The best things to do in Sydney this August

Looking to add a dose of hyper-Instagrammable delight to your outdoor activity schedule this winter? We’ve got you. The beloved Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival will return to Auburn Botanic Gardens this August, transforming the leafy oasis (home to the largest crop of cherry blossom trees in the whole Southern Hem) into a sea of pink blossom and Japanese-inspired entertainment for nine flower-fuelled days. Running from August 22-30, the annual festival celebrates the fleeting beauty of sakura season with more than 200 cherry blossom trees in full bloom, alongside Japanese food and family-friendly entertainment. Wander beneath the blossom canopy on the Cherry Blossom Trail (choose the full 30-minute stroll or a shorter express route), snap a few pics beneath the iconic Cherry Arbour and torii gate, then settle in for a day of workshops, performances and seriously good snacks.RELATED READ: These are the best public gardens you can visit in Sydney. Alongside the main drawcard (those pastel pink trees), this year's program includes a peaceful Zen Zone, guided shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) walks, daily origami workshops, Japanese tea ceremonies, cooking demonstrations, a high-energy ninja stunt show and appearances from gardening guru Costa Georgiadis and comedian Takashi Wakasugi. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, make a beeline for the Japanese Food Village – where you'll find everything from ramen, dumplings and curry to mochi, matcha treats, fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes...

Few things in life manage to bridge generational divides, and one of them is Animal Crossing. Whether you’re looking for activities these school holidays or feeling nostalgic for the hours spent catching fish on your Nintendo Switch, head to Darling Harbour from July 1 to August 23 to experience a dreamlike underwater world where your favourite virtual characters and the real marine world collide. Back by popular demand, the Animal Crossing: New Horizons experience returns with a fresh and even more immersive take, giving returning fans the perfect excuse to come back. Snap a pic with Isabelle, everyone's favourite secretary, or check out panels from Blathers about the aquarium’s real-world marine life. In between lessons, see if you can spot a washed-up Gulliver alongside giant cutouts of other island residents hiding around. You can also take part in a stamp rally inspired by the game. If you collect all the character stamps, you'll take home a postcard as a reward that’s worthy of a spot on the fridge.  Tickets start from $99 per family, with 30 per cent off until July 19. Plus, students save more than 50 per cent, with $24 tickets available weekdays anytime (outside school holidays) or every day after 3pm. The Animal Crossing: New Horizons experience at Sea Life runs for a limited time from July 1 to August 23, 2026. To learn more and get tickets, visit the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium website. To celebrate the return of The Animal Crossing: New Horizons experience, we're...

“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all,” said that witty warrior of a wordsmith, Oscar Wilde. And given the tragedy of the inimitable Irish writer’s downfall, brought on by an unwise libel case that backfired spectacularly, few could have felt that withering wisdom more keenly. It’s fitting, then, that Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas borrows the phrase for its sassy title. The celebration of system shaking bright minds returns to Sydney this August for its 13th iteration, with a newly-extended ten days of talks, films, art and excursions. Expect 115 sessions across 14 venues, including many of the city's most major cultural institutions, with the main festival weekend running all day on August 22-23 at Carriageworks. Presented by The Ethics Centre from August 20-30, expect a lineup that is *a lot*. The festival is all about celebrating those willing to bring down the house with the sort of stuff others fear to say, and what better guest than bestselling author Salman Rushdie, who returns to the festival for the first time in 12 years.  The rest of the program includes everything from a masterclass in punk from renowned actor and director John Cameron Mitchell to a visceral theatrical performance piece titled Exposure, that interrogates the body's relationship to systems of power. Alongside these, a total of 20 international speakers will explore the ideas influencing our current politics, culture, communities and identities.  If...

