Max your summer in Sydney

Sydney’s Darling Harbour is turning to ice once again. No, the harbour itself hasn’t frozen over (though the winter chill might have you fooled), but the much-loved ice skating rink has officially glided back into town for the 2026 season – and it’s bigger, busier and more entertaining than ever. If you’ve always dreamed of landing a triple axel – or simply recreating your own Home Alone 2 moment under twinkling city lights – consider this your cue. Whether you’re planning a wholesome date night or looking for a foolproof way to tire out the kids these school holidays, this icy pop-up delivers. From Friday, June 27 until Sunday, July 19, you can head down to the Palm Grove Forecourt (just outside IMAX Sydney) to lace up your skates and take to the rink. Sessions run daily from 10am to 9pm, giving you plenty of time to channel your inner figure skater – or wobble your way around like Bambi on ice. (Pro tip: thick pants are still your best friend.) The rink welcomes skaters of all levels, with handy skating aids available for little ones still finding their footing. But the big new addition for 2026? Friday night performances. Each week at 5.45pm and 6.45pm, six professional skaters will take to the ice for a dazzling 12-minute show, bringing a touch of winter magic to the waterfront with elegant choreography and serious skill. Once you’ve had your fill of spins (intentional or otherwise), Darling Harbour’s surrounding precinct is packed with dining options – from quick...

It’s easy to think that tales of raucous Vikings are the stuff of fiction: horned helmets, fierce warriors and wooden boats that were as intricately carved as they were fearsome on a misty horizon. This year, the Australian National Maritime Museum is displaying an awe-inspiring exhibition with some very real artefacts that show just how pivotal the Viking Age was in forming what we know as modern-day Scotland, England and Ireland.  The Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard exhibition uncovers items that were buried around AD 900. Due to all the looting synonymous with the Viking Age, it was really common for treasure troves of goods to be buried and forgotten about, only to be discovered centuries later.  In 2014, metal detectorists uncovered The Galloway Hoard with five kilograms of precious metals, rare organic materials like silk, heirlooms and more. Sydney's own Australian National Maritime Museum is displaying the collection, on loan from National Museums Scotland, until October. Tickets start from $15 for children, $25 for adults and free for members. You can catch the exhibition open daily from 10am-4pm now, until October 11. Book your tickets here.

Let's face it: beach weather is behind us. But thankfully, every winter, Australia’s most famous sretch of sand levels up its entertainment offering with a soul-warming multi-week festival. Running from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 19, this year’s fest brings 17 days of music, theatre, comedy, visual arts and immersive experiences to the sand – all anchored around Bondi Pavilion and its surrounds. But 2026 isn’t just any year: it marks a once-in-a-lifetime alignment with Bondi’s postcode (2026), and the festival is going bigger to match. The winter staples are, of course, back. Expect the crowd-favourite ice rink, the ever-iconic Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel (complete with sweeping coastal views), and the technicolour chaos of the Bondi Beach Sea Wall, where artists will once again transform the shoreline into an open-air gallery. New for 2026 is Accordion by Amigo & Amigo – a large-scale, playful light and sound installation taking over the Bondi Pavilion Courtyard from late June through July. Foodies are also in for a treat, with the Blue Sky Markets returning after a buzzy debut last year. Across multiple weekends, Bondi Park will transform into a beachside feast of street food, artisan drinks and sweet treats, soundtracked by live DJs and musicians as part of Music in the Park. The festival kicks off with the opening of the 40th annual Waverley Art Prize – a milestone year for one of Australia’s leading contemporary art awards – alongside the always-sold-out Bondi...

Back in May, sommelier Nick Hildebrandt and chef Brent Savage announced they would be closing their fine diner Bentley Restaurant and Bar this winter after more than 20 years at the top of its game (and five-star reviews from Time Out). The award-winning restaurant, which originally opened in Surry Hills in 2006 before moving to its current home in Sydney’s CBD on O’Connell Street in 2013, is housed within a heritage sandstone building dating back to the 1850s, now part of The Paradox Hotel Sydney. It will have its final service at the end of August. But because this is the Bentley Group we’re talking about – talent who are always one step ahead of the curve and not afraid to change things up, close the curtains when the time is right, or start fresh when opportunity arises (see: Monopole, Cirrus, Yellow, King Clarence, Watermans, and the soon-to-open Ashe and Bar Vespertine, for example) – this isn’t goodbye for good. Instead, Hildebrandt and Savage are on the lookout for the next perfect home for Bentley’s third act. “This feels less like an ending and more like a natural moment to pause and reset,” says Hildebrandt. “The move from Crown Street to the CBD was a defining evolution for Bentley, and now it feels like the right time for that next transformation.” For the final few months of service, Bentley Restaurant and Bar has rolled out the culinary red carpet with a greatest hits menu for both the tasting menu and bar menu – featuring the restaurant’s best dishes over...

