Max your summer in Sydney

The late, great David Hockney (July 9, 1937 – June 11, 2026) passed away earlier this year, but his art is very much alive. You might know the British artist for his sun-drenched Los Angeles swimming pools, including A Bigger Splash (1967), or Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) (1972), which fetched a whopping $90.3 million at auction in 2018. Or, perhaps you’ve seen his portrait of pop star Harry Styles that he painted in just two days, or his vibrant digital landscapes that he created on an iPad. Or maybe you just dig the fact that Hockney wore yellow Crocs when he met King Charles.  Now, Sydneysiders can step right into Hockney’s colourful, endlessly curious world as his acclaimed immersive experience, David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away), makes its Australian debut at Carriageworks. Running until January 24, 2027, this spectacular 360-degree production transforms the vast Bay 17 into a kaleidoscope of colour, movement, sound and light. Created by London’s Lightroom, the experience has captivated audiences from Seoul to Singapore since premiering in London in 2023. Bigger & Closer takes you inside Hockney’s artistic imagination, tracing six decades of creative experimentation. Narrated by Hockney himself and accompanied by an original score by composer Nico Muhly, it reveals the stories, ideas and happy accidents behind his extraordinary body of work. Journey through the San Gabriel Mountains, cruise along California’s Mulholland Drive...

This November, the Inner West is serving up a delicious mix of exclusive craft beers, live music and seriously good food, all wrapped into one big neighbourhood party. Made in the Inner West runs from November 6-15, bringing together 13 breweries and 13 local businesses for ten days of deliciously creative collaborations and limited-edition beers.  In terms of entertainment, Inner Westie singer-songwriter Ben Lee is performing across four breweries along with his favourite local artists on November 7, so get ready to 'catch his disease', if you know what we mean. The festival’s food and drinks menu is full of unexpected pairings between local breweries and eateries. For instance, Grifter is teaming up with A.P Bakery, Heaps Normal with Mapo Gelato, Bracket with Miss Sina, and Pickled Monkey with Donut Garage and many, many more.  Grab a festival passport and collect stamps as you visit breweries and purchase beers. Score ten stamps and you’ll earn a limited-edition tote bag featuring artwork by Aidan Howes. Entry is free and everybody's welcome, so bring your family, bring your friends, and even bring your fur babies.  Made in the Inner West runs from November 6-15 across 13 Inner West Ale Trail breweries. Entry is free. Find out more 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: Hungry for more? Here's where else you can grab a bite to eat in Sydney's Inner West.

Love a bit of razzle dazzle? Want a bit of risqué business? Sydney, it’s time to welcome back Blanc de Blanc to The Grand Electric in Surry Hills. Celebrating ten years since it first astounded audiences at the Sydney Opera House in 2016, this burlesque show is back with an all-new cast. Get ready for an adults-only spectacular serving up a heady mix of cabaret, cheeky humour, Champagne and jaw-dropping circus acts. Leading the line-up is charismatic American host Alex Makardish, fresh from extended seasons in London and Melbourne, along with world champion contortionist Misha Makarov. Aerialists Duo Coco and Marie also join the cast, with French performer Marie Lebot and Canadian performer Corentin Lemaitre Auger making their Sydney stage debuts. Watching these artistes twist, tumble and soar through the air, you can’t help but marvel at their incredible athleticism and flexibility. Produced by Jess Copas, Blanc de Blanc has charmed audiences from London’s West End to Las Vegas with its intoxicating blend of cabaret, circus and comedy. Whether you’re planning a date night or a fun evening out with the girls, prepare to leave everyday life at the door and embrace your wild side.  Blanc de Blanc runs from October 28, 2026 to January 24, 2027 at The Grand Electric, Surry Hills. Tickets start at $75. Find out more and book tickets 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....

You should know the premise by now – divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived all set to a fiery, feminist live band. Henry VIII’s six ex-wives reclaim their stories and their thrones in the worldwide sensation that is Six the Musical. This is the fourth time in (wouldn’t you know it) six years that the queens have graced Sydney stages, the second at the Theatre Royal. So has Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Tony- and Grammy-nominated electrifying pop-concert hit lost some of its glam? The short answer is “No Way”. What is the plot of Six? What started as an Edinburgh Fringe hit went on to capture the hearts of the West End, Broadway, and beyond. At its core, Six retains those fringey roots in its tight 80-minute, one-set, one-act pop-concert musical in what is a song-cycle of the Tudor Queens turned Pop Princesses who remix five hundred years of history to win their crowns. Who had it the worst under Henry’s reign? Who deserves the most sympathy? And is it all about his-story or is it time for a bit of herstory? The beauty of Six is that it’s a star vehicle for female and gender diverse talents. Thankfully, the creative team have offered up six of the best to fangirl over, from young veterans of the stage through to mainstage debuts: Sarah Murr as Catherine of Aragon, Mia Paris Scalise as Anne Boleyn, Cara Bessey as Jane Seymour, Kadesa Honeyhill as Anna of Cleves, Angela Brischetto as Katherine Howard, and Lorinda May Merrypor as Catherine Parr. Alongside them...

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 is 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 his...

