The best things to do in Sydney this August

Most people know a Suntory beverage. Maybe it’s the mega popular Minus 196 cans, the ultimate to-go Boss Coffee, the refined Roku Gin or premium Japanese whiskies. What we guarantee you *don’t* know is just how many popular labels it owns: think everything from Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark to Canadian Club. And now, you can experience more than 125 years of Suntory’s history and innovation all in one place – for the next three months. Say hello to Sydney’s new Suntory Bar. The Japanese spirit company has chosen the city’s only Japanese culture and dining precinct, Prefecture 48 on Sussex Street, as host for the residency. The moody Whisky Thief bar with gorgeous historic artwork and marbletop counters is the place to be when you clock off. Choose between timeless highballs, signature serves, special cocktails, RTDs, The Premium Malt beer and whisky flights crafted by the team at Prefecture 48 in collaboration with Suntory.  The must-try tipple of the affair is the Highball. While it’ll be dished up with a range of Suntory whiskies (it’s what Suntory’s known for in Japan), we say try the spotlight cocktail, the Hakushu Highball, first. Not only is it a refreshing mix of Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve, soda and mint, but it’s been paired with an exclusive snack from the genius Michelin Star chef Tetsuya Wakuda (you know, from *the* Tetsuya’s). Now’s the chance to sample Wakuda’s cuisine since his eminent Sydney restaurant closed last year – that’s a golden opportunity if we ever...

The state’s largest independent arts festival, Sydney Fringe Festival, is back for 2025 – with more than 460 events hitting our stages for one very entertaining month. Presented across the city throughout September 2025, the dynamic program spans theatre, music, comedy, visual art, film, musical theatre, dance, circus, street festivals, literature and poetry – and it's going to be ace. Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney, says: “The Fringe is as diverse as our city – and I’m very proud of that.” This year, Sydney Fringe Festival is presenting a city-wide playground of entertainment, with ten key hubs hosting immersive theatre shows, boundary-pushing cabaret, comedy galas, dance shows, live music performances and so much more. Time Out's picks: 10 of the best shows to see at Sydney Fringe Festival 2025Spanning a full four weeks from now until September 30, the Sydney Fringe program includes a heap of interactive, community-focused events, including a free street party taking over The Rocks on Thursday, September 4 and a child-friendly ‘Kids Fringe’ popping up in The Entertainment Quarter for the school holidays.  You can learn more and plan your Sydney Fringe experience over here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  Want fun now? Here’s what’s on in Sydney this weekend. In the mood for a show? Here’s our list of the best theatre to see in Sydney this month.

I last watched the film adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley in the summer of 2023 – the summer that Saltburn hit our screens and mesmerised us all with its intoxicating, messed-up depiction of a complex, envy-ridden friendship. Saltburn director Emerald Fennell came under a lot of flak for what many people viewed as a barefaced rip-off of Patricia Highsmith’s beloved 1950s novel. And though the people wielding that claim have a point (Saltburn seems to borrow a lot from Ripley: the dynamic between the protagonists, the complexity and nuance of a minor class divide, even the sexy bathtub scene), the more I watch both, the more I’m reminded that this is a story as old as time. In both Saltburn and The Talented Mr Ripley, we see a starry-eyed boy driven to the furthest extremes by a toxic curdle of admiration, lust, and hatred. It’s a story that’s played out in literature forever, with characters in Greek mythology, Roman comedy, and Shakespearean tragedy all following similar journeys of envy, deceit, and attempts at stolen identity. In Sydney Theatre Company’s new production of The Talented Mr Ripley, the story is executed with masterful comic brilliance and a chilling, sociopathic undertone. As an audience, you’re carried on an all-consuming journey by characters you learn to hate but root for all the same.  What’s the premise of The Talented Mr Ripley? The play follows the slightly awkward, desperately socially unsatisfied Tom Ripley (whose status anxiety is perfectly...

