Christmas in the City parades a whole program of free Christmasy events around the city in the lead up to the big day, kicking off one month before you'll open pressies. There’s 30 days on this advent calendar, where you’ll have the chance to see choirs of carolers, family-friendly concerts, visit festive food pop-ups and catch a glimpse of Saint Nick as he zooms through the city.
The celebration starts at 6.30 on November 24, when the city centre will get a sparkly makeover and host a Christmas party with roaming entertainers, stage shows, late-night shopping and a banquet of food stalls. On King St, you’ll find popcorn carts, mobile cafés and food trucks serving everything from Yum Cha to pastas, burgers and gelato under a canopy of 94,000 twinkling lights.
You can catch more fun between George Street and Martin Place for the rest of the countdown to Christmas. There’s groovy choirs like Pitches Be Crazy and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir performing in Martin Place and Pitt Street Mall every Thursday and on weekends, and the fabulous Christmas tree and decorations are there to marvel at day and night. There’s a family-friendly concert series happening across Alexandria (Dec 7), Rushcutters Bay (Dec 8) and Rosebery (Dec 9), while Green Square hosts its own Christmas wonderland on December 2.
Throughout the festivities, there’ll be great kids’ activities like gingerbread icing and Christmas craft, as well as appearances by popular childrens’ performers like Jimmy Giggle, Justine Clarke and Sam Moran.