Have you heard of Ferragosto? It's an Italian national holiday on August 15, originally commemorating Emperor Augustus. Nowadays, it marks the height of summer with locals heading to the coast or mountains for a break. If you can't make it to the Amalfi Coast this Euro summer, you can enjoy your Aperol Spritz and antipasti while you soak up la dolce vita right here in Sydney. Ferragosto returns to Five Dock on Sunday, August 16, and you’re invited to the festa. Running from 10am to 5pm along Great North Road, this celebration of Italian food, culture and community promises a full day of fun and feasting. More than 150 food and market stalls will dish up everything from arancini and cannoli to pasta and panini. There’s also heaps of stalls with artisan goods, boutique fashion and handmade treasures, plus gelato for the bambini, along with free rides and a petting zoo to keep them entertained. Speaking of which, music and entertainment will take over three stages, while roving performers bring the vibe. For the grown-ups, Garfield Street transforms into Terrazza Aperol, an orange-hued oasis serving Aperol Spritz, while FerraCinCin is the place to raise a glass in the Italian wine and beer garden – Birra Moretti, anyone? Rev heads can make a beeline for the Italian vehicle displays, featuring everything from gleaming Ducatis to classic Mini Fiats. And leave the car at home – free shuttle buses will run continuously from surrounding suburbs between 9.30am and 5.30pm....

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London has become a home for staggering visuals and reimaginings of classic musicals. The most recent touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar arrived with rave reviews and award-winning performances from its electrifying revival of the rock musical. Now, Fiddler on the Roof gets its turn for a facelift at Theatre Royal Sydney, with a backing from a stellar team whose work covers Olivier and Tony Award-winning productions.  What is the premise of Fiddler on the Roof? It’s 1905 in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka set in Tsarist Russia, twelve years before the Russian Revolution of 1917. A ghostly rise of the curtain sees Ben Adler’s Fiddler on a flat-roofed stage, the name of the village faces backwards towards the band sitting behind a high row of wheat fields. Tevye, a Jewish milkman, leads his family by their proud traditions. This means a loyal wife, visits to the matchmaker, five obedient daughters, and daily conversations with God. But this is a time of change, his daughters wish to break away from the closed community’s traditions amidst the backdrop of a changing world.  Throughout, we see more than just Tevye’s family dynamics needing to grapple with forces far greater than Anatevka can withstand.  Who are the cast and crew of Fiddler on the Roof? Jordan Fein’s direction gives ample scope for spectacle, particularly when Julian Cheng’s choreography is placed front and centre – the high-energy traditional dances are the show’s...

This year, Sydney Open is heading west, offering access to 16 buildings and spaces across Parramatta. Go behind the scenes and explore new places usually off-limits to the public, until now. On Saturday, August 29, you can see if reality lives up to the hype as Parramatta opens the doors to some of its most interesting and hidden spots. For one day only, step inside Australia’s oldest surviving public building and UNESCO World Heritage site, Old Government House, or see adaptive reuse in action at the newly upgraded Parramatta Town Hall. You’ll also get to go behind the scenes of the Sydney West Trial Courts and explore the award-winning civic hub, PHIVE. If you love a good backstory, experts will be giving the inside scoop on everything from architectural insights to the colonial-era secrets of Sydney’s second European settlement after Sydney Cove. Presented by Museums of History NSW, MHNSW members get a 20 per cent discount and exclusive entry to a special members-only building, Harrisford House. Whether you’re a design lover or a history buff, this is your opportunity to discover the architecture, heritage and newest additions to Western Sydney’s beating heart, giving you the chance to see Parramatta in a whole new light. Plus, purchase your tickets before midday, August 14 for a chance to win a spot on an exclusive preview tour of the new Powerhouse Parramatta – one of the world’s most significant new museum projects, set to open in late 2026. Stay tuned: the winners...

Isobel McArthur’s Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) strips away the intellectual exclusivity of Jane Austen’s classic, not only making it accessible to a wide variety of audiences, but also making clear the sort of tools that Austen herself was using in her original novel: gender, satire, romance, and – most of all – comedy. There’s no Colin Firth here – but there are plenty of karaoke songs to hum along to. What is the premise of Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)? Told by the servants who work tirelessly behind the main characters within Austen’s work, we’re given a slapstick comedy version of Pride and Prejudice. Dressed in white gowns with Doc Martens poking out underneath, the five-strong cast clean their way through the audience with yellow rubber gloves and individualised accents from across Great Britain. The fourth wall is destroyed immediately – they want you to be a part of the story. After a rather disturbing entrance involving a plunger and a rather messy toilet, Elvis Costello’s ‘Everyday I Write the Book’ launches us into literary territory and the premise is set up. Though you may only know the main characters of Pride and Prejudice, there were unsung heroes helping to push the Bennet sisters along their journey towards love and stability. Now, it’s their turn to tell a version of the events, with a song or two along the way – it’s best not to reason about the artistic merits or reasoning behind this addition, just go with it. Perhaps the jumbled selection of songs...

