, and some of them are even free. Plus there’s the added bonus of hanging out aurally with famous Aussies as they read the books of also famous authors – and even sometimes their own.

Musically minded and Green Room Awarded actor/singer/comedian Jude Perl has a lot going on, and most if it’s really rather good. Which is why it’s a great idea to stream her show I Have A Face on Riverside Theatre’s online platform. This show tackles the inner (and outer) monologues that try to drag us down.

Inner West brewery, Willie the Boatman has announced a collaboration with Texan-born, Sydney-claimed legends Jackalope Food Co to sling very fancy picnic hampers in celebration of Sydney's proposed 'Freedom Day'. The hampers are packed with beautiful cheeses, dips, cured meats, seasonal fruits and an assortment of crackers. Wash it all down with your choice of 16 of your favourite Willie the Boatman beers.

Darlo comedy club the Running Joke has made the switch to digital – now bringing the laughs to your couch via Zoom every Friday night. Resident host and tracksuit enthusiast Daniel Muggleton is joined by three of the country’s funniest folks each week and tickets are just $15. Health care workers can also attend for free.

Love art? Enjoy a bracing stroll? Well, we've got good news for any Sydneysiders looking to combine their cardio with a little culture. Our streets are positively littered, in the very best way, with incredible public artworks and street art hotspots you can enjoy during your outdoor exercise.

The Australian National Maritime Museum is making sure we can find out heaps of fascinating facts we never knew about Sydney while we wait to get out and about again. On Tuesday afternoons, the new History@Home lockdown talk series pairs the museum’s expert curators with passionate guest speakers to deliver weekly insights into how life has changed in the city over the centuries.

Level up the vibes on your locked-down Friday night and pump up the beat into your downward dog with this funky livestreamed flow. As the weather warms up, this yogi/DJ duo will help you with shaking off the winter slumber with flow yoga sequences, yoga nidra meditations and breathwork, all set to a hypnotic live soundtrack.

As far as we’re concerned, there's never a bad time to have a Portuguese tart. Burnished, sweet, wobbling custard resting in a nest of crisp puffed pastry layers, the “pastel de nata” as they are known in its homeland, can be tricky to get right. So, when a good one comes along, it’s cause for celebration – especially if said tart can be delivered to your door.

Rollerskating is certainly having a moment right now. Everyone from the kid next door to global comedy superstar (and Nailed It host) Nicole Byer strapped on some wheelie shoes and started exercising in style. Whether you want to get into roller derby, level up your TikTok game or just want to cruise your local streets and feel the wind in your hair, there's never been a better time to get into skating. 

You might as well take the opportunity to make your space really yours. To help you figure out your budget, we've categorised the stores on our list by a metric close to the Time Out heart: booze. You've got your 'goon' budget for objects that won't break the bank, your 'beer' budget that factors in posher craft brews as well as unassuming ales, and the 'Champagne' budget for those seeking out those top-of-the-line, showily upper-market finds. 

You know the drill by now: this year’s Taiwan Film Festival in Australia was delayed at first, and then took the plunge with an online showcase instead. Streaming on-demand from September 16-30 and running under the theme ‘Flavours’, the program is spectacular. Rom-com lovers will get a taste of the good stuff with director Chen Yu-Hsun’s kooky movie My Missing Valentine, depicting a lovelorn postal worker who is always one step ahead of everyone.

When it comes to culinary oneupmanship, there is perhaps no medium more perfect for showboating chefs than the hamburger. Taking the simple formula of a patty in a bun to bizarre new heights, the most audacious examples are towering stacks that seem to flip the bird to gravity, moderation, and the line between the main course and dessert.

Do you suffer from the black thumb? Don't despair. Pour one out for those succulents you over-watered, and that supposedly drought-resistant bloomer that crumbled to dust on your watch. Marrickville's own foliage whisperer Felicity Keep, the owner and director of PlantGirl, is here to help. Take these tips and order up some foliage friends from the best plant shops and nurseries that deliver in Sydney to brighten up your space this spring.

Sydney Dance Company’s (SDC) library of digital lessons has proven so wildly popular that the company has added a livestream component to the mix. Trawl a library of pre-recorded classes from the iconic Wharf Studios, or tune in for Lockdown Livestream Class, beaming live Monday to Friday at 6pm, and twice on Saturdays.

