From art and opera to food and film, the gardens on Sydney Harbour are your home for summer fun
The Royal Botanic Garden is a drawcard all year round but there’s no denying that it truly blossoms in summer, when lawns erupt with picnicking families, flowers reach full bloom and the harbour sparkles under the beating sun. Right now there’s even more to enjoy in this botanical playground, with special events to delight every kind of Sydneysider. Read on to discover calming nature therapy walks, plant exhibitions, showstopping open-air opera and a rousing music festival.
There’s no better time to visit the gardens than now, when the flowers are in peak form and the lawns become a paradise for picnics. Pack a spread and nab prime real estate in front of the glittering harbour, or pop into one of several restaurants and cafés for lunch among the leaves. Spend the afternoon meandering around captivating plant displays such as the fragrant tropical garden and whimsical wildflower meadow.
Delve into the fascinating world of ‘plant-love’ at the Calyx’s immersive new exhibition Love Your Nature. From prehistoric plants that use clones and seeds to reproduce to flowering plants that use seductive shapes and scents to attract animals, explore over 20,000 colourful plants including sex-changing cycads, asexual algae and trickery-employing orchids. See how plants – with the aid of water, wind, fungi, insects, animals and humans – have sustained all life on earth since the dawn of time.
The gardens are swooping in with a school holiday program that’ll have kids learning, playing, dreaming and creating. Dress them up for outdoor Christmas theatre with elves Elfis and Elvin, where they’ll use natural materials to make beautiful presents for family and friends, pack a picnic for a delightful outdoor production of Wind in the Willows or have them nurture a passion for nature at holiday care program Garden Grubs. Explore the full program of activities on the website.
Appreciate the Royal Botanic Gardens anew on their inspiring and educational guided walks. Every day you can follow passionate volunteer guides for a close encounter with the heritage and plant diversity of this treasured oasis. Alternatively, join calming nature therapy walks designed to reduce stress through mindfulness and sensory experiences, bush tucker tours that will empower you to cook with Indigenous foods and Aboriginal harbour heritage walks, where you’ll hear stories of Gadigal lifestyle, traditions, history and connection to country.
The world’s biggest pride festival hits Sydney this February, and the Gardens are getting in on the action with a suite of joyful events. The Domain’s opening concert featuring Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX and Jessica Mauboy may be sold out, but you can still buy tickets to Rainbow Republic – a seven-hour live music sesh that celebrates phenomenal queer artists including G Flip, Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT and Vetta Borne. Don’t miss the flamboyant visual feast that is Fleurs de Villes: PRIDE, a floral celebration that pays homage to Australia’s favourite drag artists.
Nab a sweet last-minute Christmas gift at Noël Sydney, a 16-day celebration that’ll see the Gardens open until 11pm for enchanting Christmas markets, light installations and nightly sky shows over Farm Cove. During the day you can swing by the Growing Friends Plant Sales, where you can find native, exotic and rare plants that will make a special gift for the green thumb in your life.
