Beyond the game: discover the best of Sydney during FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

In Surry Hills, near Central Station, is the subterranean Golden Age Cinema. As its name suggests, this tiny movie house tucked below the boutique Paramount House Hotel celebrates cinema in all its glory with intriguing programming that ranges from special screenings (David Bowie fans, keep July 29 free) to contemporary arthouse films and themed series. Arrive early enough to savour a film-themed cocktail such as the Dirty Harry or Clockwork Orange paired with snacks or something more substantial from the short, sharp menu.

Cop an eyeful of Sydney’s other highly photogenic bridge – the elegant Anzac Bridge – while chowing down on fish and chips at the Sydney Fish Market. This authentic working market, with views over Blackwattle Bay, is in inner-city Pyrmont and incorporates a working wharf, seafood retailers, cooking school and other outlets such as a greengrocer and bottle shop. It’s a short stroll from Darling Harbour or take the Light Rail to the dedicated Fish Market tram stop.

Wear your most glamorous yellow frock or carry a red rose and no one will blink an eye as you join the fun at Disney’s Beauty and the Beast - The Musical. This musical, easily one of the most rousing theatre experiences in Australia right now, is playing at the Capitol Theatre. If you haven’t been here before, this is one of Sydney’s most ornate theatre spaces (another reason to wear your best threads). Don’t be surprised if you walk out humming the signature tune (‘Be Our Guest’). 

Right near the Capitol Theatre is Haymarket, home to the Chinatown Night Market. Open every Friday from 4pm-11pm, this bustling late-night Dixon Street experience includes a Little Eat Street. Arrive hungry and graze your way along more than a dozen stalls offering street-food faves such as pho, sushi, dumplings, steamed buns, roti, satay and teppanyaki. You might also see Dragon’s Beard Candy – an intriguing concoction of coconut, peanut and sesame wrapped in finely spun filaments of corn syrup. You can also browse dozens of stalls by emerging artists and designers. 

In late 2022, The Art Gallery of NSW unveiled a major addition – a striking new wing known as Sydney Modern. Put aside at least half a day to explore the series of interlocking, light-filled pavilions and the subterranean space known as The Tank. Don’t miss the outdoor terrace housing the exuberant sculpture Flowers that Bloom in the Cosmos - it’s by the ‘princess of polka dots’, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. From this spot, you can also soak up sweeping views over the harbour. 

If you haven’t been to Sydney for a while, prepare for a surprise along the CBD’s western flank. North of King Street Wharf is the buzzy Barangaroo precinct that now houses the city’s tallest building. Stroll past restaurants and bars to reach Barangaroo Reserve and a new netted harbour swimming spot called Marrinawi Cove. Wander past the wharves that comprise the Walsh Bay theatre precinct and under the Harbour Bridge to reach the Rocks.

Looking for a new angle on the Opera House? As well as taking an arty shot of the white sails through the portal of Lindy Lee’s alluring sculpture on the Museum of Contemporary Art’s (MCA) forecourt, head up to the gallery’s Sculpture Terrace for an oblique elevated angle. Many visitors also don’t know that pedestrians are welcome to cross the Harbour Bridge – and the walkway just happens to be on the eastern side, facing the House. Once you descend into Milsons Point on the Harbour’s northern side, relax on Bradfield Park’s lawns and take in the full-frontal view of the world-famous venue. 

Get to know Sydney’s arty side. In the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, on the lawn overlooking Dubbagullee/Bennelong Point, is Judy Watson’s dramatic sculpture, bara. Unveiled in 2022, the monumental bara celebrates the fish hooks that Gadigal women used for thousands of years to haul their catch from the harbour. In Surry Hills, admire a mural of AFL legend Adam Goodes (corner of Foveaux and Crown streets). In Sydney’s vibrant inner-west suburb of Newtown, stroll King Street to find the iconic I Have a Dream mural that Coldplay used as a backdrop in the video for their song, ‘A Sky Full of Stars’.