Do you have your green sights set on an ecologically transformative home-grown farm, but struggle to keep your spindly windowsill mint alive? Well, we’re here to help you turn those limp lettuces into glorious bouquets of greenery. 

Crustless cucumber sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and tiered plates of petit fours. Sydney loves a pinky-lifting high tea, and with good reason. We've rounded up the best delivery options for perfect tea parties at home.

“Can you grab a bottle of wine on your way?” Such a simple request, on the surface. So why does it fill many of us with dread? It’s a cliche to the point of being a punchline, but wine can be intimidating. Why are we swirling our glasses? Why is she sticking her nose into her glass like it’s an oxygen mask? Should I just order from the bottom of the list? Will they laugh at me if I just buy the cheapest?

We’ve all been staring at our walls a bit more than normal of late. Which is why it’s a great idea to brighten those large-scale canvases with, well, some actual canvases. But buying art can be an expensive endeavour. One way to brighten up your home without busting the budget is to snap up a print instead. We've rounded up a few of our favourite places to pick up prints in Sydney, all of which can be ordered online too.

We could all use a little tender love and care right about now, not to mention some respite from the innumerable stresses of lockdown life. Establish some time for self-pampering and support a business from Sydney or regional New South Wales while you're at it with our tried and tested product suggestions. Our list focuses on ranges that hero natural and native ingredients, and that are as gentle on the earth as they are on your body.

We might not be able to stroll into the Museum of Sydney, Hyde Park Barracks or Vaucluse House right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be inspired by the stories of our city, past, present and yet to be written. The curatorial team at Sydney Living Museums has created a scintillating and totally free online talk series to keep us all connected, with new chats dropping every Tuesday (with some bonus Thursday sessions too).

Why not take that at-home dining experience one step further with a fun and educational online cooking experience? These aren't exactly the usual google of how to cook the perfect egg or 'is it ok to eat pasta for breakfast?' Some of Sydney's best gourmands are taking to the world wide web to share their insider tips and tricks to keep us mere mortals cooking along with the best of them.

While we are big fans of surfing television streaming offerings as it’s possible to be, every now and then you crave something a little artsier in your life. That’s why we’re psyched about Carriageworks delivering a thought-provoking new video work from award-winning Polish-Australian artist and filmmaker Kuba Dorabialski.

Has the closure of hair salons and barbershops got you feeling a little long in the ‘do? Overgrown edges, fades, bushy beards and forlorn fringes have got many of us feeling more shaggy than shagadelic lately. Local barber Nic Singer from Surry Hills’ The Lid Doctor is on a mission to fix your “lockdown lid”.

Looking for some brain fodder to keep your mind off lockdown? The Opera House has just dropped more digital content to get the cogs turning. The cultural institution’s long-running podcast Ideas at the House gets a beautifully filmed treatment with a series of original, one-on-one interviews with some of the most inspiring women of the moment back in March as part of the All About Women Festival.

Let's face it, a lot of us are eating and drinking our feelings at the moment. That's totally fine, but as lockdown drags on, your bod might be craving sustenance of a slightly more healthy variety right about now. But what if we told you that there’s a better way to eat healthily? These top healthy dishes in Sydney prove that eating well can be just as satisfying when you know where to look. 

As fabulous literatti Zelda Fitzgerald once wrote in her essay Eulogy on the Flapper, “she refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn’t boring.” There are all sorts of fascinating ways to spend your days, so boredom need not be a thing. We spoke to five people about the cool and unusual hobbies that keep them eternally interested and interesting. Maybe you’ll be intrigued enough to try one out?

Chippendale’s Peach Black Gallery may have had to close the doors for a while, but they didn’t want to let down their loyal life drawing community. So they’ve come up with a very now solution. The two-hour livestreamed classes run twice a week via Zoom, on Wednesday nights at 6pm and Saturday morning at 10am.

Giving someone a package that brings them joy has to be up there with one of the world's greatest feelings. Whether you're celebrating a birthday, consoling a mate doing it rough or bringing a smile to a dial just because a well-timed package can really make a difference. We've gathered a few of our city's most cheer-inducing deliveries.

Neil Perry’s new Double Bay restaurant Margaret was set to open in July of this year. Clearly, the world had other plans. In a dramatic pivot away from the fine dining and silver service that Perry is famous for, the restaurant veteran will be returning to the grill to flip burgers for hungry locals. Wednesday through Saturday from 12pm, Perry will be serving up just 200 burgers.