I had high expectations – I won’t lie. As a literary and theatre purist, I am always a little wary of adaptations, but the mix of Y2K child star culture with Shakespeare’s Macbeth had me curious. I mean, what could explore power and unchecked ambition more than the kingdom of Hollywood? Virginia Gay’s modern adaptation, Mackenzie, not only raised the bar but crushed it into rhinestones and scattered it across the stage. This fabulous Bell Shakespeare production, now on at The Neilson Nutshell in Walsh Bay, plays with power without ever wavering from its camp and comedic register. Gay has reminded us that camp, done right, is that serious.  What is the premise of Mackenzie? As a story adapted from Macbeth, Mackenzie (Kimberley Hodgson) is a highly talented background actress and performer on the tween program ‘The Dahlia Show’. However, blood, sweat and tears are literal here, as the weight of such a role comes at the cost of brutality, abuse and meeting network expectations at the tender age of thirteen. While in hair and make-up, both Mackenzie and her co-star Beau (Ryan González) are told of a prophecy by their make-up artist of a future where Mackenzie is promoted on ‘The Dahlia Show’ and becomes the biggest pop sensation in the world. After the promotion occurs, Mackenzie’s mother, Ruth (Nikki Britton), works with Mackenzie to take down Dahlia and help ensure her rise as the biggest pop star. However, after five years, work, guilt, youth and the misogyny of the...

Anastasia (1997) was among the first musical films I knew in its entirety. While many children frolicked to Timon and Pumbaa’s playful anthem in The Lion King, I was instead reenacting “Once Upon a December” in my living room, captivated by a heroine whose quiet determination carried her through danger and uncertainty. At the time, I could not have anticipated how deeply this film would shape my relationship with musical theatre. “Journey to the Past” soon became a staple audition piece, and Anya’s unwavering belief in her own worth quietly informed my own developing sense of confidence.  What I did not yet understand, however, was the historical context behind the story: the execution of the Russian imperial family in 1918 and the long-standing myth that Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov survived. The 1997 animated film leans fully into fantasy, using magic and spectacle to distance itself from historical reality. The stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2017 with a book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, takes a different approach, removing the supernatural elements in favour of a more realistic political setting. This creative decision has lingered uneasily over the production since its premiere, inviting criticism for its revisionist narrative – a species of theatrical “fake news,” further undermined by the musical’s questionable commitment to American accents. In performance, now at Sydney Lyric Theatre, this shift...

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,...

Love the snow but not so keen on the seven-hour drive to go skiing in Perisher or Thredbo? Take the car to the Hunter Valley to get your winter fix at Snow Time in the Garden. Returning to Hunter Valley Gardens from June 27 to July 26, it transforms wine country into a winter wonderland packed with family-friendly fun. For one glorious month, the Gardens are covered in snow, complete with an ice-skating rink, a giant ice toboggan, amusement rides and plenty of winter-themed entertainment. The star attraction – yes, it’s back – is the 45-metre giant ice toboggan. Grab a tube, hold on tight and squeal as you whoosh downhill – it's guaranteed to get the heart pumping. Or head to the Snow Play Zone, where you can build a snowman and play in the snow. What’s new, you ask? DJ Jeff's Glacial Grooves turns the ever-popular ice-skating rink into a winter party, spinning tunes while skaters spin around (or try not to face-plant). Kids can join Glacier Guy for interactive snow games and target challenges, while adventurous souls can tackle the Abominable Adventure, a garden-wide quest to help free the Frozen Yeti by completing a series of challenges. Plus, there are plenty of rides to enjoy. Take in sweeping views from the Ferris Wheel, race down the Superslide, or hop aboard the gorgeous Venetian Carousel and Spinning Tea Cups. Keep an eye out for roaming characters like a polar bear, a penguin and an Abominable Snowman who'll be wandering around the Gardens, so get snap happy....

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...

Australia’s most popular arts event is back in action for 2026, with the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes bringing a fresh batch of painterly expressions to the walls of the Art Gallery of NSW from May 9 to August 16.  They call it “the face that stops the nation”, and the Archibald Prize has indeed been courting controversy and conversation for more than a century now. This popular portrait prize is always filled with famous faces, with artists from all over Australia (and also New Zealand) capturing the spirit of the times through paintings that capture the likeness of the personalities that define their communities. Melbourne-based artist Richard Lewer is the winner of the Archibald Prize 2026 – he won over the judges with a stunning portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder, senior artist and ngangkari (traditional healer) Iluwanti Ken. RECOMMENDED: A beginner's guide to the Archibald Prize. The winner of the 2026 Packing Room Prize was announced a week earlier, with the Packing Room Pickers (a.k.a. the Art Gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries) selecting Sean Layh's striking painting of actor Jacob Collins as their favourite Archibald portrait this year.  Meanwhile, the Wynne Prize awarded the best landscape painting of Australian scenery or figurative sculpture to Yolŋu artist Gaypalani Waṉambi, and the Sulman was awarded to Lucy Culliton for the best genre painting, subject painting or mural project.  The annual finalists exhibition is a real must-see,...