Things to do in Sydney today

After a cancellation the previous evening due to the raging storm and winds, the opening night of The Phantom of the Opera was looking dire. But magically at the stroke of 6pm, when the team of Opera Australia’s Handa Opera rolled out the red carpet, the rain dissipated and a warm setting sun floated over Sydney Harbour. The Phantom still has magic left up his sleeve after all. Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour represents that age-old maxim, “The show must go on”. And go on The Phantom of the Opera shall! Rain, wind, or sun, the show is at the mercy of nature, but overcoming the natural challenges from Mother Nature makes it all the more thrilling to witness. Every outdoor spectacle presented by Handa Opera is consistently infused with decadence, and this restaging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic is no different. This is a highbrow spectacle at its most luxurious. What type of show is The Phantom of the Opera? The musical version of the mysteriously masked Phantom living beneath the Paris Opera House has captivated audiences around the world for 40 years. His obsession with the young Christine Daaé and subsequent devious nurturing of her talents has played to more than 160 million people in 58 territories and 205 cities in 21 languages.  As a character, Christine is at the mercy of the men she’s surrounded by. Be it the Phantom’s obsessive love, her saviour in the shape of Raoul, Vicomte De Chagny, or the whims of the new owners of the Paris Opera House, Monsieur...

It seems that across time, the pursuit of creative expression has often been, in itself, an act of rebellion and self-sacrifice. Writers and artists rarely live lives of stability or wealth, and yet, in humanity’s most uncertain and desperate moments, it is to poetry, theatre and art that we turn to make sense of the world. The relentless act of writing, of shaping and sharing one’s perspective on life, still carries a quiet defiance, even in a technological age where everyone has a keyboard and an opinion. It is perhaps for this reason that My Brilliant Career continues to resonate today. Since its publication in 1901, the novel has been adapted across multiple forms, including film and stage, with a television adaptation currently in development by Netflix. Now, it’s on at Sydney Theatre Company’s Roslyn Packer Theatre. What is the premise of My Brilliant Career? This award-winning iteration of My Brilliant Career, which debuted at Melbourne Theatre Company in 2024, is a musical theatre adaptation with a book by Sheridan Harbridge and Dean Bryant, music by Mathew Frank, and lyrics by Bryant. It follows Sybylla Melvyn (Kala Gare, SIX the musical), a fiercely independent young woman growing up in rural Australia in the 1800s. Chafing against the limitations placed on her as a woman – particularly the expectation that she should marry for security – Sybylla dreams instead of becoming a writer and forging a life of her own making. As she navigates family hardship, social...

Newcastle is a ripping place to visit year-round – home to my favourite sandwich shop, incredible ocean baths and pumping surf – but if I had to pick a month, it would be in April, during the city’s annual food and wine festival. When the ocean’s still warm, the mornings are fresh, and the city comes together to eat, drink and celebrate the best the region has to offer for Newcastle Food Month. It’s around a 2.5-hour drive from Sydney to Newy (including stops), meaning you could do the trip in a day, but that’s no fun. Enter Crystalbrook Kingsley – Newy’s first five-star hotel, conveniently located on King Street – with just the package for you. During April, the heritage-listed hotel is offering a ‘Foodie Sleepover’ – designed for food lovers, couples, or anyone looking for some rest and relaxation – complete with delicious cheese, cocktails and other treats. Here’s what’s included: 15 per cent off the best available rate on overnight accommodation for two at Crystalbrook Kingsley Two Earp Distilling Co x Crystalbrook Kingsley cocktails on arrival (yes, please) A cellar door wine tasting experience for two in the city with the award-winning First Creek Wines A delicious local cheese package featuring treats from Binnorie Dairy, Baked Uprising and Pukara Estate. Enjoy it in your room (and in your robe) – or take it to go for a picnic in the afternoon sun A bottle of First Creek vino If it’s been a while since you last visited Newcastle, or you’re just in need of a...

There’s always a lot going on at Sydney’s favourite house. So much so that it can be hard to keep track – with new headliners dropping every other week, and huge events taking over the various venues seemingly out of nowhere.  Keen to go to a show under the sails over the next few months? We’ve rounded up a few top picks in the Sydney Opera House winter to spring season:  Backstage tours gives you a peek behind the curtain Explore the inner workings of Australia's most famous buildings on one of these expert-led tours. Dates: DailyTickets: From $48 Erth’s Dinosaurs will stomp into the Opera House Premiering in Sydney before heading off on a global tour, this larger-than-life theatrical adventure will bring the prehistoric world to life with astonishing puppetry, thrilling storytelling and plenty of dino facts. Dates: April 8–19Tickets: From $49 Parasite: Live in Concert will bring the Oscar-winning film to life A rare chance to experience the Academy Award-winning Parasite in a whole new way, Bong Joon-ho’s genre-defying masterpiece will light up the big screen while renowned composer Jung Jae-il conducts a live orchestra performing his haunting, tension-filled score in real time. Dates: April 24–25Tickets: From $89 The Other Side of Me will tell a powerful story through dance Making its Sydney debut, this intimate duet will explore the emotional fallout of the Stolen Generations through movement and storytelling. The piece follows a man caught between families, continents...

If your idea of a perfect Sydney afternoon involves a swim, a Spritz and front-row harbour views, we’ve got you. After a v successful launch season last summer, Pier One’s pop-up pool is back: this time with a Amalfi-coded makeover.  Live until the end of April, this sun-soaked floating pontoon invites guests to swim, drink and socialise right on the water. Open daily from 11am to 4pm, the pastel pink installation has transformed the hotel’s waterfront into a breezy harbour-side hangout with big beach club energy. Set just steps from Pier Bar (which, btw, serves an excellent happy hour), the netted pontoon pool serves up shark-safe harbour swims, with loungers waiting for post-dip cocktails and Euro-inspired snacks. Access to the pool is included with food and drink purchases from the bar – the perfect excuse to linger over a long lunch by the water. With gorgeous views across the harbour to Walsh Bay, last year’s pool was pretty enough, but this year they’ve seriously levelled up. The space has been styled in partnership with Australian outdoor lifestyle brand Business & Pleasure Co., whose retro-inspired umbrellas and loungers give the pontoon a luxe, hyper femme coastal aesthetic. Pier Bar’s coastal-inspired menu can be ordered to your lounger, so there’s really no need to change out of your bikini all afternoon. Our top pick from the menu? The bay bug ‘Big Mac’ sliders are a playful upmarket take on the Maccas icon, and bloody delicious after a day spent in and out of...