We've all heard about the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices, but where do you get started? We spoke with Luke McLeod, the founder of Soul Alive, Australia’s first dedicated virtual meditation studio, to find out his top tips for meditation noobs.

Food and mood go hand in hand, like chicken and waffles, Oreos and peanut butter, or hot chips and ice cream. While a bowl of pasta can’t take all of life’s problems away, it’s not a bad place to start. Sydneysiders could use some love right now, so we’ve done a round up of the city’s most popular comfort foods for when you need a little tea and sympathy.

Sure, you could go full Bo Burnham and lose your mind in a small room, surviving on packets of two-minute noodles and dry toast. But we reckon a better solution is to treat yourself with one of Sydney's more luxurious dining experiences, that you can now have delivered to the comfort of your own home. Order in from these seafood palaces and fine dining faves.

In the throes of the first stay-at-home orders in 2020, we all had big ambitions of totally transforming ourselves. But if you totally forgot to keep up all your iso side hustles the second restrictions started lifting, you're certainly not alone. We’ve done some investigating into the hobbies that might actually maintain the attention of your distraction-prone brain, even after lockdown ends.

Gone are the days of booking a babysitter and heading out for dinner and a movie. But before you resign yourself to an absence of romance during lockdown, all is not lost. We’ve put together a dummies' guide to date night at home so you can bring cupid out of iso and forget about the world (screaming intensifies) for a while.

Beautiful beaches are serious business in Sydney. Thanks to Salty Gallery, you can bring home a little piece (or 1000 pieces, to be exact) of Bondi, Bronte, Coogee, Little Bay or your favourite Harbour beach. Photographer Dharma Bendersky is sharing his love of the ocean by turning some of his best shots of local shorelines into premium puzzles. 

The gallery has dropped not one, but two digital versions of their biggest blockbuster exhibitions for you to gorge on at home. You’ll be able to explore the winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize exhibitions in a swish 360-degree immersive self-guided tour; and swoon over the lush abstracts of Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings in a fun YouTube walk through.

Premium meal delivery service Providoor is expanding and now Sydneysiders have access to more top-tier restaurants than ever before. Joining the fleet of top-tier restaurants are Sydney big dogs Cirrus, Monopole, Yellow, the Apollo, Cho Cho San, Icebergs Dining Room + Bar, Golden Century, Spice Temple, Rockpool and Ciccia Bella. Meals are delivered with the idea of being finished at home by customers, integrating them into both the cooking and dining experience.

Here at Time Out, we love connecting Sydneysiders with the city's best feeds, and that's still the case during lockdown. Just as they did last year during Sydney's first shutdown, many businesses are making the pivot back to home delivery, so why not treat yourself and support a local venue by ordering in. 

Fancy yourself as something of Dora the explorer? Well the Australian National Maritime Museum has the online game you've been searching for. While the bathtub might be as undersea as we can get right now, Wreck Seeker lets you dive headlong into the oceans on the hunt for sunken treasure.

If you've got a screen, be it your laptop, you TV or your moby, you're just a couple of taps away from these awesome streamable events that do not require fancy clothes (or any, really) to be put on. So settle in with our guide to the best livestreams, virtual walk-throughs, and digital events happening in Sydney and around the world right now.

Pre-pandemic, if you wanted to get a little more hands-on with an investigation, you could channel your big detective energy into a good ol' fashioned murder mystery party. What a shame you can’t invite your mates over for a nail-biting night of scripted fun under current conditions, eh? Think again. You can now order a kit and host on Zoom.

Did you have big plans to head to your local cinema soon? Don’t get too upset at the choc top block. You can still get the popcorn popping. The Randwick Ritz has been running an on-demand film service for a while now, but in light of our current lockdown sitch, they're hosting a special lockdown sale with more than 20 major movies available to stream for just $3.

It's not always possible to head out for the full Sydney dining experience, but when you want a spectacular finish to your meal, or just want to eat your feelings in front of the TV, these top tier dessert slingers will deliver a sweet treat to your home.

Fact: Sydney’s cocktail game is one of the strongest in Australia – even during lockdown. Many of Sydney’s best bars and distilleries are now producing bottled cocktails, and we’ve picked some of the best of the bunch currently available in Sydney. Bottoms up!