As I’m on my way to Sydney's Capitol Theatre for the new Australian production of The Book of Mormon, my friend tells me it’s the very first musical a lot of people see. Created by South Park duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone (with Robert Lopez), the show’s reputation for extremely irreverent jabs at religion draws a non-traditional theatre crowd. What I now realise my friend didn’t mean was, “it’s often the first musical kids see”. When I say the musical is extremely irreverent, I mean it. The humour is crass, verging on grotesque (some things I wouldn’t dare repeat). So it’s probably questionable that I’ve brought along my 13-year-old son with me. That said, he loves it.  Some of the humour is classic teen boy (i.e. a regular exclamation from one of the Ugandan characters that he has “maggots in my scrotum”). Very South Park. My son laughs loudly with the rest of the audience – and when the jokes go too far, he cringes, glancing around with a “should I be laughing at this?” look. Although the shock value is high, it’s nice seeing a Gen Alpha-ite who’s been raised on Youtube and other screen-based entertainment bopping along in his seat to the song and dance of a stage show.    What’s the premise of The Book of Mormon? The Book of Mormon tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a small village in Uganda. Although the story centres on Mormonism, Parker and Stone have been known to refer to the show as an “atheist’s love letter to religion” – a wink and a jab...

Scrap the seat and get moving at this interactive theatre show that engages all your senses, including taste, with cocktail (and mocktail) tastings embedded into the show. Imagine a theatre production, your favourite dimly lit bar and a haunted house (just way less scary, and heaps more playful) all rolled into one.  Setting up camp at the Union Bond Store in The Rocks this August and September, When Night Comes is part of Sydney Fringe Festival’s ‘Sideshow at The Rocks’ hub. You’ll follow performers between multiple rooms, each with a setting more hedonistic and sensory than the last. Your ticket includes a number of cocktails tastings, plus some gold-star entertainment, of course. Not a big alcohol drinker? You can still get involved by selecting the mocktail option when you check out.  Catch When Night Comes at Union Bond Store from August 22. Find out more here and book your tickets here. 

Every Friday from 5pm, Chinatown transforms into a vibrant night market selling Asian street food, desserts and gifts. After a month-long closure, the popular night fest is back, now in a temporary new location – next to Paddy’s Market Light Rail stop. RELATED READ: These are the best Chinese restaurants in Sydney. Chinatown Night Market attracts a wide mix of visitors, from tourists and homesick international students to the post-work crowd, who you’ll find wisely padding their stomachs with cumin lamb skewers before hitting the next bar. During peak times, it can get a bit squishy, but the hustle and bustle is also what makes it fun. A number of Chinatown stalwarts run stalls each week, and you'll find everything from yum cha favourites like har gow and mango pancakes to fluffy roti canai. As tempting as those options might be, ration stomach space for the takoyaki – a Japanese savoury doughnut‑hole snack filled with seafood – or dragon beard candy and potato chips on a stick. You’ll also find stalls selling clothes and sunglasses, jewellery and phone cases. On some weeks, there’s even a Scientology stall offering “free stress tests” to the curious. There are no artisanal goods, but more mass-produced, imported products à la Paddy’s Markets downstream. Find out more here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READS: These are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend Read more about...

Didn’t make it to Rome this Euro summer? Us neither. And in excellent news for art enthusiasts of the Harbour City, one of Europe’s most famous and beloved cultural sites is coming to us. From Friday, August 29, the Sistine Chapel will come to life in Sydney thanks to an immersive multisensory experience. For context, the Sistine Chapel is a world-famous Renaissance chapel in the Vatican City, celebrated not only as the Pope’s private chapel but also as an artistic masterpiece – with Michelangelo’s famous painting The Last Judgment framing the ceiling, and other masterpieces lining the walls. The 15th century chapel attracts millions of visitors every year, but if you’re not up for facing the crowds in Italy, you can get a taste of the space right here. Opening soon in Sydney’s Fever Pavilion, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition will bring the Renaissance masterpiece to life. Inside the Sydney Showground Pavilion, 34 of Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel will be recreated in true-to-size scale. Masters of immersion Fever will use a specially developed printing technique that mirrors the texture, colour, and detail of the original works. While nothing quite compares to the real thing, the Sydney-based iteration of the chapel comes without the crowds and access-restricting scaffolding of the Roman version, allowing up-close encounters with the artwork. So far, the exhibition has mesmerised art lovers around the world – popping up in...