A new work by revered Australian playwright Jane Harrison (The Visitors, Stolen) is always one to be celebrated. Her works tackle and investigate both the past and present existence of First Nations communities, weaving a contemporary lens through which she aims to reconcile, teach and honour. The newest Sydney Theatre Company-commissioned work, Bennelong in London, is no different. Here, Harrison dissects the historical narrative of Woollarawarre Bennelong, a man who found himself in an unprecedented moment in history. At the centre of the work is a complex individual whose historical narrative has been documented by the colonisers and whose history can only truly be known by his actions. This is a play that is ultimately a conversation between generations, focusing on identity, representation and the responsibility that comes with one’s story. What is the premise of Bennelong in London? Sebastian (Guy Simon – Stolen, Holding the Man) is a contemporary First Nations actor preparing to audition for the role of Woollarawarre Bennelong (Googoorewon Knox – Hamilton) in an unnamed project. It’s clear from the outset that he can’t quite get a grip on the portrayal of one of the most significant figures in the early years of invasion as he shoots numerous takes on a precariously propped phone. Harrison’s plot takes no time in getting to the crunch – after an offhand plea to summon the spirit of Bennelong for help, Sebastian gets what he asks for in the form of the figure...

The opening note of ‘The Circle of Life’ may just be one of the most recognisable in a Disney musical. If you don’t agree, then you may have to convince the entire theatre-going audience who were at Disney’s The Lion King on opening night. The full house’s roars could be heard all the way out of the Capitol Theatre’s front doors as the king of musicals triumphantly returns to Sydney – the first time in more than a decade. What type of show is The Lion King? It’s called The King of Musicals for a reason. If it’s not Elton John’s iconically recognisable music, or Tim Rice’s lyrics you’ve sung over a late-night karaoke session, then its Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi’s book featuring the characters you love, the characters you hate, and the ones you undoubtedly cry over – tears were definitely still shed during that scene. What’s so beautiful about The Lion King is the blurring of worlds and culture that merges in between all of these. Julie Taymor’s directorial conception blends African culture, language, movement and costume underneath masks and puppetry of the animal characters. Mufasa’s “crown” is a stoic, strong and towering headdress. The elegant lionesses soar and leap through the sky through Garth Fagan’s choreography as wing-like gowns flow behind them. The animals of Pride Rock are adorned with larger-than-life puppets of intricate designs and architecture: a re-engineered bicycle becomes leaping antelope, birds fly above the crowd on poles manipulated by performers,...

Beautiful things are blooming in Marrickville. Following the delightfully offbeat success of The Grocery Store – an exhibition of wonderfully inedible everyday goods – Voluptuary Ceramics is transforming its warehouse yet again, this time into an enchanting, otherworldly garden. Running until August 30, The Garden is an immersive exhibition featuring garden-inspired ceramics, sculptures, paintings, textiles and tactile objects by more than 50 Australian artists, designers and makers. Each artist has been busy as a proverbial bee in their own studio, cultivating creations of garden-themed artwork and now they'll come together to display and sell their wares. Think hand-felted wool creations of mushrooms and moss; detailed paintings of ferns, fungi and flowers; metal sculptures of butterflies and bees; and whimsical ceramic blooms. From bold and bright to intricate and delicate, The Garden invites you to wander and wonder at nature’s bounty – and perhaps take home a little piece of this wonderfully imagined world. The Garden is on at Voluptuary World, Marrickville from July 25 to August 30. Find out more via their Instagram page.  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: The best markets in Sydney for farm-fresh produce or arts and crafts 25 fun (and delicious) things to do in Sydney for under $25  Have you had a bite at Eat Ozzo Marrickville yet?