Sculpture by the Sea
Photograph: Supplied | Sculpture by the Sea
Photograph: Supplied | Sculpture by the Sea

Things to do in Sydney this week

Wondering what to do across Sydney? Our list will guide you in the right direction

Avril Treasure
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Keen for a fun week? Let's dive right in.

If there’s one thing you do this week, I reckon it should be to see La Ronde at The Grand Electric in Redfern. I went last week and was captivated from the get-go. Part circus, part comedy show, and 100 per cent a dazzling good night out. I promise you’ll love it. Find out more here.

Refettorio in Surry Hills – a social impact project run by the OzHarvest legends – is hosting a one-day art show on Friday, October 31. See 30 beautiful works by UK artist Jules Forth called Simple Food Matters – created exclusively for Refettorio – and enjoy complimentary snacks and non-boozy sips. All proceeds from sales will be donated to OzHarvest to help those in need. Find out more here.

Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi – the world’s largest annual free-to-the-public outdoor sculpture exhibition – is back. The beautiful coastal walk is made even more striking thanks to 100+ sculptures by artists from Australia and around the world along a 2km stretch. The exhibition runs until Monday, November 3. BYO runners.

If you’re in need of a laugh, The Comedy Store runs comedy shows every week, Thursday to Sunday – and tickets are cheap. It’s a great date night idea, too.

Sydney Open – an incredible one-day annual celebration of the city’s architecture and design – is back on Sunday, November 2. This year marks its 21st anniversary, with 55 buildings ready to be explored, many of which are rarely open to the public. Plus, there’ll be talks and guided tours. Book your pass and find out more here.

Grab your boots – Virginia Gay stars as a frontier heroine in Calamity Jane, the brilliant cult classic, now on at the Opera House. Plus, the fabulous Rent and Back to the Future: The Musical, are still here – but not for long. Keen for more razzle-dazzle? You can check out our full guide to all the shows on in Sydney here.

Hungry? Work your way through our guide to the best affordable eats. Got a special occasion coming up? Here’s our guide to Sydney’s best restaurants (or check out the top new restaurants here). Thirsty? Don’t miss our guide to Sydney’s best bars here.

Plus, take a dip at one of Sydney’s best beaches, get your sweat on with a pretty bushwalk, or pack drinks and snacks and throw out a rug at one of our fave picnic spots.

Scroll on for our full list of the best things to do in Sydney this week.


Mapping out your weekend? These are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend.

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The best things to do in Sydney

