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Sydney Royal Easter Show
Photograph: Supplied | Sydney Royal Easter Show

40 things to do in Sydney this weekend

All the best ways to make the most of your Friday to Monday

Winnie Stubbs
Edited by
Winnie Stubbs
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If you’re keen to escape the city this long weekend but haven’t quite got around to planning, our travel guides should help. Head to one of the best weekend getaways close to Sydney, pack the tent and check out one of the best camping spots in NSW, or try your luck at one of the best glamping sites in the state. If you’re heading to Newcastle, you’ll catch the opening weekend of Newcastle Food Month, and if your travels take you inland, you could swing by Alive Garden Party for a symphonic day in the Southern Highlands. Rather stay in town? We don’t blame you. Sydney is giving big country-town energy this weekend, with a family show popping up at The Entertainment Quarter, the Royal Easter Show taking over Sydney Showground, and an exceptional line-up of markets bringing local producers, makers and fresh food enthusiasts all together in one place. If you find yourself with a free day, check out the Biennale, then head to one of Sydney's best beer gardens for schooner in the sun; and raise a glass to the long weekend.

Want a quiet spot to swim? Check out Sydney's best secret swimming spots.

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The best things to do this weekend

  • Things to do
  • Food and drink
  • Lakemba

For people of Islamic faith, Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year. During this time, Muslim folks fast from dawn to dusk. But once the sun sets, iftar begins – a fast-breaking feast that runs late into the night and where family and friends gather to enjoy an array of rich treats and moreish morsels. To coincide with this time of year, Sydney’s popular month-long celebration Ramadan Nights Lakemba is returning, kicking off on Saturday, March 9 and running until Monday, April 8 2024. What time does Lakemba Night Markets open and close? From 5pm until 3am every evening, more than 70 local businesses will transform Lakemba’s Haldon Street into a vibrant, global food bazaar with traditional cuisine from Indonesia, Burma, Pakistan, Lebanon, the Cocos Islands, Syria and more. It’s not only Sydney’s Muslim communities that comes together during Ramadan Nights – people of all backgrounds are welcome to flock to sample the fare of pop-up kitchens lining Haldon Street and Railway Parade. Last year saw 1.4 million people experience the celebrations, with organisers saying this year is going to be even bigger and better than ever.  What started as a single street barbeque back in 2012, Ramadan Nights Lakemba is now considered by many to be one of Australia's best places to celebrate the ancient tradition. What kind of food will there be? Break fast with with roti and gentle lentil curries from the Cocos Islands; Malaysia's famously buttery grilled pastry parcels, murtabak; and

  • Art
  • price 0 of 4
  • Sydney

Are you ready to chase artistic escapades around the city? The Biennale of Sydney is back for its 24th edition from March 9 to June 10, 2024. Whether you’re a dedicated arts fanatic or a casual culture buff, you’ll find something to inspire and provoke you along this epic art trail. The largest contemporary art event of its kind in Australia, the Biennale is taking over six different locations with awe-inspiring installations and intriguing exhibitions. Titled Ten Thousand Suns, this year the festival explores a multiplicity of global cultures, taking on a transgressive spirit as it leans into the origins of Carnivale. As always, the Biennale is free for everyone to visit for a total of 16 weeks.   Of all the locations, White Bay Power Station is absolutely the main character of the Biennale’s 50th year anniversary (and 24th iteration – it takes place every second year). This is the first time the revitalised industrial site will officially open its doors to the public in more than 100 years – and what they’ve accomplished is pretty spectacular. Years of accumulated pigeon poop has been cleared out of the enormous factory spaces, making way for art installations that tower multiple storeys high, and more works hidden in various nooks and crannies. Pop-up bars and brand new bathrooms also set the stage for a packed program of live performances and music curated by Phoenix Central Park. Think of White Bay as a replacement for the role that Cockatoo Island has played in Sydney’s

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  • Things to do
  • Walks and tours
  • Sydney

Even for born-and-bred Sydneysiders, the opportunity to explore a completely empty Opera House doesn’t come around every day. On this one hour tour though, you’ll get incredible access to (almost) every corner of our city’s most famous building. You’ll get the chance to explore all of the theatres (providing there isn’t a show in session) – from the majestic Concert Hall to the quaint Drama Theatre. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a sneak peek of a rehearsal.  Walk along the outside of the Opera House, past roped off areas, and learn everything there is to know about Sydney’s famous house of art and culture. Find out where the materials to build the Opera House came from and run your hands along a few of the million white ceramic tiles that make up the glistening exterior. For those more interested in diving into a specific area of the phenomenal building, be that the food, architecture or behind the scenes, a range of speciality tours are on offer. Head straight from the tour to lunch at Opera Bar or House Canteen with the daily Tour and Dine, or for something more elevated you can book in Taste of the House which runs on the last Sunday of the month and takes you on the ultimate Opera House dining experience. Starting off at Opera Bar, you’ll stop in at House Canteen and Midden before ending at the five star fine dining restaurant Bennelong.  Get in early on Saturday mornings for an architectural tour when you can discover what inspired the Danish architect Jorn Utzon to e

