The best things to do in Sydney this weekend

In musical theatre circles, Cats is the show that everyone loves to hate, dismissing it as “weird” and “uncool”. So let me begin this review by stating that I love Cats. I listened to the cast recording over and over as a child, I met my best friend on a Cats mailing list (remember those?) when I was sixteen, and there's probably still some old Cats fanfiction floating around out there that I wrote in my teens. This much maligned show doesn't deserve the hate it gets.  When Cats was first performed in the early 1980s, it was hailed as groundbreaking, bridging the gap between concept musicals and mega musicals in a way no show had done before. It won both Olivier and Tony awards for best musical, and ran for decades on the West End and Broadway. These days, it’s viewed more as a “guilty pleasure” – the show you secretly enjoy but are supposed to pretend you don’t, lest you be seen as uncultured. But why? Concept musicals based around a theme rather than a traditional narrative have existed since the 1950s, with notable examples including Cabaret, Hair and Company. Dance-heavy musicals are also not a unique concept. Cats isn't even the only show to combine these two elements. But while shows like A Chorus Line and Pippin are hailed as iconic, Cats – which is essentially A Chorus Line with tails – is not shown the same love.  Cats may not be too heavy on the plot, but it’s a show for people who love the little details Much of the criticism surrounding Cats comes from wanting...

This June, Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta’s inaugural Heartland Festival is coming to Western Sydney performing arts hub, Riverside Theatres. The two-week program, which features a line-up of local and international artists, centres on groundbreaking writing and thrilling performances, with everything from theatre, spoken word and comedy on the agenda.  On week one (June 25-28) you can catch award-winning rapper and poet Omar Musa (Since Ali Died) performing spoken word alongside renowned American cellist and composer Mariel Roberts Musa in The Offering (A Plastic Ocean Oratorio). There’s also Supper Club, a night of thought-provoking performances served up alongside a course of delicious plates. On hosting duties is the captivating Nancy Denis – whose debut solo show Ma’p Boulé earned a four-star review from Time Out. On week two (July 2-5) enjoy a mash-up of theatre and film from re:group performance collective in their smash-hit show POV. With a cast of ten unrehearsed actors, and an 11-year old with a video camera leading the charge, this hilarious and deeply meaningful show is sure to surprise. If you missed tickets to the first Supper Club, you’re in luck – it returns for one more show on July 3. To close out the festival, Bars From The Heart will feature a host of Sydney’s finest wordsmiths performing poetry alongside the UK actor, poet and playwright Azan Ahmed at the mic.  Tickets start from $15 and are on sale now (but selling fast) so grab yours here. 

Mother-daughter relationships can be complicated even under the best of circumstances. When you add adoption, a language barrier, and years of estrangement into the mix – well, you get more baggage than a flight from Sydney to Seoul.  You may be familiar with Michelle Lim Davidson from both the stage (The Feather in the Web) and screen (The Newsreader, Utopia, Play School). In Koreaboo, her moving playwriting debut presented by Griffin Theatre Company in association with Belvoir St Theatre, Davidson draws on her own life to investigate the complexities of intercountry adoption, and the precarious experience shared by many adopted children – living caught between two very different cultures, but feeling like they belong to neither.  Davidson plays Hannah, a 30-something-year-old woman who was adopted from Korea as a baby and grew up in Newcastle. After a break-up, she travels to Korea to spend time with her biological mother, Umma (Heather Jeong). Hannah’s plan is to spend time getting to know the woman whose love she’s longed for since before she can remember. She offers to help Umma at the family’s convenience mart, and Umma reluctantly agrees. It’s not until they discover a shared love of K-pop and performing that Umma’s walls start falling down, and Hannah really gets to know her Sex-and-the-City-quoting, Turtle-Chip-eating Umma.  Jeong portrays the cheeky, sassy, larger-than-life Umma with apparent ease, and her command of movement, language and voice is a strong...

