Max your summer in Sydney

Wondering what to do with the kids during the spring school holidays? The Sydney Opera House has got you covered with its first-ever Wild Things International Kids Festival. Running for 16 days from September 26 until October 11, this festival turns the Opera House into a creative playground, with performances, workshops, installations and activities for all kids from toddlers to teens.  Out on the Forecourt, families can enjoy free performances, giant interactive installations and roaming puppeteers. Venture inside to catch shows for different age groups from Australia and around the world. And with every performance priced at $49 or less, it’s a fun thing to add to your school holiday calendar. Shows to watch ZOOOM September 26–29 at Playhouse; Age: 4+ Patch Theatre takes kids on an imaginative journey through the universe, inspired by the beloved Harold and the Purple Crayon. We Come From Far, Far Away October 3–7 at The Studio; Age: 10+ Abdallah shares his story of life, travel and growing up, inspired by the real journeys of young refugees and performed inside a Mongolian yurt. Tinker Tales!October 3–5 at Playhouse; Age: 6+ Three performers build, dance and create on a giant building site, where things quickly spiral into wonderfully chaotic fun. Grand Soft Day October 8–11 at Playhouse; Age: 2–6 Three friends head into the woods, but the weather has other plans. Expect movement, music and a charming mix of English, Irish and Italian. Free Events in the Forecourt ...

The Sydney Fringe Festival is back for another year, taking over Moore Park’s Entertainment Quarter from August 26 to October 11. This year’s line-up is stacked, and will see the return of the Fool’s Paradise hub alongside a dedicated Fringe Kids program. For acrobatics, comedy, cabaret, live music and burlesque, head straight to Fool’s Paradise. Spanning two dedicated venues, ‘The Virago’ and ‘The Bunker’, this year’s festivities are curated by the award-winning team at Head First Acrobats. Expect edge-of-your-seat stuff, with performances – day and night – that are guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping (all from the safety of your seat). Got little ones in tow? The Fringe Kids program takes over the precinct for two weeks during the school break, with a line-up of music, magic, giant bubbles, hands-on science and circus acts. With highlights like All Star Circus and the Flying Bubble Show, and tickets starting at just $12, consider your kids' holiday boredom cured. With the entire seven-week line-up consolidated into one hub, you can catch a show, grab a bite to eat and soak up all the Fringe vibes without even having to rack up a massive step count. Refuel at the Fool’s Paradise bar with signature cocktails and snacks, or explore the many restaurants, cafes, markets and pop-up food stalls around the precinct.Performance times and ticket prices vary by show. To explore the full program, check session times and secure tickets, visit the Sydney Fringe Festival website.

A sawfish swimming alongside a sea turtle in the Pilbara. Royal penguins stopped in their tracks by an enormous elephant seal. A Tassie devil fighting for survival. A whimbrel racing an incoming wave with a freshly caught crab in its beak. Flame-like patterns formed by the tides across a Western Australian sandbank. It’s true what they say: a picture definitely does speak a thousand words. Opening at the Australian Museum on September 12, the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition brings you face-to-face with some of the most extraordinary moments in the natural world. From wildlife encounters to otherworldly landscapes, these photographs offer a rare glimpse into the beauty and fragility of nature in our region. This free exhibition, produced by the South Australian Museum, showcases the finest images selected from 2,129 entries by 501 photographers across 17 countries. Spanning Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea, the photographs take in everything from critically endangered species and dramatic animal encounters to patterns and textures of the natural landscape. Western Australian photographer Matt Deakin has been named the 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year for Ethereal Encounter. His mesmerising aerial photograph captures a critically endangered green sawfish moving towards a group of green turtles in the shallow waters of the Pilbara. Shot in the last light of the day, the milky water gives the...

