Things to do in Sydney this week

If you’ve ever heard talk of secret tunnels and winding labyrinths from World War II that lie forgotten beneath Sydney city, you’re not alone. Well, it turns out, the rumours are true. And the best bit? Finally, we are allowed to see them with our own eyes. Better yet – they’re going to be filled with a wild light show, laser beams and robots. Yes. This is real life.  The entrance to this secret tunnel is hidden in plain sight in one of Sydney’s busiest train station thoroughfares. If you’ve ever grabbed something from the Wynyard Coles, you may not have ever paid too much attention to the emergency access door that’s situated right next to it. Unbeknownst to most of us, this nondescript door has long been the entrance to a series of secret tunnels that lie beneath Wynyard Station. For the last century, these tunnels were the abandoned relics of a city engineer’s grand plans to build a train line between Mosman and the Northern Beaches, but (as it is with many things), this plan fell to the wayside, and into decades of obscurity.  Now, in a move that’s been in the works for a long, long time, ‘Dark Spectrum’ will be taking over this historical subterranean network during Vivid, 2023.  Kicking off on May 26, and running until July 16, this wild and immersive light show will take visitors through 900 metres of the tunnel system, where they will be taken through eight underground rooms that will each be decked out in a vibrant variety of lights, robots, animations and laser show

If you’re like us, one of your big-ticket bucket list items is getting to see the Northern Lights in real life. The ethereal majesty of the Aurora Borealis has enchanted millions of people for centuries, but for all of us in Sydney, the thought of seeing them dancing above us has been nothing more than the stuff of fantasy – as well as one seriously hefty plane ticket.   That is, until now.  This May, Sydneysiders can travel into the deep, southern wilderness of Bowral (move over, Arctic Circle), where they will get the chance to experience a human-made rendition of the Aurora Borealis, with all the vibrant majesty hidden deep within a dark vineyard. Who needs glaciers anyway?  ‘Borealis’ is an immersive outdoor light-show experience designed by Switzerland-based artist Dan Archer. Combining cutting-edge tech with whimsical art, this is an ethereal light show full of vivid colour and shimmering movement that is made to transport everyone who watches it away to a snowy peak in the middle of a polar night.  Unlike the real deal, the Bowral ‘Borealis’ will not subject you to sub-zero conditions or potentially unsatisfactory visuals. While the legit version can be hit or miss (the brightest colours we see are picked up by cameras, rather than the naked human eye), this one is not, with you guaranteed to find yourself in a brilliant immersive experience full of rainbow colours and popping light. Also unlike the experience you’d get in an isolated frozen part of the world, this sho

It is a fact universally acknowledged that Vivid Sydney is a spectacular affair. And this year, it’s promising to be bigger, better and far more spectacular than ever.  Check out our handy guide to everything you need to know about Vivid, here. With more than 60 different light attractions, glowing spectacles, huge immersive installations and countless experiences on the menu, there’s only one way you can guarantee yourself that you’ll see it all – the Vivid Light Walk. Running from May 26 to June 17, this year’s Light Walk will include a gorgeous variety of  free and ticketed artworks and immersive experiences that all deserve a look in.  This year’s track will span a hefty 8.5 kilometres, and can be tackled over the span of one night if you’re feeling very strong and adventurous. If you’re not, just do part of it, and remember that you can stop for food, drink and ticketed events along the way. Really, it’s all in your hands.  If you like to keep it classic, kick off at Circular Quay. The epicentre of all Vivid shenanigans, you will get to walk through a cube made of double mirrors, gaze at a nebulous network of LED lights under Circular Quay station, and be awed by the gigantic Inside Out – a textile light show inspired by three decades of Aussie décor, fashion and style. After you leave the Quay, head to the MCA lawn to see Barerarerungar transform the museum’s front facade, then over to Dawes Point to see the Lighting of the Sails on the Opera House’s wings. After that,

