Things to do in Sydney today

For a few special days every year, Sydney comes alive with writers, journalists, public intellectuals and book lovers – who gather for the Emerald City’s long-standing celebration of literature, reading and ideas: the Sydney Writers' Festival. This year marks the 27th anniversary of our city’s most beloved celebration of words, and the festival’s 2024 theme is Take Me Away – a theme that reflects our universal affinity for escapism, a role that literature has always played in society. Comprising 223 free and ticketed events, this year’s program is a pretty impressive one.  The urban corner of Sydney that’s home to the spectacular space that is Carriageworks will act as the hub for this year’s festival, but events will be popping up across the city: including at Sydney Town Hall, City Recital Hall and The State Library of NSW, as well as at smaller venues across Greater Sydney and the nation through the Live & Local streaming program. Keen to get involved? Read on.For the 2024 program, almost 300 writers from all over Australia and the world will come together to share stories and interrogate ideas, all around the central theme of Take Me Away. A celebration of Australian thought-leaders, 263 of the speakers on this year’s program are Australian, with 35 international speakers joining them on stages across the city.  Highlights from this year’s program will include a live podcast recording with London-based author and podcaster Katy Hessell, a behind-the-scenes look into the m

The weather may be getting cooler, but forget about staying at home. Shell House – Sydney’s second favourite house after the one with white sails – is throwing a two-month party celebrating good food, great music, incredible art and even better times. Called 'Our House,' the event is styled as a love letter to Sydney at the multi-level drinking and dining destination, and it’s got your name on it. Brett Robinson, owner and restaurateur of Shell House said: “Our House is a deeply curated festival of collaboration between our team and the valued, talented, and respected friends in our orbit. “Our House brings together the world’s finest visual artists, musical performers, culinary innovators, winemakers, industry icons and product kings and queens into a two-month-long feast for the senses presented in the place we call home – Shell House.” The line-up is packed with flash dinners, special performances and a whole lot of Champagne-fueled fun (our personal favourite). Starting with the food and beverage program, 'Wet, Cold, and Delicious' spans two events. There’s a dinner exploring Tasmania’s wonderful sea creatures, and a deep dive into tuna with chef Toshihiko Oe from Sushi Oe and Narito Ishii from Sydney Fish Markets, followed by a five-course fresh dinner curated by culinary director Joel Bickford and head chef Brad Guest. 'Prime Time: The Ultimate Beef Dinner' is for all the carnivores among us. Bickford will team up with the king of meat, Anthony Puharich from Vic’s Meats

Musicals are often a product of their time. So, it is somewhat expected that the show will reflect the sentiment, the tragedy, the conflict and the beliefs of that time. What is rare, however, is when a revival of a musical manages to find that stark relevance again, as if history is repeating itself. Off the back of the celebrated Broadway revival starring Ben Platt, this new staging of Parade arrives in Sydney following a sold-out Melbourne premiere in July 2023.  First staged in 1998, Parade is based on the true story of the 1913–1915 trial, imprisonment, and lynching of Leo Frank (Aaron Robuck – The Great Gatsby: An Immersive Theatrical Experience). A Jewish man from Brooklyn, Frank was a fish out of water amongst the residents of Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked as the superintendent of a pencil factory. When he was accused of the tragic assault and murder of a 13-year-old girl named Mary Phagan (Adeline Hunter – Urinetown), the townsfolk’s prejudices and the sensationalist media coverage of the trial stirred up a storm of antisemitic tension. Witness tampering and scapegoating by the local police force led to Frank being landed with a guilty verdict, a ruling which most modern researchers strongly disagree with. Most significantly, the historic trial spurred the formation of the Anti-Defamation League, whilst concurrently initiating the revival of the Klu Klux Klan. Despite some difficulties...this show succeeds in reminding the audience that prejudice, hate, and the

The Harbour City does a good line in immersive light experiences, and if you can’t wait until Vivid takes over the city later in May, Luna Park is here to help. The iconic attraction’s newest installation – Sonic Neon – is now open, with tickets on sale until the end of June. Housed in Crystal Palace – a building which dates all the way back to 1935 – Sonic Neon will take visitors on a journey through eight different rooms, with state-of-the-art visuals and a layered soundscape creating a transportive experience. Illuminating more than 150 metres of the historic building, the experience will feature more than 26,000 lights set to a pulsating soundtrack using state-of-the-art technology that’s never been used before in Australia. Tickets to the experience are available now, which you can purchase online or in person. Plus, save money by purchasing bundles like the Lunaverse Superpass, which includes Sonic Neon, Dream Circus and unlimited rides.  The family-friendly rave and experience will run daily from 10am. Tickets for the self-guided Sonic Neon experience (estimated to take around 30 minutes) start at $29 per person. If you’re keen to secure your tickets, you can do so over here.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more things to do, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Keen for more luminous fun? This immersive experience is coming to the Blue Mountains Lightscape will be taking over the Botanical Gardens

In excellent news for sauna lovers, what began as a dreamy pop-up has now become a (relatively) permanent feature at Manly’s Quarantine Beach. The 10-person Finnish sauna from Cedar the Salt will be stationed on the shores of Sydney Harbour throughout the winter – offering a very Scandinavian experience from arguably the most stunning sauna location in the city. Sydney's first pop-up seaside Finnish sauna launched as a thirteen day pop-up, but due to huge demand (around 150 sauna-goers per day), it will be staying put until spring. A 45-minute ocean-side sauna experience will set you back $35, and you’ll have easy access to the ocean to cool off between steams. If you’re keen to take over the entire sauna for a celebratory sweat, private sauna sessions are also available, and there's a soundbath experience available for those who went to level up their relaxation. If you want to make the seaside sauna a regular component of your wellness routine, you can nab a pack of three, five or ten sauna sessions.  The sauna is open from sunrise (between 6.30am and 7.15) until sunset (around 4.30pm), seven days a week, with the current closing date currently estimated at "springtime". Keen? You can learn more and book your session over 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:  We tried this beautiful affordable bathhouse. These are Sydney’s best spas.These are the best da