Things to do in Sydney today

Sculpture by the Sea, the world’s largest free outdoor sculpture exhibition, is back in Sydney until November 2 for its 30th anniversary. Founded by David Handley as a one-day event in 1997, it has since grown into a major cultural fixture, attracting more than 12 million visitors. “It was intended to be a gift to the people of Sydney and add to the sense of community,” says David. This year’s exhibition stretches for 2km along the coast from Bondi to Tamarama and features more than 100 works by artists from Australia and around the world, set against the backdrop of Sydney’s spectacular coastline. “It brings us joy, makes us laugh and makes us reflect,” says Allegra Spender, Federal Member for Wentworth. Keep an eye out for Surface Breach by Andre Braun, a striking white hand that appears to push its way out of the rugged rocks, as though something is reaching up from beneath the earth. Another personal favourite is The Guardians by Ulan and Rachel, a sculptural tree with long, dangling roots that catch the sunlight and create an almost otherworldly silhouette. Then there’s Judy Witherdin’s Phatyma, a riot of multicoloured mosaic that brings a vivid splash of colour to the coastal landscape. While many works spark joy and laughter, others invite us to stop, pause and reflect. Love by Stephanie Quirk is an aerial skywriting artwork created in response to the community following the tragic December 14 Bondi attack. Four times during the exhibition, the word ‘Love’ will be...

It’s been a great week for women in musical theatre. Recently, new queens of Six took to the stage at Theatre Royal Sydney for the musical’s third Sydney season. Across town at Hayes, another female-led production opened with an altogether bloodier agenda: We Are The Tigers. Both productions reflect a musical landscape increasingly shaped by pop sensibilities, spectacle and stories that put women centre stage. But where Six turns female history into a pop concert, We Are The Tigers trades the royal court for a cheerleading sleepover gone spectacularly wrong. I can’t remember the last time I saw an ensemble of nine women and gender-diverse performers command a musical with such collective force. Their chemistry, vocal blend and sheer stage presence are worth celebrating in their own right. What is We Are The Tigers about? Written by Preston Max Allen, We Are The Tigers premiered in Los Angeles in 2015 and then Off-Broadway in February 2019. The musical follows Giles Corey High School cheer captain Riley (Brianna Bishop, Grease, Hairspray), her best friend Cairo (Olivia Vasquez, In the Heights, West Side Story) and their band of misfit cheerleaders and one aspiring cheerleader-turned-mascot Reese (Caitlin McCallig). Under Riley’s L-E-A-D leadership, the team hopes to redeem themselves after last year’s spectacular flop and that viral incident. But what unfolds is more slaughter than spirit. What are the highlights of the cast, music and performances? Preston Max Allen’s...

You should know the premise by now – divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived all set to a fiery, feminist live band. Henry VIII’s six ex-wives reclaim their stories and their thrones in the worldwide sensation that is Six the Musical. This is the fourth time in (wouldn’t you know it) six years that the queens have graced Sydney stages, the second at the Theatre Royal. So has Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Tony- and Grammy-nominated electrifying pop-concert hit lost some of its glam? The short answer is “No Way”. What is the plot of Six? What started as an Edinburgh Fringe hit went on to capture the hearts of the West End, Broadway, and beyond. At its core, Six retains those fringey roots in its tight 80-minute, one-set, one-act pop-concert musical in what is a song-cycle of the Tudor Queens turned Pop Princesses who remix five hundred years of history to win their crowns. Who had it the worst under Henry’s reign? Who deserves the most sympathy? And is it all about his-story or is it time for a bit of herstory? The beauty of Six is that it’s a star vehicle for female and gender diverse talents. Thankfully, the creative team have offered up six of the best to fangirl over, from young veterans of the stage through to mainstage debuts: Sarah Murr as Catherine of Aragon, Mia Paris Scalise as Anne Boleyn, Cara Bessey as Jane Seymour, Kadesa Honeyhill as Anna of Cleves, Angela Brischetto as Katherine Howard, and Lorinda May Merrypor as Catherine Parr. Alongside them...

One of Sydney’s favourite neighbourhood parties is coming back this October, and it’s celebrating its 15th birthday with a blow-out. From October 21–24, the laneways of Parramatta are on track to become one giant street party with Parramatta Lanes landing back in Sydney's second CBD. The free four-day festival will bring live music, immersive art, skateboarding and some of Western Sydney’s best street food to Parramatta CBD, with ARIA Award-winning icon Genesis Owusu, US poet Aja Monet, Japanese duo Stereo Champ and rising local acts among this year’s music line-up. As with any good party, there will be lots to eat, too – from woodfired pizza and handmade pasta to charcoal-grilled skewers and piping-hot dumplings. Alongside the food and music, you can check out illuminated sculptures, immersive installations, mini golf, DJ sets, karaoke and skateboarding activations.Parramatta Lanes will take over Parramatta CBD from October 21 until October 24. You can find out more and plan your weekend over here.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Sydney's new Powerhouse Parramatta museum is throwing a 23-day opening festival Here’s a peek inside the new Western Sydney International Airport Construction on Sydney's new harbourside swimming spot is underway

If you’ve ever felt the push and pull between expectation versus opportunity, then you should nab tickets to the upcoming Belvoir St Theatre takeover, A Room with a View. This stage adaptation of E.M. Forster’s timeless story is heading to the Surry Hills theatre for a month-long stay from next month, and promises a refreshed take of the original work.   In a production boasting a female-led creative team and an exciting cast, expect a modernised take on Lucy’s whirlwind journey as she navigates romance, hope and challenging social norms.  From Saturday, October 3 ’til Sunday, November 1, this book-to-stage adaptation will grace the cosy upstairs space of Surry Hills haunt, with evening sessions running from Tuesday to Sunday each week. You’ll still be met with all the best elements of the original, including the familiar Edwardian era charm and light comedic streaks. But this time, it’s contemporising the narrative that grapples with femininity, societal pressure, freedom and choosing self-expression – themes that still feel pertinent.  Co-produced with Melbourne Theatre Company, this reimagining of E.M. Forster’s classic by rising playwright and Aussie homegrown talent, Grace Chapple (Never Closer), has Hannah Goodwin (Never Closer, The Wrong Gods) directing and will feature Nathalie Morris (Bump), as Lucy Honeychurch. With tickets from $58, you can delve deep into Lucy’s experiences with womanhood, and the expectations that are attached to it, as she travels from her...