Grab the popcorn – Sydney Film Festival (SFF) has finally dropped its full 70th anniversary program. With more than 230 films from 67 countries including 37 world premieres and 123 Australian premieres, there’s surely something to excite film fans of all candy-stripes. A day ahead of the festival opening on June 7, SFF has sweetened the deal, announing nine new films that will make their Australian premiere. This includes 2023 Palme d’Or award winner Anatomy of a Fall, Sundance 2023 winner The Persian Version, Todd Haynes’ May December, a playful exploration of an American scandal starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, and, direct from Cannes Competition 2023, Club Zero starring Mia Wasikowska as a teacher leading a conscious eating movement at a boarding school. RECOMMENDED: The most unmissable movies at Sydney Film Festival (according to the festival director) The 2023 Festival opens with the Australian Premiere of The New Boy, a captivating new film by Cannes Caméra d'Or winning Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton, and produced by Dirty Films and Scarlett Pictures. The Cannes-selected feature tells a story of spirituality and survival set in 1940s Australia, starring Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and newcomer Aswan Reid. Director Warwick Thornton and producer Kath Shelper will attend opening night to present their film. The bumper line-up also features the Australian premieres of new films including Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City; Celine Song’s highly

What if we told you that a women-only pop-up strip club is dropping in Marrickville for one night only, and if you’re a lady, you’re invited? Well, that’s exactly what we’re telling you. Now, listen up.  Strip Her: The Pop Up is a sensual show with a twist. Instead of going to see a strip show as a voyeur, everyone that rocks up to this event will actually become the show instead. Before you worry, there’s absolutely nothing sleazy or sordid about this, and it’s designed with utmost inclusivity at heart, meaning that regardless of your sexual orientation, you’re welcome to come through and get down in a supportive space that’s built on powering up your individual sensuality.  This is all the brainchild of Caitlin Erica, a stripper, birth doula and teacher who works to help women let go of internalised shame and step into their full "divine feminine power" in safe spaces that entirely support them. The night will flow along these exact lines, with participants invited to express their sensuality for nobody except themselves.  This show is a bit of a revolutionary concept, with the stage open to any woman willing to strip down in a free-flowing dance that’s premised on you having as much fun as possible. The event creators seem very keen on labelling this as a ‘safe space’, which we reckon is a green flag for something that obviously has the potential to be pretty scary for those who aren’t used to it.  Acknowledging that a lot of women will be feeling like a bundle of nerves u

It’s 1911. Five men trudge through a neverending barrage of snow and ice. All around them is more and more ice, unfathomably large blocks of it, and before them, they see nothing but whiteness. Only, are they actually battling a literal tundra?  Are they actually brave Antarctic explorers, or are they dealing with something else entirely? Regardless, they look a little worse for wear, their feet hurt, they don’t know where they are, and they would much rather be inside. Written by Patricia Cornelius (Shit, Love and Runt) in 2006, and finally making its mainstage debut with Sydney Theatre Company, Do Not Go Gentle follows these five “explorers” through a somewhat real and somewhat imagined journey to the South Pole. Captain Robert Falcon Scott (Philip Quast) leads his motley crew – the outspoken but rickety Evans (Peter Carroll), the navigator who can’t remember who or where she is (Brigid Zengeni), the grumpy, grieving Oates (John Gaden) and the ever-optimistic pocket rocket Wilson (Vanessa Downing). Patricia Cornelius’ sense of humour and place demands your full attention... This is the kind of play that seeps into your bones like the cold. Charles Davis’ incredible set features hills of ice, scattering snow, and a central window of a platform that at first slides open to reveal the freezing blue sky that the explorers leave behind them, and later, glimpses of reality outside the Antarctic. Davis’ brilliant costumes work as hard as the set does – Marilyn Richardson plays Mar

If you’ve ever wanted to submerge yourself in another (considerably more frightening) world of plane crashes and ghostly séances, look no further. After a long time away, the terrifyingly brilliant alt-universe of Darkfield has finally made its grandiose return to Sydney – and boy, are we shivering in our wee little boots already.  Over 15,000 people have flocked to the experience already, causing most sessions to sell out. So due to popular demand, the season has been extended through to July 2. Darkfield is an experience that straddles technology, theatre and horror movies, with punters made to sit inside a tiny space in total darkness while an immersive audio experience (through headphones, shall we add) takes them far, far away to a scary someplace else. Séance and Flight are the two wild experiences that Sydneysiders have the chance to sit in on, and each of them brings their own individual brand of eeriness for those willing to take the ride. Designed by UK-based creative directors Glen Neath and David Rosenberg, these experiences go down in specially-made shipping containers that are temporarily popping-up outside the Powerhouse Museum. We went down to see what all the fuss is about, read on for our reviews: Séance  Darkfield’s set-up outside the Powerhouse Museum may appear unassuming, but the extraordinarily dark interior provokes more than enough of the unease necessary for a premium immersive horror experience. Believe me when I say that the interior of the shippin