Make another night at home much more camem-bear-able with a feast of fromage. Whether you’re after the most indulgent, globe-trotting cheese board you've ever seen, or you're after one of the funkiest washed rinds ever to accompany a special bottle of wine, these are the cheese focused providores that'll ensure your dairy game is strong. 

Whether you're looking to go for a run, walk your dog, have a sedate picnic or just take a break from your four walls, these are the parks to visit. They have sprawling open spaces, free barbecues and shaded spots to while away an afternoon or simply catch a break at lunchtime.

During times of uncertainty, a reliable routine can really help. But if fitness was part of your daily ritual, you might be a little rattled by not having access to a gym right now. Or maybe you're just looking for new ways to get your body moving with that spare time you're now saving on the office commute? We’ve picked out some of our favourite online workouts by local experts.

Hungry for a cultural fix in lockdown? As ever, the Sydney Opera House has your back. They’ve just dropped Outlines, a season of digital works showcasing game-changing artists and technology. You can face down your demons and explore trippy artificial worlds.

You can tune in and freak out to curated shows from the spooktastic minds behind Darkfield Radio via their mobile app, which collects a hair-raising series of unnerving soundscapes meticulously designed to creep you out. In other words, the demonic portals they open are the perfect distraction for thrill seekers with a penchant for terror who may well be trapped at home.

It's high time to gather your tools and unleash your creative juices. However, a blank canvas sitting before you can be a bit of an overwhelming prospect. Thankfully, local ‘sip and paint’ studios are now offering at-home options so you can have an instructor on hand to guide your creative spark (it’s just up to you to keep your wine glass topped up). 

From easy breezy coastal walks to half-day bush hikes and multi-day expeditions, Sydney’s blessed with many different walking paths that’ll suit amblers of all abilities. Take a look at our list of 13 walks in Sydney that’ll take you over dramatic sandstone cliffs, cobbled stone paths, sandy inlets and well-trodden boardwalks.

Since everything changed in 2020, many of us have spent more time than ever in the digital space. Turns out everyone’s favourite panic-inducing entertainment made the switch to digital too. All you need to keep the breakout thrills alive is a reasonably un-wobbly internet connection, coupled with a computer or a tablet.

Many Sydney bars have pivoted to takeaway and delivery options – think top quality tipples, pre-batched cocktails, playlists and cook-at-home meals, not to mention glassware and equipment hire. Here are the ones worth checking out in Sydney. 

With many of us spending more time just pottering around the house, there’s never been a better time to try your hand at being a literal potter. Although they’ve had to close their studio doors to the public, a bunch of local ceramics studios have adapted their businesses so you can get busy moulding your own mugs, vases and assorted sculptural vessels at home.

Caldera 360º is a virtual take on the critically acclaimed arts festival and it’s arrived just in time for our current snap lockdown. The immersive platform hosts five 360º digital artworks and performances, all scattered across a surreal landscape. From the outset, it asks you, the visitor, the question, “Caldera 360º is a website… or is it a game?”

Get hands-on with a new hobby at home with ClassBento, an online platform for livestreamed workshops and classes taught by local experts. What's more, they'll deliver you a kit to get started. There are arts and crafts like painting your pet, calligraphy, Turkish mosaic, and kokedama (Japanese moss balls) as well as with cooking classes and DIY cocktail hours.

Taronga Zoo has relaunched Taronga TV, a digital platform streaming animal enclosures, behind-the-scenes 'sneak peeks’ and after-hours footage revealing what the keepers and the animals they care for getting up to when the park is closed to the public.

We’ve searched the city far and wide, and this is our guide to some of the best delis (that deliver). Think funky blue cheeses, slices of fatty porchetta, briny green olives, bobbing blobs of burrata, rich oils and astringent vinegars, along with everything else you never knew you needed.

You might think that the difference between a park and garden is just a matter of semantics, but in truth, they’re different spaces. Parks are all about activity and versatility – they can become whatever we need them to be. Gardens on the other hand offer carefully curated experiences.

During Sydney's lockdowns in 2020, outdoor gyms were off-limits. However, the City of Sydney has announced that public playgrounds and outdoor fitness areas will remain open during the current lockdown. Check out these open-air playgrounds for grown-ups and get a side of nature with your next sweat sesh.

We're spoilt for choice when it comes to beautiful running routes in this city. Any one of these 13 options will guarantee the pounding of trainers on solid ground won’t be the only thing getting your blood pumping. Lace up and conquer these lakeside, seaside and parkside runs in Sydney.