Winter is well and truly here, and if you needed a reason to leave the warmth of your home, we’ve got you. This June and July, South Eveleigh will be transformed into a winter wonderland with its brand new offering, Loco Markets. Inspired by the charm of European street markets, Loco will have a rotating lineup of themed nights, live entertainment, artisan stalls selling handmade goods, delicious food and drink, and family fun from June 19 until July 27. Yes, that’s every Thursday to Sunday for six glorious weeks.  What’s more, each week is a fresh experience with new themes to keep you coming back. The music has been curated by ARIA-nominated Stu Hunter to match each week’s theme, and there will be kid-friendly activities like face painting and creative workshops. Entry is free, though some workshops require bookings. Here’s what’s on each week: Artisan Design (June 19–22)Kick things off with bath bomb workshops, live cartoonists and jazz harp performances. Shop 3D-printed gifts from Mewse, playful cardboard costumes by Paper Pops, and stunning jewellery from Stof Studios. Produce & Wellness (June 26–29)Get your glow on with seasonal produce and health products. Don’t miss natural skincare by Stori of Africa, wholesome foods from Soka Pantry, and tea-based wine alternatives by Junco Drinks. Design & Sustainability (July 3–6)Celebrate slow fashion, botanical beauty and sing-along art workshops. Market picks include earthenware from Ignem Terrae Ceramics, sustainable style...

Winter is well and truly here, and if you’re keen to embrace festive energy in Sydney, you don’t need to look too far. Just across the bridge in North Sydney (steps away from Victoria Cross Metro Station), a very wintery fiesta is going down for ten magical days – complete with a 20-metre toboggan slide and 50 tonnes of real snow. Yes, you’re reading that right. Kicking off on Friday, June 27, the Greenwood’s Snow Festival will see the sprawling North Sydney venue transformed into a winter wonderland – with a program of seasonal events to transport us into (even) colder climbs. This year’s snow-themed event line-up includes an Aspen-themed launch party (Friday, June 27), poutine-fuelled Canada Day celebrations (Saturday, June 28), Winter Night Markets (June 30 - July 4), a Mario Kart racing event (Wednesday, July 2) and a very special appearance from a Shania Twain tribute band (Tuesday, July 1).Keen to get involved in the cold? You can learn more over here. Want to be the first to know about what's on in Sydney? Sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter, delivered direct to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  Want more winter fun? Check out our guide to the best things to do in Sydney this winter.Or get cosy at one of these cabins close to the city.Or transport yourself to Paris at this epic festival of all things French.

Many of us try not to think about death too much. Even if it is discussed or thought about, it’s considered in the abstract – a distant experience we will deal with someday, maybe later. From beloved Australian novelist Helen Garner, The Spare Room brings the later to now in an unflinchingly raw and brutal confrontation with death. Adapted and directed by Belvoir St Theatre’s artistic director Eamon Flack (Counting and Cracking), these heavy themes are carried with compassion, humour and drama in an evocative performance that lingers long after the final moment.  After going through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Nicola (Elizabeth Alexander) decides to stay with her old friend Helen (Judy Davis) in Melbourne for three weeks while she undertakes an alternative cancer treatment. From Vitamin C-infused IV drips to sitting naked in “ozone saunas”, these alternative therapies claim to destroy cancer much in the same manner an octopus can break rocks. (Their words, not mine.) The three weeks force both Nicola and Helen to go beyond the platitudes and formalities, and to confront the raw and infuriating experience of both having a terminal illness, and supporting a loved one through it. a provocative portrayal of the communal experience of death  The play commences with a profound silence, held by Helen for a moment longer than comfortable. Davis’s command and authority are masterfully established in this stillness, and do not falter for the rest of the...

There are some stories that feel eternally relevant. Set in ancient Rome, and written more than 400 years ago, the brutal, volatile, ego-driven politics on display in Coriolanus seem to cut like a blade close to the throat of our own century and civilization. This is the second time in Bell Shakespeare’s history the company has mounted Shakespeare’s final tragedy, and director Peter Evans marshals an impressive, vigorous and robust undertaking of the play’s weighted themes. He’s helped by an excellent ensemble and a monumental lead in Hazem Shammas. We, the theatre-going people, are also involved in the play’s politics from the start. Down the subtly lit hall of the Neilson Nutshell, in a small yet meaningful simulation of the class divide, the audience is split down an arbitrary and unbreachable line. Those seated on one side of the theatre are dubbed ‘patricians’ (the contemptuous ruling classes, whom costume designer Ella Butler has in charcoal suits and creamy loose-fitting garments); the other side are the ‘plebeians’ (who are hungry, angry, and fomenting rebellion). It is between these two groups and the Senate that the arrogant warrior Coriolanus becomes embroiled when he returns bloodied and victorious from war with the Volsces, the state’s enemy neighbours, and is offered the honourable role of consul.  Volumnia – a fiercely exceptional Brigid Zengeni, in her Bell Shakespeare debut, who gloats of her son’s many stab wounds with a sick adoring pride – would love...