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Sydney
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...
  • Things to do
  • Sydney
There’s always a lot going on at Sydney’s favourite house. So much so that it can be hard to keep track – with new headliners dropping every other week, and huge events taking over the various venues seemingly out of nowhere.  Keen to go to a show under the sails over the next few months? We’ve rounded up a few top picks in the Sydney Opera House winter to spring season:  Badu Gili: Healing Spirit, a stunning illumination of the sails This dynamic projection will light up the Eastern Bennelong sails with First Nations artwork five times a night, every night until Friday, December 12.Dates: DailyTickets: Free Backstage tours, a peek behind the curtain Explore the inner workings of Australia's most famous buildings on one of these expert-led tours. Dates: DailyTickets: From $48 On The Steps, open-air summer shows The magical On The Steps open-air performance program is set to bring 50,000 music lovers to the Opera House forecourt for two magical weeks this summer. Highlights from this year’s line-up include Franz Ferdinand, Loyle Carner, Parcels and Boy & Bear. Dates: From December 2 - December 15Tickets: From $81.50 Gatsby at the Green Light, Martini-fuelled cabaret Back by popular demand, Gatsby at The Green Light is as close as you’ll come to West Egg without leaving the country. The raucous interactive show will transform the Studio into a 1920s inspired nightclub once again, complete with fully functional bar. Think of this production as a sort of live concept album –...
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  • Things to do
  • Fairs and festivals
  • Moore Park
Spooky season is creeping up – but if planning costumes, decorations and kid-friendly scares feels more like a nightmare than a treat, we’ve got good news. Halloween Family Fest is swooping into the Entertainment Quarter this October, packing all the Halloween chaos into one jam-packed, family-friendly event. All you need? A hot little ticket (that also happens to be very affordable). The family-friendly affair is a Halloween extravaganza to say the least. Think a trick-or-treat trail, monster mash disco, reptile shows, rides, games, showbags, an outdoor cinema and more. General entry tickets are just $10 and include access to the outdoor cinema which will be screening the original Ghostbusters, the chance to hold some slippery scaly reptiles at the reptile show and a groovin’ time at the monster mash disco. Upgrade your pass for $15 and kids will get a go on the big inflatable pumpkin bounce, plus get a bucket to secure all the treats they get at different stations like the Lil Spooks Graveyard and the Witches Den.  Kids got some energy they need to burn? Now’s the perfect time to hop to the Monster Jump or Monster Sports Jam – an eye-boggling inflatable obstacle course. It’s included in the unlimited rider wristband alongside the giant slide, tea cups, and more.   You can find Halloween Family Fest at the Entertainment Quarter from Friday October 31 to Sunday November 2. Find out more about and book your tickets online now.
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  • Musicals
  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Nearly 30 years after it burst onto Broadway, Rent remains a landmark. It won four Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, but its true legacy lies in how it blew open Broadway’s doors to the misfits, bringing ’90s rock, raw emotion and the gritty diversity of real New York life to the stage. It didn’t just reflect a generation, it shaped one. For theatre kids like me, Jonathan Larson’s words were the ones we belted backstage and found ourselves in. And it wasn’t just us, Rent inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to write In the Heights and paved the way for the Glee generation: a wave of fans and artists who saw musical theatre as urgent, inclusive and unapologetically cool. Now, Opera Australia is reigniting that spark for a new generation with a bold, heart-filled production. What’s the premise of Rent? Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent follows a group of seven struggling young artists and friends trying to survive and create in New York City’s Lower East Side during the late 1980s. As the AIDS epidemic spreads and claims lives around them, they grapple with love, illness, addiction and the looming threat of eviction. At the same time, they face a growing disillusionment with capitalism and the gentrification rapidly reshaping their neighbourhood. Who makes up the cast of Rent? As in Puccini’s La Bohème, the inspiration behind Rent, the story begins with two friends: Mark (Henry Rollo, Rocky Horror Show), a struggling documentary filmmaker, and Roger (Harry Targett, Dear Evan...
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  • Cocktail bars
  • Sydney
Most people know a Suntory beverage. Maybe it’s the mega popular Minus 196 cans, the ultimate to-go Boss Coffee, the refined Roku Gin or premium Japanese whiskies. What we guarantee you *don’t* know is just how many popular labels it owns: think everything from Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark to Canadian Club. And now, you can experience more than 125 years of Suntory’s history and innovation all in one place – for the next three months. Say hello to Sydney’s new Suntory Bar. The Japanese spirit company has chosen the city’s only Japanese culture and dining precinct, Prefecture 48 on Sussex Street, as host for the residency. The moody Whisky Thief bar with gorgeous historic artwork and marbletop counters is the place to be when you clock off. Choose between timeless highballs, signature serves, special cocktails, RTDs, The Premium Malt beer and whisky flights crafted by the team at Prefecture 48 in collaboration with Suntory.  The must-try tipple of the affair is the Highball. While it’ll be dished up with a range of Suntory whiskies (it’s what Suntory’s known for in Japan), we say try the spotlight cocktail, the Hakushu Highball, first. Not only is it a refreshing mix of Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve, soda and mint, but it’s been paired with an exclusive snack from the genius Michelin Star chef Tetsuya Wakuda (you know, from *the* Tetsuya’s). Now’s the chance to sample Wakuda’s cuisine since his eminent Sydney restaurant closed last year – that’s a golden opportunity if we ever...
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  • Things to do
  • Fairs and festivals
