Things to do in Sydney in April

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...

Roll up, roll up! The 2026 Sydney Royal Easter Show is back from April 2-13 with all the old-time favourites and some new treats. Get ready for woodchopping contests, livestock competitions, showbags galore, roller coaster rides, stunt cars, fresh fruit and vegetable displays, cake decorating comps and fireworks at 8.50pm nightly. Whether it’s your first time or a long-standing family tradition, it’s time to make your way to Sydney Showground. Did you know that the Easter Show dates back to 1823? Hosted by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS), it celebrates the hard work of our NSW farmers and producers and gives us city folk a chance to see farmyard animals and fresh produce up close and personal.  Make sure you line up to see the cutest baby animals, catch those cowboys at the rodeo and marvel at world-class show jumping. There's sheep and alpaca shearing, dog shows, tractor rides and panning for gold, plus more than 400 different breeds in the livestock competitions.  There’s also the carnival area with thrilling rides like the Cliff Hanger, Crazy Cars, Extreme Speed, Rebel Coaster and more. Prefer something more nostalgic? Take a spin on the classic Helter Skelter, dodgem cars or the carousel.  Make time to check out the incredible entries in photography, art, woodworking, pottery, and the most beautifully decorated cakes you’ve ever seen at The Arts and Crafts Pavilion. You also can’t go past the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome for all the freshest fruit and veg...

If the end of Sydney Observatory’s summer music series has left a hole in your Friday schedule, the 2026 Biennale of Sydney is here to fill it. From 6pm every Friday night for the next couple of months, the Biennale’s Art After Dark program will transform White Bay Power Station into a boundary-blending live music venue – with an impressive line-up of acts set to light up the cavernous industrial space (along with bars serving local pours and food stalls serving up your Friday night feed).Curated by Naarm/ Melbourne-based outfit Liquid Architecture, the first three events will feature the likes of Tujiko Noriko, Mara Schwerdtfeger, Ruhail Qaisar, Marcus Whale, Liam Keenan and Allara Briggs-Pattison. Next up, the Inner West Council will present three more nights of live music, with Body Type, Yes Boone and BOY SODA bringing home-grown talent to the historic Rozelle site. The final three nights, curated by Vivid Sydney, will include ambient techno trio Purelink, French-Senegalese singer-songwriter anaiis, and the festival’s closing night party on Friday, June 12, which promises to be a multi-stage celebration of global music (with extended hours until 11pm). Beyond the Friday night fun (and the art, obvs), the three-month festival will also operate Memory Lane Food Markets every Saturday, Africa Day celebrations, six new performance commissions, guided tours of White Bay’s historic spaces, Family Days, youth and education programs, and access initiatives. Art After Dark will...

Just like the Easter school holidays creep up on you, so does the spending on activities to keep the kids entertained. Skip out on the eye-watering ticket prices and pay a visit to the great-value Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Easter Show this autumn. The family affair returns to the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, set to put the little – and not-so-little – ones in the Easter spirit without costing you a pretty penny. This year, the festivities kick off on Thursday, April 2 and will run until Sunday, April 19. The jam-packed program features everything from high-energy motorcycle and bike stunt shows to adorable little daschund meet and greets, carnival-style games and a carousel the whole family can enjoy. There will also be an adrenaline-pumping obstacle course, dodgem cars, a thrilling reptile show where you can get up close with snakes and crocs, and an animal nursery with cuddly ducklings, chicks, lambs, goats and piglets. Of course, there will be showbags galore too. For the first time, the event welcomes the Outback Jack Stockman Show. This action-packed spectacle features impressive horsemanship, skilled working sheepdogs and thrilling whip-cracking demonstrations. The humorous performance is sure to be a crowd-pleaser — and you might even get to join in the fun with audience participation encouraged. Be sure to go for a wander through the Easter Basket Zone and stock up on some treats. This year they’re hosting a huge easter egg hunt and as long as you...

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...

Thought-provoking. Boundary-pushing. Unapologetically disruptive. The elusive yet world-famous street artist Banksy has another exhibition coming to Sydney. If you missed the chance to see The Art of Banksy: Without Limits at Sydney Town Hall in 2024, you’re in luck. Banksy Limitless opens at The Rocks (155 George Street) on April 1, 2026 for a limited season, following a sold-out run in London.  This new showcase features more than 250 works, large-scale installations, sculptures, digital displays – plus an impressive state-of-the-art hologram experience. Visitors can uncover untold stories behind iconic works including Cinderella at Dismaland, London Zoo and Ice Cream Van, while immersive rooms and bold visual storytelling invite audiences to step inside Banksy’s provocative universe. Renowned for his sharp wit and unflinching social commentary, Banksy continues to challenge perspectives on politics, culture and human rights. In keeping with his humanitarian ethos, a portion of proceeds from Banksy Limitless will support the M.V. Louise Michel, an independent high-speed lifeboat rescuing migrants in distress. So much more than a traditional exhibition, Banksy Limitless is a powerful, multi-sensory experience that will pull you in. Don't miss it.  Ticket prices are from $42 for adults, $30 for children. Get your tickets 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....