Australia’s most famous beach is welcoming back its big winter festival, this time with the biggest program to date. Running from Friday, July 4 until Sunday, July 20, Bondi Festival 2025 will bring 17 days of world-class music, theatre, comedy, visual arts and interactive performances to the beachside suburb – as well as a huge ice-skating rink and the beloved ‘Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel’. This year’s fest will also see a welcome focus on foodie offerings, with the festival’s ‘Blue Sky Markets’ making their debut at Bondi Park over three big Saturdays, hosting stallholders from across Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. Festivities will begin with the 2025 Waverley Art Prize winners’ announcement at Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery – a prize that’s now in its 39th year. After the announcement, festival goers can get their giggle on at the opening night Bondi Festival Comedy Gala, which will take over Bondi Pavilion Theatre for two laughter-filled nights. The first Saturday of the fest also sees the return of two fan favourites: the Pavilion Paw Parade, and Sydney’s beloved inclusive art class, Gladdy Drawing Club.  Other highlights from the first week include an incredible showcase of First Nations talent, an on-stage film-making spectacle by POV by re:group, the Sydney premiere of Alternative Facts’ unexpectedly intimate new theatrical experience Sincere Apologies and the Bondi Festival debut of the award-winning comedian and disability advocate, Madeleine Stewart. The second week of the...

Looking for affordable winter entertainment? We’ve got you. From Thursday, June 26 until Saturday, July 19, Barangaroo’s architecturally spectacular Pier Pavilion is playing host to a series of magical alfresco concerts, and they’re totally free to attend. Curated by Musica Viva Australia, Nocturne will comprise a series of transporting soundscapes – brought to life under the stars by talented Sydney instrumentalists.Running every Thursday to Sunday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, the free shows are the perfect pre-, post- or mid-date experience – with stunning contemporary chamber music and classical interpretations of modern songs performed in the open air by artists including Trio Histoire, Continuum Sax, Alma Moodie Quartet and The Song Company.  Just steps away from Barangaroo metro station, Pier Pavilion is easy to reach from around the city. If you’d rather stay in the area, Barangaroo is home to some excellent restaurants (A’mare and Anason, to name a few), and some of the most charming old-world bars in Sydney (including Henry Deane and The Lord Nelson) are within easy walking distance. Keen? You can learn more over here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  Want fun now? Here’s what’s on in Sydney this weekend.In the mood for a show? Here’s our list of the best theatre to see in Sydney this month.And these are the best bars and pubs for live music in Sydney.

The Hunter Valley gets cold in winter. Real cold. Come mid-year, temperatures in one of New South Wales’ most popular wine country destinations drop to the single digits. What’s worse than feeling the bite in the air is when you’re not even compensated with piles of fluffy snow for your troubles.The Hunter Valley Gardens took matters into their own hands and for one month and one month only, have created a spectacle of a winter wonderland for the whole family. The botanical venue already takes the cake for the largest Christmas light display in the Southern Hemisphere so expect nothing short of magnificent for their ‘Christmas in July’, if you will. In terms of the kids (and kids-at-heart) burning off some steam, there will be a mega snow play zone for snowman building and snow angel making, a 45-metre ice slide toboggan, and an ice skating rink. When you’re ready to thaw out, you can step away from the chilly action and grab a bite to eat from the food stalls dishing up all the fan favourites, from woodfired pizzas and burgers, to souvlaki plates and dumplings. For dessert, load up on warm doughnuts, crepes and ice snow cones. Who said chilly treats are only for summertime?To keep the fun times rolling, the Hunter Valley Gardens will still be operating their permanent rides, like the teacups, carousel, superslide and ferris wheel that you can purchase additional ticket passes for.  Snow Time in the Garden begins on Saturday, June 28 and runs until Sunday, July 27....