The best things to do in Sydney in June

Are you ready to chase artistic escapades around the city? The Biennale of Sydney is back for its 24th edition from March 9 to June 10, 2024. Whether you’re a dedicated arts fanatic or a casual culture buff, you’ll find something to inspire and provoke you along this epic art trail. The largest contemporary art event of its kind in Australia, the Biennale is taking over six different locations with awe-inspiring installations and intriguing exhibitions. Titled Ten Thousand Suns, this year the festival explores a multiplicity of global cultures, taking on a transgressive spirit as it leans into the origins of Carnivale. As always, the Biennale is free for everyone to visit for a total of 16 weeks.   Of all the locations, White Bay Power Station is absolutely the main character of the Biennale’s 50th year anniversary (and 24th iteration – it takes place every second year). This is the first time the revitalised industrial site will officially open its doors to the public in more than 100 years – and what they’ve accomplished is pretty spectacular. Years of accumulated pigeon poop has been cleared out of the enormous factory spaces, making way for art installations that tower multiple storeys high, and more works hidden in various nooks and crannies. Pop-up bars and brand new bathrooms also set the stage for a packed program of live performances and music curated by Phoenix Central Park. Think of White Bay as a replacement for the role that Cockatoo Island has played in Sydney’s

This is it, we have found the yassification of Shakespeare. Fuelled by a playlist of certified pop hits, this jukebox romp billed as “the greatest love story ever remixed” poses a simple but provocative question: What if, instead of joining Romeo in eternal slumber, Juliet decided to live? A contagiously joyous musical spectacular, & Juliet has finally landed at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre after being met with critical acclaim on Broadway and the West End, not to mention the rapturously received Australian debut in Melbourne.  Filled with sing-a-long-able chart-topping bangers made famous by the likes of Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry and more from the songbook of Grammy-winning Swedish songwriter/producer Max Martin, the Aussie cast is overflowing with talent in this feel-good, flashy production. & Juliet is Shakespeare remixed for the girls, the gays and the theys... [but does it] really cut it as the feminist reclamation that we are promised? Will you be entertained? Absolutely. Does & Juliet set a new standard for jukebox musicals? Yes. Will you see one of the most diverse and charismatic casts of triple-threats ever assembled on an Australian stage? Heck yeah. Does the story deliver on the feminist retribution we are promised? Not quite. “What if Juliet didn’t kill herself?” Anne Hathaway (played by the enthralling Amy Lehpamer) posits to her husband, William Shakespeare (the ever-charming Rob Mills). “She’s only ever had one boyfriend, and frankly, the endi

In excellent news for sauna lovers, what began as a dreamy pop-up has now become a (relatively) permanent feature at Manly’s Quarantine Beach. The 10-person Finnish sauna from Cedar the Salt will be stationed on the shores of Sydney Harbour throughout the winter – offering a very Scandinavian experience from arguably the most stunning sauna location in the city. Sydney's first pop-up seaside Finnish sauna launched as a thirteen day pop-up, but due to huge demand (around 150 sauna-goers per day), it will be staying put until spring. A 45-minute ocean-side sauna experience will set you back $35, and you’ll have easy access to the ocean to cool off between steams. If you’re keen to take over the entire sauna for a celebratory sweat, private sauna sessions are also available, and there's a soundbath experience available for those who went to level up their relaxation. If you want to make the seaside sauna a regular component of your wellness routine, you can nab a pack of three, five or ten sauna sessions.  The sauna is open from sunrise (between 6.30am and 7.15) until sunset (around 4.30pm), seven days a week, with the current closing date currently estimated at "springtime". Keen? You can learn more and book your session over 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.   RECOMMENDED:  We tried this beautiful affordable bathhouse. These are Sydney’s best spas.These are the best da

What do you get when you combine a neon-lit bar that looks like it’s been plucked straight out of Tokyo with five Japanese master magicians? Enter Maho Magic Bar. Part show, part bar. And 100 per cent awe-inspiring. A dazzling immersive experience where you can enjoy a drink and a show (but not as you know it), Maho Magic Bar thrilled Sydneysiders when it popped up last year as a part of Sydney Festival. Now, it's returning to the Emerald City – popping up in a specially decorated neon-lit space at Pyrmont Bay Park from April 23. Created by Broad Encounters, the folks behind the award-winning immersive show A Midnight Visit, Maho Magic Bar features an impressive pop-up bar and entertainment venue, inspired by Japan’s electric nightlife scene. Bring along friends, order some drinks – a fun cocktail; sake from three different regions; whisky or shochu perhaps – and get comfortable as you sit back and watch as Maho’s sleight-of-hand superstars delight and surprise with extraordinary magic shows right in front of you, at your table. Think multi-sensory, interactive and just plain jaw-dropping. So, who will be showing you their tricks at Maho Magic Bar? Well, there’s Shirayuri, whose captivating tricks come with a storytelling twist; Kaori Kitazawa, the princess of illusion who’s carving her own space in the industry that’s traditionally ruled by men; renowned infamous daredevil, Sarito, whose repertoire includes needles and gaffer tape; the graceful hostess Spica; sleight of hand

Winter in Sydney can be pretty darn sparkly, with major thanks to Vivid – the annual multidisciplinary festival that lights up the city for a few weeks every year. One particularly glittery feature of the Vivid Sydney 2024 program is Lightscape – an immersive light show that will illuminate the Royal Botanic Garden from May 24 until June 15. After making its Botanic Garden debut with a sellout 2023 season, this multi-sensory experience of light, colour and sound is back, this year with a reimagined set-up.Originally created by a group of artists more than a decade ago, Lightscape has transformed spaces around the world into sell-out immersive experiences. And though some Sydneysiders were up in arms about having to pay to access the Botanic Garden (generally a free-to-access public space) during last year's season, once you’ve experienced Lightscape in the flesh, you’ll understand the reasoning. As the sun begins to set over Sydney Harbour, you'll wander under larger-than-life flowers, and tree canopies will come alive with light. Follow the 1.8km illuminated trail as your surroundings morph from one luminous delight into another. Food and drinks are available to purchase along the route, or you can hold out and head to one of the many excellent restaurants that Circular Quay has to offer. Tickets start at $30 for adults ($18 for kids aged 3-12), and the entrance for Lightscape is located at the Queen Elizabeth II Gates, which are right next to the Sydney Opera House forecour