We all know that politics is a greasy machine where idealism goes to die. A hot new frontrunner for a local electorate seat can hold the bright-eyed hope of youth, while a hard-edged minister eroded by the gravity of office just wants to get the day done so they can head to the nearest bar.  Emily Steel’s Housework aims high, wanting to cover the vast range of staffers of every rank who keep our democracy running – from hopeful interns through to the highest seat in office. Where she lands is often predictable and all-too-familiar territory. The result is an Australian version of House of Cards, but with a lot less blood and a lot more pastries. What is the plot of Housework? First-term MP of a marginal seat in Sydney, Ruth Mandour (Susie Youssef), won her campaign on first-hand experience and relatable candour as a nurse during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, her hard-working Chief of Staff Anna (Emily Taheny) is the real backbone of the successful campaign. With Media Advisor Ben (Laurence Boxhall) and the preppy new junior staffer Kelly (Franca Lafosse) rounding out her team, their task is to keep the energy from Ruth’s win all the way through to the nation’s capital. After a negative Covid test sees Ben replaced by Kelly on a trip to Canberra, Anna uses her previous – possibly intimate – relationship with the Minister for Science, Paul (Johnny Nasser) to help get Ruth’s women’s health bill to cabinet. But Paul’s eyes linger elsewhere as an all-too-familiar scandal...

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,...

How does happiness impact the body? It’s a question that’s crossed all of our minds at one time or another: floating in the ocean or gloriously exhausted after a long run around the city. This year, a globally-renowned exhibition dedicated to answering that question is landing in Sydney. Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness will open in The Rocks on September 17, inviting visitors to explore the links between physical health, emotions and overall wellbeing. Created by plastination pioneer Dr Gunther von Hagens and curated by Dr Angelina Whalley, this blockbuster exhibition explores what happiness actually looks like inside the human body. Through real donated human specimens, interactive displays and multimedia installations, you'll discover how everything from stress and resilience to movement, ageing and social connection leaves its mark on our anatomy. Highlights include an Anatomical Mirror that lets you see where your organs sit inside your own body, side-by-side healthy and diseased organs, brain health displays exploring conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and a photographic series examining longevity across 100 years of life. Since launching, Body Worlds has attracted more than 58 million visitors across 175 cities worldwide, with more than 270,000 Australians already stepping inside the exhibition during its stints in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne. Tickets start from $35 for adults and $20 for children, with general sales opening on July 29. Keen to get...

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...

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...

It’s been a big twelve months for Sydney on the art front – with the 25th Biennale of Sydney being named the best exhibition in the world worth travelling for, the beloved Brett Whiteley Studio re-opening in Surry Hills, and Mike Hewson’s Key’s Under the Mat changing the way we think about galleries. Mercifully, we’re not stopping there. This spring, one of Australia’s most celebrated artists is getting the blockbuster retrospective treatment that only the Art Gallery of NSW can offer, with Nolan: Origins landing this spring, exploring the formative years of Sidney Nolan’s career. Bringing together more than 150 works from public and private collections, the exhibition traces the period from the late 1930s to Nolan’s departure for the UK in 1953 – the years in which he developed the bold, distinctive style that would help redefine Australian art. According to the gallery, the major drawcard will be Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly series, with all 27 paintings reunited in Sydney for the first time in more than 60 years. The series sees the bushranger transformed into a mysterious, almost mythical figure, and remains one of the defining achievements of Australian art. But there’s plenty more to discover, from Nolan’s early modernist works developed at Melbourne’s Heide to his vivid paintings of the Wimmera, K’gari, outback Queensland and Central Australia. The exhibition will also explore his fascination with Australian legends, including the Burke and Wills expedition, as well as...

If you’re craving something surreal to snap you out of reality for an hour or so, Sydney’s recently opened Museum of Illusions has got your back. The first Aussie outpost of the global concept, this interactive exhibition invites visitors to step into gravity-defying rooms, giant 3D illusions, mind-bending perspective zones, holograms and other sensory experiences – in a vast space spanning over 900 square metres in the heart of the CBD.With more than 80 unique exhibits to explore, the museum doesn’t directly follow its global siblings – it’s packed with bespoke Sydney-inspired rooms that you won’t find anywhere else. There’s a ‘Reversed Room’ inspired by a classic Aussie pub, a ‘Building Illusion’ which echoes Sydney’s iconic skyline, and an immersive exhibit called ‘Following Eyes’ – a playful nod to sunscreen-slapping beach days. Part science, part spectacle, part pure fun, the Museum of Illusions is perfect for families, curious minds, and any office worker who’s finding the return to work a little tricky. Whether you’re chasing an escape from the here and now or an Instagram goldmine, or you’re just keen to see your friends wobble in a room that defies gravity, it’s a one-stop shop for awe, giggles and head-scratching wonder. The experience is open now at 413 George Street in Sydney’s CBD, with regular admission tickets for $47 and family tickets offering slightly reduced rates. We’d suggest giving around 60–90 minutes for wandering, posing, and rethinking the laws of...