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Photograph: Supplied | Summer Dance | @killakreative
Photograph: Supplied | Summer Dance | @killakreative

The best things to do in December in Sydney

It’s the silliest, happiest and most joy-filled month of the year – here’s what’s happening this December in Sydney

Avril Treasure
Written by Avril Treasure
Editor, Time Out Sydney
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Hello, summer. I don’t often like to play favourites, but December – with its end-of-year parties, festival celebrations, warm water and a well-deserved break around the corner – may just be my favourite month of the year.

Outdoor cinema season has officially kicked off if you’re keen to catch a flick under the stars. Head outside to tackle one of our city’s best running spots before the January heat rolls in. For something more leisurely, work your way through Sydney’s top walking trails, or take a dip in one of the city’s best ocean pools and beaches.

On the culture front, you’ve gotta check out Mike Hewson: The Key’s Under the Mat at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It’s a giant interactive playground for the young (and the young at heart). There’s incredible theatre happening this month, too – you can check out our top picks here.

Of course, December is all about letting your hair down. These are Sydney’s best happy hours, here are the city’s finest bars, rooftop haunts and pubs for weekend sessions; and if you wanna dance, we’ve rounded up Sydney’s top clubs here.

Feel like a road trip? Head to Scenic World at the Three Sisters in Katoomba. It’s home to fun mountain adventures ranging from an exhilarating railway ride to a butterfly-inducing aerial cable car that lets you appreciate the beauty – and scale! – of the heritage-listed national park.

After all of that, you’re sure to be hungry. Sydney’s best restaurants, best new restaurants and ace cheap eats will keep you sorted.

Hope your December is ace. Bring on Christmas, I say.

Scroll on for other fun things to do this month.

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.  

Looking for plans for the holiday season? Check out the best Christmas events in Sydney, and plan your farewell to 2024 with our round-up of the best NYE parties and events in Sydney.

Best things to do in Sydney in December

Ron Mueck: Encounter

  • Art
  • Sculpture and installations
  • Sydney
Ron Mueck: Encounter
Ron Mueck: Encounter
Photograph: Supplied | Art Gallery of NSW
The Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of our fave places to hang out year-round – and this December it welcomes a banging new exhibition from Melbourne-born artist Ron Mueck. Ron Mueck: Encounter is the artist’s largest exhibition ever in Australia, bringing together a stunning selection of his hyperreal human sculptures from around the globe.  The life-like and scaled up sculptures aim to challenge perceptions by offering a profound and observational look at the human experience. Grounded in realism, the captivating figures tenderly embody themes such as birth, death, alienation and togetherness.  After making his start in children’s television, Mueck trained under Jim Henson (The Muppets) in puppeteering and model making where he made a name for himself on major projects including Sesame Street and the film Labyrinth. Soon after he relocated to London to run his own animatronic studio, before finding his way to figurative sculptures in the late ‘90s and revitalising the medium.  Ron Mueck: Encounter runs daily from December 6 to April 12, 10am–5pm, and until 10pm on Wednesday nights, as part of the Sydney International Art Series, a government initiative that teams up with Destination NSW to bring the world’s most prolific artists exclusively to Sydney. Tickets are $35 for adults on weekdays, $37 on weekends and public holidays, with two-for-one Art After Hours deals on Wednesday evenings, or $45 flexi tickets (which are un-dated single entry tickets). You can book...
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Mike Hewson: The Key’s Under the Mat

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Sydney
Mike Hewson: The Key’s Under the Mat
Mike Hewson: The Key’s Under the Mat
Art Gallery of New South Wales | Mim Stirling
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...
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Gatsby at the Green Light

  • Circuses
  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Gatsby at the Green Light
Gatsby at the Green Light
Photograph: Supplied | Daniel Boud
Jay Gatsby invites you into the decadent world of The Green Light, nestled inside The Studio theatre of the Sydney Opera House, where the roaring '20s is reborn for an evening of decadence, debauchery and delight. Gatsby at the Green Light is back by popular demand and, with an extended run until March 2026, there’s clearly a demand for cabaret with a touch of elegance and plenty of grandeur.  What type of show is Gatsby at the Green Light? Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic text, The Great Gatsby, director Craig Ilott once more takes audiences into an exploration of the liquor-fuelled parties, yearning and lust of the illusive figure, Jay Gatsby, in an evening of professional cabaret. Ilott doesn’t so much play out the story of The Great Gatsby, but instead takes the crux of it – one of greed, love, decadence and the unreachable American Dream – to showcase some of the best talents in cabaret, aerial acrobatics, tap and circus. Set inside the fictionalised bar, The Green Light, designer Stuart Couzens creates a world that feels like you’ve stepped back into a speakeasy bar of Fitzgerald’s America. The three-tiered seating elements of Green Light mean that audiences have the choice of sitting back in the rafters and overseeing the party (much like the host himself) or the middle of the space set far enough back to see all but not be so close as to feel the intimacy of the stage.  Those who want to hear the heartbeat of the waiter-come-dancers around you, feel the heat...
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Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940