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  • Art
  • Street art
  • Sydney

Sydney’s summer of blockbuster exhibitions is about to get a whole lot bigger from January 24, when the highly-anticipated Banksy exhibition will open in Sydney Town Hall. The Art of Banksy: Without Limits has already wowed more than 100,000 people across the nation, with its impressive collection of works by the famously anonymous king/queen of street art. We're the third lucky Australian city to host this mammoth exhibition, which arrives fresh off the back of successful runs in Brisbane and Adelaide. Before landing Down Under, it toured across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States, where it attracted more than 1.6 million visitors.  The Art of Banksy: Without Limits Sydney edition will feature more than 150 of the artist’s works, including certified originals – like ‘Flower Thrower’, ‘Rude Copper’ and, of course, ‘Girl with Balloon’. Visitors – along with murals, sculptures, photos and mapping shows (in plain speak: images or animations projected onto irregularly shaped surfaces).  The exhibition is famed for creating several custom-built experiential installations that fit the venue of each location and in Sydney, visitors can explore an ‘Infinity Room’ of mirrors, a simulation of ‘Dismaland Bemusement Park’ (for those who’ve never heard of it, it’s a dark and twisted theme park that was created by Banksy in 2015), and a ‘Murals’ room that houses seven new murals Banksy created in war-torn Ukraine. There’s even a space dedicated to former the MV Louise Mic

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theatre
  • Musicals
  • Darling Harbour

This is it, we have found the yassification of Shakespeare. Fuelled by a playlist of certified pop hits, this jukebox romp billed as “the greatest love story ever remixed” poses a simple but provocative question: What if, instead of joining Romeo in eternal slumber, Juliet decided to live? A contagiously joyous musical spectacular, & Juliet has finally landed at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre after being met with critical acclaim on Broadway and the West End, not to mention the rapturously received Australian debut in Melbourne.  Filled with sing-a-long-able chart-topping bangers made famous by the likes of Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry and more from the songbook of Grammy-winning Swedish songwriter/producer Max Martin, the Aussie cast is overflowing with talent in this feel-good, flashy production. & Juliet is Shakespeare remixed for the girls, the gays and the theys... [but does it] really cut it as the feminist reclamation that we are promised? Will you be entertained? Absolutely. Does & Juliet set a new standard for jukebox musicals? Yes. Will you see one of the most diverse and charismatic casts of triple-threats ever assembled on an Australian stage? Heck yeah. Does the story deliver on the feminist retribution we are promised? Not quite. “What if Juliet didn’t kill herself?” Anne Hathaway (played by the enthralling Amy Lehpamer) posits to her husband, William Shakespeare (the ever-charming Rob Mills). “She’s only ever had one boyfriend, and frankly, the endi

  • Things to do
  • Fairs and festivals
  • Moore Park

The great-value Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Show is returning this autumn at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, set to keep both the little – and not-so-little – kids entertained while creating treasured memories. This year, the festivities kick off on Saturday, March 23 and will run to Monday, April 1. The jam-packed program features everything from a bunny hopping competition on Good Friday to high-energy motorcycle and bike stunt shows, carnival-style games and a carousel the whole family can enjoy. There will also be an adrenaline-pumping obstacle course, dodgem cars, a thrilling reptile show where you can get up close with snakes and crocs, an exhilarating pig race, and an animal nursery with cuddly ducklings, chicks, lambs, goats and piglets. Of course, there will be showbags galore too.  Be sure to go for a wander through the Easter Basket Zone and stock up on some treats. Animal lovers will be pleased to know that Dogs in the Park, a local not-for-profit determined to bring dog owners together, is returning on March 24, with market stalls (selling treats, accessories and personalised pooch ribbons), competitions and demonstrations.  Entry tickets to the Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Show cost $15 for children, $30 for adults or $70 for a family of four. To wander through the Easter Basket Zone, you’ll be set back $12. All of the fab shows, animal displays and demos are free with admission, but showbags, rides and games are paid for separately. The

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  • Museums
  • Science
  • Darling Harbour