It’s imperative that you do not eat before you visit the Carriageworks Farmers Markets. You’ll want to save maximum belly space for your personal version of The Bachelorette where you decide who gets your dollars and what delicious produce gets to come home with you. Maybe you like something soupy and savoury first thing? In that case head to Bar Pho for a traditional Vietnamese start to the day. On the veggie train? Hit up Keppos St Kitchen for a falafel breakfast, or head to Food Farm for a classic bacon and egg roll.Once the hounds of your hunger have been quieted it’s time to prepare for your next meal, or seven. Stock up on artisan cheese from Leaning Oak, smoked salmon from Brilliant Foods and Sydney’s favourite sourdough from AP Bakery and brunch is sorted. You can spend a whole lot of money if you want to here, but equally you could just grab a kombucha on tap from Herbs of Life and find a chair for some of the best dog-watching in the city.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel tips and city insights, straight to your inbox. Hungry for more? Look at our list of the best markets in Sydney – produce or otherwise. 

Jazz lovers and New Orleans dreamers, this one’s for you. This year, a super immersive live music experience is landing in Sydney – brought to life by Fever, the team behind Sydney’s much-loved Candlelight concerts. ‘The Jazz Room: A Journey to the Heart of New Orleans’ is swinging into town after wowing audiences across Europe, the UK, and the US – here’s what you need to know. Fittingly, the shows will be held at the glamorous Albert Palais, a beautifully restored heritage-listed 1920s Art Deco venue in Leichhardt. The soul-stirring musical performances will transport you back to 1920s’ New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.  A talented lineup of musicians will perform so many of the iconic jazz, rhythm and blues’ classics you’ll recognise including Hello Dolly (Louis Armstrong), On the Sunny Side of the Street (Jimmy McHugh) and When The Saints Go Marching In (Jazz Standard). Think jazz is all about the riff? You're not wrong, and the artists will be breaking into spontaneous improvisation (the hallmark of the genre) throughout.  Ready to travel back in time? Book some tickets, grab a cocktail, and settle in for an evening of toe-tapping rhythm, ragtime vibes, and all that jazz. ‘The Jazz Room: A Journey to the Heart of New Orleans’ will run on various Friday nights from August through December, with two seatings (one at 6.30pm and one at 8.30pm) every evening. Tickets start at $49, and you can snap up yours over here.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out...

Every Saturday, more than 100 stalls line the grounds of Paddington Uniting Church and the neighbouring public school selling Australian-made fashion, handmade crockery and metal costume jewellery. The market has been operating on the same day since 1973, and the all-weather event is a profitable fundraiser for the church. Many of the stallholders return week on week, like the elderly Japanese couple selling Bonsai trees and the Spanish shoemakers selling espadrilles. It’s predominantly an art, clothing and design market – and alongside the kitsch bric-à-brac and Australiana-print tea towels you’ll find straw hats from local milliners and soft Tunisian-made ‘Turkish’ towels from young Eastern Suburb entrepreneurs. Antique, vinyl and vintage stalls are few and far between, but leather satchels, beach photography prints and patterned baby rompers are two a penny. On a hot day locals gather at the shaded tables and stools by the snack stalls. Turkish women hand roll yufka dough at the gözleme tent and vegetables are blitzed in a blender at the fresh juice stand. Chin’s Laksa stall, proudly MSG and gluten free, is a popular choice – as are the vegan cookies and sourdough scones on offer at the bakery stalls. It has a bohemian flair compared to its Oxford Street location and customers joyfully take up fortune readings, as well as reiki and Japanese massage. It’s an oddball mix, but one that works strangely well in an area known for its designer boutiques and gentrified pubs....