  • Art
  • Paintings
  • Sydney
Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940
Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940
Photograph: Supplied | Anna Kucera
The Art Gallery of New South Wales’ newest exhibition – Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940 – spotlights 50 trailblazing females who were among some of the first to draw attention to the fact that women can make some pretty bloody great art too.  The speedy rate of industrialisation in the 19th century meant a major shift in European society. Artists used it as a chance to reject traditional themes like religion, and instead focused on fresh ways to portray individuals (in a time where it felt like machines were going to rule the world). Meanwhile, women used it as their ticket to pull a seat up at the table. The focus of the exhibition is specifically on our very own Australian and New Zealander artists who made the journey to Europe to immerse themselves in the modernist movement. Gallery-goers can peruse works from historic names like Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith, and also witness the work of some lesser-known but equally important creatives like CL Allport, Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Featuring celebrated and rediscovered paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture and ceramics, the exhibition includes work by celebrated artists such as Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith, alongside lesser-known but equally compelling figures such as CL Allport, Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Dangerously Modern’s run in Sydney spans all the way to mid-February so a hot (art) girl summer awaits. You...
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The Works at Carriageworks

  • Music
  • Dance and electronic
  • Eveleigh
The Works at Carriageworks
The Works at Carriageworks
Photograph: Supplied
Summer is approaching, and in excellent news for dance music enthusiasts, Sydney’s cultural calendar is about to get a whole lot sweatier. Renowned music curators Finely Tuned (the team behind Lost Paradise and Lost Sundays) have just unveiled a brand-new event series, and it’s on track to bring a whole heap of fun to the Harbour City this summer.  Enter The Works: six warehouse-scale events taking over Carriageworks across summer 2025/26, bringing some of the planet’s biggest electronic music acts to one of Sydney’s most progressive creative spaces. Benefitting from the influx of international DJs hitting Aussie shores for Lost Paradise and other summer festivals (including Victoria’s Beyond The Valley), the lineup is top-tier. Over four weeks, more than 20 local and international acts will roll through, with headliners spanning festival heavyweights, underground heroes and fun, forward-thinking taste-makers who are just starting to make their name. The beloved British electronic duo Underworld will launch the series on December 29, bringing their genre-defining live show to the industrial inner city setting (and yes, you can expect 'Born Slippy'). They’ll be joined by Ross From Friends’ new club-pop project Bubble Love, plus homegrown favourites Roza Terenzi and Reenie. From there, the energy won’t let up. I Hate Models will unleash raw, frenetic chaos on Carriageworks on January 2, flanked by techno maximalist VTSS and rising Scottish DJ Sim0ne. The following night,...

Mov'in Bed Beach Cinema

  • Film
  • Outdoor cinema
  • Barangaroo
Mov'in Bed Beach Cinema
Mov'in Bed Beach Cinema
Photograph: Supplied
Get a glass of wine, crawl under the blankets and settle in on the beach for another season of movies in bed at Barangaroo. Yep, Mov'in Bed is back! This fun twist on the classic outdoor cinema has been running since 2016 – and from 2023, it's been bringing in 280 tonnes of white sand to transform Barangaroo into a pop-up beach, offering film buffs the chance to see new releases and beloved classics on the big screen. Located in Barangaroo's Harbour Park, it's close to the new Metro station, which means that snuggling under the stars in this beautiful harbourside spot has never been easier.  Hate sitting on grass for hours? Mov'in Bed has 150 queen- and king-sized beds, perfect for two or three people to share. Tickets start at just $12 for sand positions (BYO blanket), with queen-size bed experiences from $45 per person and VIP packages from $75 per person including sparkling wine, butler service, unlimited gourmet popcorn and premium viewing. The season kicks off with romance in Regretting You, followed by action-packed thrills like Tron: Ares, dramas including Twinless and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and blockbusters such as Now You See Me Now You Don’t and Fantastic Four. From mid-December, the program goes full festive mode with Christmas favourites like Home Alone, Love Actually, Die Hard, Elf and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Find out what's screening and book your tickets here.  
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Powerhouse Materials: Paper