Discover the hidden marvels of marine life and the remarkable woman who paved the way to better understanding marine conservation at Valerie Taylor: An Underwater Life. This free homegrown exhibition is more than just a tribute to one of the world’s most celebrated underwater storytellers, shark researchers and conservationists. It’s a call to action for all environmental enthusiasts and future changemakers to protect our beautiful oceans, their animals and their habitats from further threat. Dive straight into 60 years worth of stories as told through objects and ephemera donated by Valerie and her husband Ron Taylor, including cameras and underwater housings, Valerie’s iconic blue fins and dive suits, and the stainless-steel chainmail suit she wore to get up close and personal with sharks. You can also admire Hollywood movie posters from the past fifty years, including Jaws and The Island of Dr Moreau, plus more than 500 images from the Maritime Museum’s collection of animals, people and places now under threat.   Valerie Taylor: An Underwater Life is one of the headline exhibitions in the Maritime Museum’s summer program and will run until August 31, 2024. Be sure to catch the other special exhibitions while you’re there including Ocean Photographer of the Year. For more information on the exhibition head here. 

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theatre
  • Musicals
  • Elizabeth Bay

Zombies are everywhere in our collective bra(aaa)ins. There are the original mindless brain-eaters of Dawn of the Dead, dancing Michael Jackson zombies in ‘Thriller’, speedy zombies in 28 Days Later, silly zombies in Shaun of the Dead, rom-com zombies in Warm Bodies, family sitcom zombies in Santa Clarita Diet, and for the employment law nerds, there are even zombie agreements reaching from beyond their pre-2010 grave.  Known for their pulpy gruesomeness and strange social satire, zombie films also have a reputation for being made on shoestring budgets and garnering devoted cult followings – just like a lot of live theatre. So it only makes sense that the next musical from writer/composer Laura Murphy (The Lovers, and “Australia’s Hamilton” The Dismissal) features singing, dancing, and manipulative zombies. Zombie! isn’t all silliness. Murphy brings the leading ladies together in their pursuit of something more – meatier parts for women in musicals... Much like its predecessors, this musical is veritably stuffed with meta-musical-theatre references, camp (gory) goodness, and genre-bending tunes that crawl right into your heart. Murphy’s triple-threat zombies also have something to say about “girl power” in musicals, and the never-ending fight to see three dimensional women on Broadway stages. While we would like to see these arguments for dealing with sexism more fully fleshed out, Zombie! The Musical is host to an exciting premise (healing viruses through the magic of music

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  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theatre
  • Drama
  • Sydney

One of the most talked about performances to hit the Sydney stage in recent years is back. Local legend Heather Mitchell is donning the robes again to embody the late, great feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG: Of Many, One – a powerful one-woman show penned by Suzie Miller, the lawyer-turned-playwright behind international smash-hit Prima Facie (and more recently, Jailbaby at Griffin). Sydney Theatre Company is bringing this impactful play to the Drama Theatre at the Sydney Opera House from February 9 to March 30, kicking off an extensive national tour including seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. Read on for our review from the Australian premiere... What does it take to stand firm in a rushing tide? One that suddenly comes not just from the expected direction, but from all of them, buffeting a woman from side to side?  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the great legal mind, feminist, and later, improbably, the pop culture darling, would know better than most. And RBG: Of Many, One, written by Suzie Miller (of Prima Facie fame) and directed by Priscilla Jackman (White Pearl) tries to trace that journey, and let the audience feel the rush of all those tides.  So how did Heather Mitchell, the actress known for her screen appearance in Binge’s Love Me, and previously, for playing prominent transgender writer and former Australian Defence Force officer Catherine McGregor in the 2018 STC play Still Point Turning: The Catherine McGregor Story, find it within herself to embody an

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Theatre
  • Musicals
  • Sydney

Whether arriving via a luxurious water taxi or taking a leisurely stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens, the journey to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is as picturesque as the setting itself. Each year, a vibrant theatrical hub emerges, complete with a five-storey pop-up bar and dining venue with a variety of offerings, ranging from cheerful pizzas, hotdogs and pies to decadent three-course feasts. This annual event embodies the very essence of spectacle, and this year's performance of West Side Story (which makes an anticipated return to Mrs Macquries Chair after its 2019 debut) wows us while compelling us to wrestle with the stark relevance of its themes, both to Australia’s own history and the turf wars at play globally. Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical masterpiece West Side Story debuted on Broadway in 1957 and most recently got the Hollywood treatment by Steven Speilberg, to seven Oscar nominations. It’s a modern take on Shakepeare’s well-known tale of star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, set in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City, during the 1950s. The Jets, a gang of All-American boys, are in a turf war with the Sharks, the new Puerto Rican immigrants on the block. When Maria (Nina Korbe) – the sister of the Sharks’ leader, Bernardo (Manuel Stark Santos) – and Tony (Billy Bourchier), a former Jet, lock eyes at the local dance, the rivalries escalate. You might assume that the open-air ambiance would diminish the impact of the ove

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