As the weather warms up, the spontaneous afternoon tipples, Sunday wine sessions, and boozy alfresco lunches start to make a welcome comeback. And if your wine rack is ready for a refresh, we’ve got just the thing. This spring, the beloved Orange Wine Festival returns to Australia’s cool-climate gem, the Orange Wine Region. It’s your chance to discover new favourites, meet the makers, and soak up the sunny weather – one glass at a time. With nearly 40 unique events hosted by the region’s passionate vignerons and winemakers, the festival promises a flavour-packed journey through one of Australia’s most exciting wine destinations. Whether you're strolling through sun-dappled gardens, tasting straight from the barrel, or indulging in curated menus paired with local wines, there’s something for every palate.  The festivities begin with the Orange Wine Festival Night Market, a twilight event where guests can sip and stroll beneath the stars, sampling local drops and gourmet bites. Then, on October 24, the second weekend brings the highly anticipated Sip & Savour, hailed as the ultimate wine tasting experience. Think speed dating, but with wine, and minus the awkward small talk. Instead, ticket holders are “matched” with over 300 award-winning wines from the 2025 Orange Wine Show. By the end of the night, you’re bound to have found the perfect wine to add to your rack.  If you’re craving something even more intimate, take a private guided winery garden walk or dine with the...
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  • Musicals
  • Haymarket
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
As I’m on my way to Sydney's Capitol Theatre for the new Australian production of The Book of Mormon, my friend tells me it’s the very first musical a lot of people see. Created by South Park duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone (with Robert Lopez), the show’s reputation for extremely irreverent jabs at religion draws a non-traditional theatre crowd. What I now realise my friend didn’t mean was, “it’s often the first musical kids see”. When I say the musical is extremely irreverent, I mean it. The humour is crass, verging on grotesque (some things I wouldn’t dare repeat). So it’s probably questionable that I’ve brought along my 13-year-old son with me. That said, he loves it.  Some of the humour is classic teen boy (i.e. a regular exclamation from one of the Ugandan characters that he has “maggots in my scrotum”). Very South Park. My son laughs loudly with the rest of the audience – and when the jokes go too far, he cringes, glancing around with a “should I be laughing at this?” look. Although the shock value is high, it’s nice seeing a Gen Alpha-ite who’s been raised on Youtube and other screen-based entertainment bopping along in his seat to the song and dance of a stage show.    What’s the premise of The Book of Mormon? The Book of Mormon tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a small village in Uganda. Although the story centres on Mormonism, Parker and Stone have been known to refer to the show as an “atheist’s love letter to religion” – a wink and a jab...
  • Musicals
  • Sydney
  • price 2 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Most of us know and love the whip-crackin’, brown-leather-pants-wearing character of Calamity Jane from her appearance in the 1953 movie musical of the same name starring Doris Day. This version of her sings like a Disney princess and has perfectly coiffed blonde hair, which is somewhat unrealistic for a woman who dressed in soldier’s uniforms in the 1880s, took responsibility for her six younger siblings, and could outshoot, outdrink and outswear any other man in her hometown of Deadwood, USA. Beloved Australian actor Virginia Gay’s interpretation of the famous Calamity irreverently, lovingly muddies up the too-perfect-movie-musical-version in a brand-new production that is positively stuffed with theatrical treats, now showing at the Opera House. It’s grimy, it’s silly, and the fourth wall is nowhere to be found. It’s also the biggest production since the original staging of this idea, which debuted in 2017 as part of the Neglected Musicals program at Hayes Theatre Co transforming Sydney Opera House’s studio theatre into a grand version of Deadwood’s Golden Garter saloon and theatre. The premise of Calamity Jane is this: Calamity is an unruly local of small-town Deadwood who rides with “Wild” Bill Hickok, and has a hopeless crush on second lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (despite her otherwise masculine appearance, Calamity is still very much a little emotional girl at heart). When the local theatre owner fails to secure a beautiful actress from New York, Calamity vows to...
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  • Art
  • Sculpture and installations
  • Bondi
Springtime in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs is marked every year by the heady scent of jasmine lacing the air, and gridlock on the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk. The reason for the uptick in coastal walkers? Sculpture by the Sea: the world’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibition, which will light up the iconic coastal corner of the city until Monday, November 3. Stretching along the clifftop path from Bondi to Tamarama, the 27th edition features more than 90 sculptures from artists across 13 countries – including Japan, Denmark, China and India – and promises a spectacle of creativity set against those unbeatable ocean views. This year, 36 artists are exhibiting for the first time, with 64 Aussie artists on the line-up – reaffirming the event’s reputation as both a global showcase and a proud celebration of homegrown talent. The standout pieces this year include Siren’s Song by James Rogers (a conceptual piece which won the $70,000 Aqualand Sculpture Award), i by WA artist Jina Lee (which won the Waverley Council Mayor’s Award) and Splotcher by Archibald-winning artist Tim Storried AM. In a special milestone, Japanese artist Keizo Ushio is celebrating his 25th consecutive Sculpture by the Sea exhibition – a feat that places him firmly in the event’s Double Decade Club, alongside six other long-serving artists including Ron Gomboc, Stephen King and Philip Spelman. Two more Japanese artists, Koichi Ogino and Haruyuki Uchida, join the 'Decade Club' this year for their tenth...
  • Cinemas
  • Barangaroo
Barangaroo’s beloved Marrinawi Cove might be closed for renovations, but there’s another reason to head down to Barangaroo Reserve this springtime. For the very first time, the foreshore park will transform into a free outdoor cinema, and the program – curated by Winda Film Festival – is an incredible celebration of First Nations storytelling. Running every Thursday from October 2 through November 20, the eight-week season will bring together emerging Indigenous filmmakers from Australia and beyond, with movies spanning everything from psychological horror to uplifting adventures. You’ll catch homegrown features like The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson (a fiery reimagining of survival in the Snowies), Sweet As (the groundbreaking WA feature helmed by Nyul Nyul/Yawuru director Jub Clerc), and Jon Bell’s hotly anticipated chiller The Moogai. The program also dips into the international circuit with BATI, Sweet Summer Pow Wow and Koka. In true storyteller fashion, directors themselves will be on hand to introduce their works – expect to see Leah Purcell, Andrew Ponton, Darrell Dennis and Kath Akyhata-Brown among others on site at the screenings.  Walumil Lawn, fittingly known in the local Dhurung language as Yellamundie Ngurang (“Storyteller Place”), will set the stage. And thanks to support from Placemaking NSW, the event series is completely free. All you need to do is head down to the water, and roll out a picnic rug under the stars. There’ll be food and drinks...
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