8 completely free ways to enjoy summer in Sydney

This summer, the beloved dessert shop Anita Gelato has teamed up with CommBank Yello to give away a free gelato scoop to everyone at Cronulla Beach and Manly North Steyne. Just pop down on 7-8 February at Cronulla Beach, or 14-15 February at Manly North Steyne from 9am to 5pm on Saturday or Sunday (or until stock runs out) and head to the bright-yellow ice cream cart. You’ll also have the chance to try CommBank Yello’s limited-edition mango cheesecake gelato.

Missed out? You may still be in luck. Eligible CommBank Yello customers can also score freebies through two exclusive offers in the CommBank app. Each Tuesday until the end of summer, CommBank Yello is dropping 5,000 codes in the CommBank app to claim a free scoop at any Anita Gelato store before summer ends. Just go to the CommBank Yello hub in the CommBank app, tap on Offers, open your Anita Gelato offer and show your code at the counter in store. 

If you’ve used up your free scoop, the second offer gives eligible customers 30 per cent off any regular scoop in stores this summer (with 20,000 discounts up for grabs). Both CommBank Yello offers run until February 28, 2026. 

Ongoing eligibility conditions apply to CommBank Yello, see commbank.com.au/commbankyello for more information and the full terms and conditions.

This spring and summer, the trendy-as-hell Ace Hotel is partnering with some of the country’s coolest chefs for Ace Hotel’s Sunday Arvo event series. Expect live DJs soundtracking each event and carb-forward menus designed to be eaten standing up.

Entry is free with an RSVP (you can secure your spot via the Ace Hotel website), and all food and drinks are pay-as-you-go – which makes this the kind of low-commitment, high-reward hang we think Sydneysiders will happily build their Sundays around. Mark your calendars for the final two events on January 18 and February 8. 

Settle in for a film every Wednesday night this summer at The Rocks’ Laneway Cinema. While you cosy up in a bean bag, the big screen is framed by golden sandstone buildings and the cobbled lanes of The Rocks. Located at the end of Playfair Street, it's a short stroll from Circular Quay, so you can easily get there by train, ferry, bus or light rail. You can even grab a bag of popcorn (minimum $2), with proceeds in support of deserving charities. 

Sydney’s vibrant art scene is bursting at the seams with great galleries of all shapes and sizes. The Art Gallery of NSW is the crown jewel of them all, with constantly revolving exhibitions from around Australia and the world – and now it's got a whole standalone modern art building next door. Other spectacular galleries around town with free entry include the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Australian Museum, the Australian National Maritime Museum, Museum of Sydney, Sydney University's Chau Chak Wing Museum, and Hyde Park Barracks. 

Carved into a rock flat at the base of a steep hill, Mahon Pool is the perfect spot for sand-haters. You can either bask like a seal on the rocks beside the beach or shelter in the shade on the grassy hill above. The best (or worst) feature of this 30-metre pool is the way the waves crash all the way over the edge at high tide, giving the ocean bath its own little swell – don't be alarmed if it leaves a few (or dozen) fish behind when the sea retreats. 

After a day at the beach, tack on this easy amble which takes you from the calm waters of Camp Cove up cobblestone paths to the historic lighthouse. Standing beside the 1858-built red-and-white striped lighthouse, you’ll be in a prime spot to catch the sun setting near the harbour, with views stretching across to North Head and back towards the city.

The Sutherland Shire has recently unveiled a brand-new stretch of clifftop pathway ticking all the boxes. The newly opened Hungry Point Reserve Cliff Top Walkway connects the beloved Esplanade walking route to the southern tip of the Hungry Point peninsula – unlocking one of the Shire’s most spectacular stretches of coastline. Not only is it a breezy walk but it’s also a dreamy spot to snap the sun rising over the ocean.

Roll out your picnic blanket and settle in for an arvo of kicking back. As the name suggests, this is a stunning spot to observe Sydney Harbour from, and it's a famed Sydney location for sprawling out on the grass.