The Comedy Store in Moore Park has been Sydney’s go-to spot for belly laughs since 1981. Venture inside and watch the stage come alive with top-notch talent with comedic timing – think homegrown favourites, international stars, rising newcomers and the occasional surprise guest. The Comedy Store Showcases run Thursday through Saturday, packing in 90 minutes of back-to-back stand-up with plenty of comedians on the bill. In fact, you can even catch The Saturday Late Show at 8.30pm if you prefer a later line-up. No two nights are the same, but each one guarantees tons of chuckles with new acts added constantly. RELATED READ: Make Tuesdays more fun with this affordable comedy show in the Inner West, featuring a rotating line-up of cracking comedians – plus, you get a free drink. The calendar is also dotted with solo shows and special events, from household names debuting their latest routine to the next big comedian testing out fresh material. What’s more, all tickets come with an alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverage. Still feeling thirsty? Get more drinks and nibbles at the Lounge Bar that keeps cocktails, cold beers and wine flowing with tasty antipasti also on offer. They even have table service, so you’ll never miss a punchline. It’s true what they say: laughter really is the best medicine, so gather your mates and go. Find out more and book your tickets here. Weather not looking so hot? Check out our list of the best things to do indoors in Sydney. Looking for weekday...

It’s been a great week for women in musical theatre. Recently, new queens of Six took to the stage at Theatre Royal Sydney for the musical’s third Sydney season. Across town at Hayes, another female-led production opened with an altogether bloodier agenda: We Are The Tigers. Both productions reflect a musical landscape increasingly shaped by pop sensibilities, spectacle and stories that put women centre stage. But where Six turns female history into a pop concert, We Are The Tigers trades the royal court for a cheerleading sleepover gone spectacularly wrong. I can’t remember the last time I saw an ensemble of nine women and gender-diverse performers command a musical with such collective force. Their chemistry, vocal blend and sheer stage presence are worth celebrating in their own right. What is We Are The Tigers about? Written by Preston Max Allen, We Are The Tigers premiered in Los Angeles in 2015 and then Off-Broadway in February 2019. The musical follows Giles Corey High School cheer captain Riley (Brianna Bishop, Grease, Hairspray), her best friend Cairo (Olivia Vasquez, In the Heights, West Side Story) and their band of misfit cheerleaders and one aspiring cheerleader-turned-mascot Reese (Caitlin McCallig). Under Riley’s L-E-A-D leadership, the team hopes to redeem themselves after last year’s spectacular flop and that viral incident. But what unfolds is more slaughter than spirit. What are the highlights of the cast, music and performances? Preston Max Allen’s...

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...

Keen to add some colour to your life but don’t have $80K to drop on an artwork? Same. That’s where the Affordable Art Fair comes in. div:has([data-free-thinking-preview-answer=true])+:is(.text-message,.relative:has(>.text-message))]:-mt-2 grow"> div:has([data-free-thinking-preview-answer=true])+:is(.text-message,.relative:has(>.text-message))]:-mt-2" data-streaming-response-group=""> The four-day art party returns to Carriageworks in Redfern from November 5-8 for its biggest Sydney edition yet, bringing together more than 75 Australian galleries and thousands of original artworks priced from $100 to $10,000, all available to buy and take home on the day. Expect everything from paintings, photography and textiles to large-scale sculptures, alongside a packed program of live art demonstrations, interactive installations and family-friendly activities. Highlights include Chris Riley’s colourful, immersive installation Blue Sky World, a new mural by Struan Hopwood and the return of Jackie Case’s Art ATM. Young artists can get creative at the children’s art studio, while the Artists in Action program offers the chance to watch artists bring new works to life. Australian Fair Director Georgia Huestis says: “For us, it’s about creating an environment where art feels approachable and enjoyable. This year’s program adds another layer to that experience, with sculptures, live artmaking, hands-on activities for kids and plenty of opportunities to meet the people behind the...

Greek mythology is definitely having a moment thanks to Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey, but Sydney’s very own White Rabbit Gallery is the place to be if you want to learn about Chinese mythology.  Established in 2009 to showcase philanthropist Judith Neilson's remarkable collection of 21st-century Chinese contemporary art, The White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale has become one of Sydney's most fascinating cultural spaces. And now, David Williams brings us Black Myth, the gallery's 33rd exhibition that explores how ancient Chinese myths continue to shape our modern, technology-centric lives. Inspired by the hit 2024 video game Black Myth: Wukong – a modern reimagining of the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West – the exhibition examines the darker side of mythology and the enduring power of storytelling. Journey to the West follows the monk Tang Sanzang and his travelling companions: the mischievous Monkey King Sun Wukong, the pig-faced Zhu Bajie and the loyal river ogre Sha Wujing as they embark on an epic quest to retrieve sacred Buddhist scriptures. Mirroring that legendary adventure, the video game Black Myth explores journeys of every kind – physical and metaphysical, inner and outer – while delving into the Chinese ideas of transformation and transcendence. Artists include Sun Xun, whose intricate woodcuts and ink paintings create entire imagined worlds; Zong Ning, who reinvents ancient legends through contemporary photography and everyday...