If you've ever wondered what would happen if a kid's drawing of their wildest dream utopia suddenly came off the page and into real life, you're in luck, because that's pretty much what's happening right now beneath the Art Gallery of NSW.  Artist and professional disruptor Mike Hewson has taken over the weird subterranean world of The Tank with his one-of-a-kind new exhibition, Mike Hewson: The Key's Under the Mat, where for the first time ever, all the main lights in the normally pitch-dark Tank will be switched on, revealing a weird wonderland of interactive art pieces and play equipment that have to be seen to be believed. We're talking: A steam room with stained glass windows that you can actually sit in, a functioning sauna with bespoke church pews, five actual operating public barbeques that you can cook on, rushing water to play in (seriously, bring your swimmers), a working laundry,  and a free-to-use recording studio, plus a whole plethora of bright and delightful surprises that are all about getting community together, to do cool stuff, for free. Basically, break your imagination and delete all adult expectations. This is unlike anything we've ever seen.  Kids who aren't afraid of some risk are also one of Hewson's big targets with this show (although parents, rest easy, the floor is specially made out of recycled soft rubber that's rated for use in public playgrounds), with the space also home to a wild children's playground. Intrepid kidlets can test their...

The Old Fitz Theatre space is perhaps one of the most transformative in the independent theatre scene in Sydney. With it quite literally being a black box, it can become whatever a production needs it to be. But one thing that it is notoriously a challenge to transform the space into, is one that can deliver a musical. The acoustics and density of the space mean you need a balance between the voice and the orchestrals and the tight space is limited for choreography. In short, it’s a real obstacle before you’ve even started. It’s with a great sigh of relief then to say that the world premiere of the new Australian hyperpop musical A Transgender Woman on the Internet, Crying overcomes this obstacle with ease – serving a whole heap of c*nt along the way. What type of show is A Transgender Woman on the Internet, Crying? The rise of the influencer – both as a noun and as a career – has dominated the online world over the past few years. Now, anyone with a camera and an opinion can be the next “influencer”. All you need is to find your niche. But what does being an “influencer” actually mean? Is it a two-way relationship between audience and self, or are influencers puppeted and built by the audience that grants them fame and clout?  For Avis O’Hara (Cassie Hamilton), AKA @theDIYDoll, she is the latter. The most fabulous and famous trans influencer on the internet, her relationship with her followers – coined The Dollmakers – is founded on allowing them to physically build her...

Make your next Sunday session sparkle with a brunch that screams summer. Taking place on the rooftop of the gorgeously decked out Woolly Bay Hotel, Ovata Sundays promises a whole heap of bubbles and banging tunes.  While you’d be hard pressed to find a decent all-inclusive brunch in Sydney for less than $100, let alone less than $80 – Ovata Sundays delivers on value and good vibes. For just $75, you’ll score a dedicated spritz menu (including a citrusy number and a classic Hugo spritz), Ovata sparkling wine (including the newly launched Ovata by Oakridge Sparkling Rosé) and fresh canapés for an hour and a half – all while a DJ is mixing it up on the decks from 3pm to 5pm.  For nibbling on, there will be pork san choy bow, wagyu sandos, citrus-cured salmon bites and jamon croquettes – don’t mind if we do. If you’re feeling a bit more peckish there are other deliciously paired items you can add-on like South Coast rock oysters and tempura Yamba prawns. Plus, if you like what you’re drinking, you can score special deals on glasses and bottles of Ovata by Oakridge wine on the day.  Rather a mid-week bevvy? Arturo’s is putting on spritz specials from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on Wednesdays to Sundays. Get the crew together for Ovata Sundays on Arturo’s Rooftop from February 15 to April 19 (excluding March 29). Seatings are $75pp – bookable on the hour from midday – and you can lock yours in here.

The Biennale of Sydney returns for its 25th edition from March 14 to June 14, 2026 – and, as always, it’s completely free. Titled Rememory, this year’s festival is curated by internationally renowned artistic director Hoor Al Qasimi. Inspired by the writing of Toni Morrison, the theme explores how memory and history shape who we are. Through powerful artworks from Australia and around the world, artists reflect on their roots to connect with communities by telling their stories. At its heart, Rememory shines a light on voices that haven’t always been heard. It highlights First Nations stories, diverse diasporas and the layered histories that have shaped Australia.  As Australia’s largest contemporary art event, the Biennale stretches across five major venues: White Bay Power Station, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, Campbelltown Arts Centre and Lewers: Penrith Regional Gallery. Extra talks, performances and events will pop up across Greater Sydney, with a big opening night concert, Lights On, kicking things off at White Bay Power Station on March 13. This year's festival features 83 collaborations from artists across 37 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, India, Lebanon, Argentina and Ethiopia. Expect large-scale installations, immersive works and site-specific pieces from both international and Australian artists. A major highlight is the Ngurrara Canvas II at the Art Gallery of NSW – an 80-square-metre...