A brand spanking new food and wine festival is going down as part of Vivid Sydney this year – and you are not going to want to miss it. Created by P&V co-owner and booze legend Mike Bennie, Chat Thai’s Palisa Anderson, and Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary’s, Here Now is a celebration of all the good things in life – food, drinks, music and art. Here Now is happening on Sunday, June 11, from 3-9pm at Macquarie Place Park (that little sliver of green space behind Circular Quay that Mary's CQ backs on to). The full-to-the-brim line-up will see Sydney’s top restaurants and chefs, alongside winemakers, brewers, distillers and producers from around NSW come together for one mighty day. The chefs have created three snacks each for the festival, so you can gobble your way around yumtown and try them all (or, as many as the tightness of your pants will allow). Highlights include plates from Bar Copain’s Morgan McGlone; Viand’s Annita Potter; Icebergs head chef Alex Prichard; Taiwanese chef Jowett Yu (formerly Ms G’s, Mr Wong); Berowra Waters Inn pastry chef Lauren Eldridge; Josh Lewis and Astrid McCormack from stellar regional restaurants Fleet and La Casita; Porcine’s Nicholas Hill; and Coyoacan Social, Kabul Social and Colombo Social founder Shaun Christie-David. You’ll also be able to get your hands on dishes from Chat Thai, and fried chicken burgers from Mary’s. Plus, sustainable food producers from all around the state will be there to chat about their practices and produce. T

If there’s ever a time to be in the city, it’s during the spectacular Vivid Sydney festival. Our city’s famous landmarks – from the Harbour Bridge to the Opera House and Botanic Gardens – transform into a kaleidoscope of colour and lights that draws crowds from across the globe. The Rocks’ multi-award-winning Grain is joining the festivities with the Grain Glow Party every Friday and Saturday night during Vivid from May 26 to June 17.  Perched above Sydney’s sparkling Circular Quay, Grain Bar will illuminate from the inside out with neon lights, pumping tunes and glowing face paint. Drop by anytime from 7.30-11.30pm and dance the night away to groovy beats from the bar’s neon DJ.  Scavenging through the amazing installations at Vivid Sydney is thirsty work, so Grain’s cocktail experts will be mixing drinks inspired by the lights and creativity of the festival including a glowing Black Light Gimlet with gin, lemon and soda. They’ll also have luminating bottles of Champagne from Moët Hennessy and Dom Pérignon to add a sparkling touch to your night. Escape the winter chill at the Grain Glow Party before, after or during your Vivid walk every Friday and Saturday during the festival. Find out more here.

It’s the face that stops the nation. Australia’s favourite portrait prize is back for 2023, and as always it's a delight to see which famous faces have made it into the mix of painterly interpretations. This year, 949 paintings were submitted, and you can now peruse the 57 finalists at the Art Gallery of NSW from May 6 to September 3, after which they’ll ship off around the country. So who took out the top gong? Sydney-based artist Julia Gutman has won the Archibald Prize 2023, taking home $100,000 for her portrait ‘Head in the sky, feet on the ground’ of singer-songwriter Montaigne. The 29-year-old first-time Archie finalist is one of the youngest winners in the 102-year history of the prize. Gutman’s win also marks the 13th time the Archibald Prize has been awarded to a woman (the 11th woman to win) since it began in 1921. Gutman is a multi-disciplinary artist who reuses found textiles to produce painted ‘patchworks’ that merge personal and collective histories to explore themes of femininity, intimacy and memory. “Like many contemporary artists, Julia is interested in the expanded field of painting,” said Art Gallery of NSW director Michael Brand. “In this remarkable tender portrait of a young musician who is making her way in a tough business, we see an intimacy and vulnerability that is truly compelling. I congratulate Julia on creating this magnificently worthy winner.” Montaigne is the first female musician to be the subject of an Archibald Prize winning portrait. The