The Harbour City does a good line in immersive light experiences, and if you can’t wait until Vivid takes over the city later in May, Luna Park is here to help. The iconic attraction’s newest installation – Sonic Neon – will be opening to the public from Saturday, April 13, and tickets are on sale now. Housed in Crystal Palace – a building which dates all the way back to 1935 – Sonic Neon will take visitors on a journey through six different rooms, with state-of-the-art visuals and a layered soundscape creating a transportive experience. Illuminating more than 150 metres of the historic building, the experience will feature more than 26,000 lights set to a pulsating soundtrack using state-of-the-art technology that’s never been used before in Australia. Tickets to the event are available now, and first release ticket holders will be afforded access to what Luna Park has described as a “secret zone”. Details about this mystery “Blacklight Dessert Bar” are thin on the ground, but Luna Park has confirmed: “Visitors will be able to purchase glow-in-the-dark desserts including custom treats by Sydney’s famous Tokyo Lamington along with glowing fairy floss and soft serve ice cream.” The experience will run daily from 10am for approximately four months, though the exact end date is yet to be announced. Tickets for the self-guided Sonic Neon experience (estimated to take around 30 minutes) start at $29 per person, and the first month of tickets are on sale now. If you’re keen to secu

Few musical references are as iconic as those from Grease. A simple "rama lama lama" or "a wop ba-ba lu-bop a wop bam boom!" may invoke joyful nostalgia, transporting you back to the first time you witnessed John Travolta's gyrating hips or “our” Olivia Newton-John's sweet Sandy smile. For me, it takes me back to my own high school musical experience. With my Pink Lady jacket and Pink Lady sunglasses, the Grease stage is where I first forged my life-long love affair with musical theatre and the passionate community that came with it. That is what musicals are forged on: passion – and this production of Grease: the Musical at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre has an infectious amount of it. Before the 1978 film adaptation cemented Grease’s place in the global pop culture consciousness, this show set in the working-class youth subculture of 1950s Chicago was first staged in 1971. Like any rebellious teen tale, Grease tapped into the angst of young people of the time; it had a '50s style and a '70s attitude. Everyone wanted to be as cool as Kenickie (played here with delectable zeal by Keanu Gonzalez, who has also appeared in Hamilton and West Side Story), as bold as Rizzo (the eye-catching triple threat Mackenzie Dunn, as seen in Hairspray), or as sweet as the nervous Doody (Tom Davis). There were definitely elements of my high school production that built my confidence, brought me out of my shell, and changed my perspective – but the plot wasn't one of them. The musical numbers were jo

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.   Hungry for more? Look at our list of the best markets in Sydney – produce or otherwise. 

Spend a leisurely Sunday morning in France without the jet lag at these fabulous French markets in Sydney’s north. Le Marché is the only fortnightly French market in the whole of Australia, popping up every second and fourth Sunday of each month at Laurelbank Cottage in Willoughby. Here, you can say bonjour to more than 45 talented Frenchies selling everything from raclette and rillettes to choux buns and Champagne.   Start your morning in Le Marché’s culinary corner, which channels the vibes of a mini French supermarket. Fill your reusable baskets with farm-fresh eggs, truffles, saucisson, duck confit and of course, all the French cheeses your heart desires. Thirsty? Take a detour to sample fine French wines and locally brewed gin, or skip straight to the Champagne bar for a bubbly start to your day.  Experience the lively spirit of a French village market by chatting with Le Marché’s passionate line-up of artisans selling striped Breton t-shirts, colourful berets, linen tablecloths, straw baskets and more. Take a leisurely browse through the stalls, and when it's time to refuel, hit up the hot food stalls serving everything from buttery escargots and boeuf bourguignon to raclette and truffle-infused rotisserie chicken. Seal the deal on your market rendezvous with a flaky croissant, creamy eclair or delicate choux bun. Bring a taste of the markets home too by buying a freshly baked baguette or colourful box of bite-sized macarons.  RECOMMENDED: Hungry for more? Look at our

To bring a little musical joy to the Harbour City through the cooler months, Sydney’s historic waterside precinct The Rocks is hosting free jazz performances every Thursday throughout winter – with live performances by musicians from around Australia. Jazz Sessions in The Rocks will run from 6pm until 9pm every Thursday between Thursday, May 9 and Thursday, August 29 – so there’s plenty of time to catch the star-lit shows.  Local distillery Hickson House Distilling Co will be slinging gin-based cocktails (including a signature Native Negroni), and there are a host of excellent restaurants in the area to keep you nourished pre and post show. The full season-long line-up is yet to be released, but in May, we can expect alfresco performances from Sydney-based jazz sweetheart Kate Wadey (Thursday, May 9), fantastical four-piece Cope Street Parade (Thursday, May 16), multi-disciplinary artist Alice Terry (Thursday, May 23) and the ever-soulful Latin/ jazz singer MIRA (Thursday, May 29).The events are free to attend and there’s no need to book. You can learn more over here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.   RECOMMENDED:  Want more evening entertainment? These are the best bars and pubs in Sydney for live music. And these are the best musicals to catch this month. Need fun now? Here’s what’s on in Sydney this week.