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Castle Hill
Powerhouse Materials: Paper
Powerhouse Materials: Paper
Photograph: Supplied | Powerhouse Museum
In a city where culture is constantly evolving, the Powerhouse Museum has no problem keeping up. Spanning four sites – including Sydney Observatory, Powerhouse Castle Hill, the heritage-listed Powerhouse Ultimo site currently undergoing a $300-million transformation and a brand-new Powerhouse Parramatta location set to open in late 2026 – it’s officially the largest museum group in Australia. Now, Powerhouse Castle Hill is taking centre stage with its latest instalment Powerhouse Materials – a new series of exhibitions and events that showcase the Powerhouse Collection (home to more than half a million objects!) through the lens of a guest curator and a chosen material. Actor and activist, Chloe Hayden was the first to curate a colourful and quirky exhibition focused on textiles, and now Andy Griffiths is in the hot seat. The second iteration continues to embody imagination and eccentricity with Powerhouse Materials: Paper. Curated by best-selling children’s author Andy Griffiths (the mind behind the Just! and Treehouse series), this exhibition dives deep into the world of paper. From November 22 to March 8, this free exhibition features a quirky collection of paper objects from the Powerhouse Collection, ranging from the ordinary to extraordinary. Every visitor will receive a self-guided activity book packed with drawing and story prompts developed in collaboration with Griffiths – perfect for sparking young imaginations, and giving older ones a blast from the past. For...
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Back to the Future: The Musical

  • Darling Harbour
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Back to the Future: The Musical
Back to the Future: The Musical
Photograph: Daniel Boud
Great Scott! All the way from 1985 to 1955 and now 2025, Sydney has landed the opening of mega-movie musical Back to the Future: The Musical, complete with a superb ensemble, captivating visual effects and enough nostalgia to power a time-travelling DeLorean.  For full transparency, Back to the Future is one of my favourite films of all time. Growing up watching Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Dr. Emmett Brown travel through time across three films was a large part of my movie-watching childhood. So when it was announced that it would be getting a high-octane staging, I was both ecstatic and sceptical. However, like the show’s original writer (and now the musical’s) Bob Gale said, “we’re not going to do this unless we can do it right”.   Thankfully, of the musical version I can safely say – to borrow from the Doc – “IT WORKS!” What’s the premise of Back to the Future: The Musical? After uncovering an old folder of photos in his parents’ basement, Gale wondered, after seeing a high school version of his father, whether he would have been friends with him back then. “The answer is no,” he joked at the opening night bows. The result of this is classic ’80s nostalgia – in both setting and plot.  BTTF follows teenager Marty McFly in Hill Valley, 1985, whose life is less than spectacular. He dreams of being a rock 'n’ roll star but he’s told he’s too loud and a “slacker” like his father. His family are just as hopeless. None more so than his father George...
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Laneway Cinema

  • Film
  • Outdoor cinema
  • The Rocks
  • Recommended
Laneway Cinema
Laneway Cinema
Photograph: Daniel Tran
Nothing will come between us and a free flick and the magic of an outdoor movie will never wear off. Add an iconic location to that, and we’re ready to say "pass the popcorn". So yeah, we're pretty pleased to hear that The Rocks is bringing back its Laneway Cinema this summer. Catch a flick every Wednesday night between November and February – think the big screen and bean bags among the golden sandstone buildings and cobbled lanes of The Rocks. Located on 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.  November is all about millennial throwbacks. From horror to teen comedy and romance, the line-up includes Final Destination and Can't Hardly Wait. December, on the other hand, gets festive with Christmas rom coms like Bridget Jones's Diary (December 3) and The Holiday (Dec 17).  A bunch of the Rocks’ food and drink offerings are just a few steps away. Our resident food and drink fanatic recommends popping into Le Foote, The Doss House, Saké or one of the many eateries in the area.  Doors open at 5.30pm with the movie commencing at 7pm. Tickets are released every Monday for the following week's Wednesday screening. Be sure to register here for free tickets to secure your seats, as there is limited seating available.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more...

Pretty Woman: The Musical

  • Musicals
  • Sydney
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Pretty Woman: The Musical
Pretty Woman: The Musical
Photograph: Supplied | Daniel Boud
Pretty Woman: The Musical has arrived at the Theatre Royal for its Sydney debut. Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, the feel-good stage spin of the classic film will leave you dancing in your seat, if not deeply moved. What the production sometimes lacks in depth, it makes up for in nostalgia, charm and good vibes. What is the premise of Pretty Woman: The Musical? The production follows Vivian Ward (Samantha Jade), a sex worker working on Hollywood Boulevard to survive. Despite her edgy exterior, Vivian dreams of a life captured in the song ‘Anywhere But Here’. Her luck begins to change when she meets businessman Edward Lewis (Ben Hall). What starts as a one-night business transaction turns into a longer deal – for $3000, Vivian becomes Edward’s partner for six days, while he secures a business deal, all whilst staying in the glamourous penthouse suite of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The mix of business, pleasure and pastel sunsets results in a cocktail of romantic fantasy, class mismatch and questions about who is really saving whom. Who are the cast and crew of Pretty Woman: The Musical? In her theatrical debut, singer-songwriter Samantha Jade is Vivian, opposite Ben Hall’s Edward. The pair have moments of flirtatious charm, which show glimmers of chemistry, but struggle to transition this spark into the sweeping passion the narrative is reaching for by its final scenes. Jade and Hall are supported by Tim Omaji as Happy Man/Mr Thompson, and Michelle...
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