Max your summer in Sydney

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...

It may be tempting to hibernate inside this winter, but The Rocks is giving you every reason to rug up, head outside and savour the season. For the month of August, you can take part in a $25 cocktail and canapé trail available at not one, but 20 of The Rocks' finest bars and restaurants, catch some tempting happy hours, settle in for weekday lunch deals and check out the newest openings that have Sydney talking.  Here are just some of the deals and meals you have to add to your hitlist: $25 Cocktail and Canape Trail  Fortune of War: Salted Caramel Espresso Martini and caramelised popcorn Glenmore Hotel: Mini Martini and an oyster El Camino Cantina: Pocket Rocket Rita and taco MCA rooftop: Native Garibaldi and smoked trout Endeavour Tap Rooms: Spicy Mule and chicken wings  Happy hours  Mercantile Hotel: $11 pints Como Italian: three spritzes and light bites midweek from 4pm to 6pm The Garden: everything $7 everyday from 5pm to 6pm  Midweek lunch specials Luna Lu: $55 two-course express menu from Monday to Thursday, 12pm to 3pm The Orient and Mrs Jones: winter warmers specials – $19 chowder or $29 chicken pie  Hooked and Harvest: $10 seafood snack pack with a drink Izakaya Mitto: $15 express teriyaki chicken donburi  What’s new Grappa: focaccia and salumi with an Amante Spritz, $25 Cocktail and Canape Trail The Cut (from the crew behind Rockpool Bar & Grill): Pie and Pint experience The Tailor Room: Martini with olives or chips, $25 Cocktail and Canape Trail ...

“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...

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...

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...

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,...

Dust off your sequins – a glittery-as-heck night of disco, circus and cabaret is taking over the Sydney Opera House this winter. Showing in the Studio from July 24 to September 13, Velvet Inferno is the very sparkly new evolution of the hit Australian production Velvet, promising wildly impressive acrobatics, powerhouse vocals and a solid soundtrack of disco anthems. The brilliant Marcia Hines will own the role of The Diva, with beloved multidisciplinary star Brendan Maclean taking on the fan-favourite role of Country Mike. Joining the Velvet family for the first time is singer-songwriter KYE as Gloria, whose coming-of-age story unfolds beneath a sparkling Studio 54-inspired mirrorball. The circus line-up is just as impressive. Expect next-level hula-hooping from Craig "Hula Boy" Reid, the Australian debut of Ukrainian roller-skating duo Duo Stardust, plus terrifyingly impressive aerial performances from Oleg Tatarynov and Zoe Marshall. Hyper-talented vocalists Emma Feliciano and Mateja Sardelis round out the cast. Soundtracked by disco classics including It's Raining Men, If You Could Read My Mind and No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), Velvet Inferno reunites the original creative team behind the global hit: director Craig Ilott, musical director Joe Accaria and choreographer Amy Campbell. More than a decade after Velvet first wowed audiences, the production continues to tour internationally, with an ongoing residency in Hamburg. Tickets start at $49.90. You can learn more...

Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, is the preserver and protector of the universe. He is believed to restore balance whenever chaos or evil threatens the world, appearing in different forms – or “avatars” – to protect humanity. Some well-known avatars include Krishna, the playful cowherd and spiritual teacher; Prince Rama, hero of the Ramayana; and Narasimha, the fierce half-man, half-lion figure. Over thousands of years, stories of Vishnu have inspired artists across South and Southeast Asia – and now those stories are coming to Sydney in a major new exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW). Opening on June 20, Avatar: Forms of Vishnu is the first Australian exhibition dedicated to Vishnu and will feature more than 200 artworks spanning ancient sculpture, textiles, paintings, photography and large-scale contemporary installations. The exhibition brings together remarkable works from museums in India, Cambodia, London and beyond, many of which are being shown in Australia for the first time. Alongside centuries-old treasures are striking new works by contemporary artists including Gitanjali Das, Jumaadi, Nalini Malani and Sumakshi Singh. Says Art Gallery of New South Wales senior curator of Asian art, Melanie Eastburn, "Across South and Southeast Asia, tales of Vishnu's avatars have inspired contemplation and devotion, as well as entertainment. Vishnu’s avatars are responsive, dynamic and shaped by the cultures and communities that embrace...

Movie nights are fun. Movie nights with front-row seats overlooking Sydney Harbour? Now we're talking. Pier One Sydney Harbour is giving movies a decadent glow-up with Harbourside Cinema by Pier One – a private open-air cinema set on its Sunset Balcony Suite. Available until September 30, the experience transforms the suite's waterfront terrace into your own luxe outdoor cinema, complete with a cosy love seat, blankets and a projector screen framed by our spectacular harbour. You pick the movie – whether it’s a rom-com or an action-packed adventure – then settle in as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Luna Park provide a stunning backdrop. Getting to the all-important movie snacks: a dedicated Ultimate Movie Night trolley rolls up to your suite loaded with buttery popcorn and DIY Yo-Chi frozen yoghurt, complete with toppings. Feeling hungrier? Order everything from loaded fries and Wagyu cheeseburgers to baked brie and artisan cheeseboards from the Pier Bar food and drink menu which is sent straight to your room. Harbourside Cinema by Pier One costs $150 per experience on top of the nightly suite rate, so this is definitely a treat-yourself experience. Additional guests are $50 per person, with a maximum capacity of eight guests per booking. Once you book the Harbourside Cinema package, their team will be in touch to organise any additional guests, movie night trolley timings, plus food and drink pre-orders. All you need to do is pick the movie. Find out more here.  Stay in...

Sydney’s immersive art scene is on the up and up, with Balloon Story, Museum of Illusions and Mike Hewson’s The Key’s Under the Mat all alive and kicking in the Harbour City. Now, there’s more. Landing right in the middle of the CBD, DigiPark is a brand-new digital playground that blends science, art, education and entertainment into one futuristic, all-ages experience. Fresh from huge success across Asia, this is the first DigiPark to open in Australia, bringing 19 interactive attractions to Level 5 of Westfield Sydney, just steps from the centre’s ever-busy food precinct. Highlights include the Space & Time Cube, a trippy 3D holographic tunnel that pulls you into a swirling world of light and colour, and the Orbital Cinema (7D) – a flying adventure powered by a massive 180-degree curved screen, motion seats and special effects like wind, vibration and water spray (no VR headset required). There’s also a 3D Figurine Creator Studio, where you can scan yourself and walk away as a custom mini digital avatar, plus dreamy installations like Wandering Planet, Cosmic Space and the Holographic Studio, which blur the line between reality and the virtual world. According to DigiPark’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Jacques Wong, the venue is designed to hook everyone from curious kids to culture-hungry adults – with VR, holograms, kinetic light art, digital play and 3D printing all under one roof. Open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm, DigiPark welcomes all ages (kids under 12...