The best things to do in Sydney this weekend

Golden hour in Sydney is a magical time – when the glare of the day fades and the dropping sun coats the city in a buttery glow. And there’s one particular spot in Sydney that seems to catch the light perfectly – a failsafe sunset spot with views across the Harbour, and one of the best places to stargaze when daylight disappears entirely. We’re talking about Sydney Observatory, and for the next five Fridays, golden hour here is going to the next level – elevated by a series of (free-to-attend) live performances programmed by the creative people behind Powerhouse.Sunset Variations will kick off this evening (Friday, January 31) with a performance by the ridiculously multi-talented artist, composer and producer xmunashe. Tonight only, there will also be 500 scoops of free gelato on offer from the good people at Messina – first in, best dressed, so get there when doors open at 5pm.Next up, on Friday, February 7, ambient instrumental duo Wilson Tanner (Andras and Eleventeen Eston) will soundtrack sunset with a mesmeric three-hour set.  On the day of love (February 14), experimental electronic artist e fishpool will set the tone as the light disappears from the sky above the Harbour City. Friday, February 21 will welcome the spellbinding Maryam Rahmani to the Observatory, and the series will come to a close with a powerful three-hour set from the magnificent force that is RONA. Remarkably, the event series is entirely free – though you’ll need to RSVP to secure your spot....

Charged with all the mystery and moody intrigue of an eerie fog rolling in over the Yorkshire Moors, this critically-acclaimed adaptation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights from groundbreaking British theatre director Emma Rice has arrived at Sydney’s Roslyn Packer Theatre for a strictly limited Australian season (with a cast of impeccable actors from London in tow). If you’re after some light, fluffy entertainment surrounding high society courtships in ye olde England, then you’re probably better off staying home and rewatching Bridgerton. The one and only novel published by the second-youngest Brontë sister, Wuthering Heights is often misunderstood as a romance novel – but this is proper gothic fiction. At the center of the intergenerational drama is the relationship between the wily young Catherine and Heathcliff, an orphaned boy who her father adopts as his own. While there is a shadow of romance that underscores the central relationship; their bond is deeply rooted in hatred, pain, jealousy, isolation, misery, and despair. This adaptation sinks its teeth into these darker elements, and it bites down hard. Rather than labouring over every line of the novel beat-for-beat, Rice uses Brontë’s text as a blueprint, fusing a range of theatrical storytelling devices (from fourth-wall-breaking japery to puppets) into an epic production backed by a moody, haunting score performed by a live on-stage band. The chorus (who represents the living, breathing embodiment of ‘The...

You can see one of the most impressive gold collections to ever tour the globe right here in Sydney, at the Australian Museum's exclusive blockbuster summer exhibition – which is now sticking around until May 2025. Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru will take you back in time, showcasing more than 130 artefacts that give us a glimpse into the daily lives, spiritual practices and extraordinary achievements of societies in ancient Peru. In addition to the stunning gold collection, you’ll also find other priceless treasures on display, including exquisite jewellery and funerary objects unearthed in royal tombs. The exhibition dives into the rich histories of the diverse and varied ancient civilisations that originated in this enthralling region, including their fascination with natural life cycles, birth, death and human sacrifice. (Our team took a deeper dive over here, and in the video below.) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Sydney (@timeoutsydney) Want to get more out of your visit? You can upgrade your visit to Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru with a thrilling VR experience alongside the exhibition, which takes you on an expedition to the famous "lost city" of Machu Picchu. With cutting-edge technology, you’ll explore this UNESCO World Heritage site from the comfort of 360-degree motion chairs, immersing yourself in the sights, sounds and sensations of this mysterious city in the sky, all without leaving Sydney....

Ah, the Titanic. An unsinkable cultural icon, the “Ship of Dreams” has appeared in almost as many movies and stage productions as the songs of Canada’s queen of the power ballad, Céline Dion. It’s even got a two-and-a-half-hour (surprisingly serious) movie musical adaptation based on Maury Yeston’s Titanic: the Musical. Although, none can hold a candle to the cultural impact of James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster – you know, the one with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. So, with nostalgia being such hot property right now, it was only a matter of time before we got the camp-as-hell musical fantasia made-for-and-by-the-gays that is Titanique. Created by Marla Mindelle (who originated the role of Céline Dion – well, as imagined in this show), Constantine Rousouli (who originated the role of Jack) and director Tye Blue (whose countless industry credits include working on the casting team of RuPaul’s Drag Race), Titanique is revisionist history at its best. Loaded with Céline Dion’s greatest bangers, it casts Queen Dion herself (played so wonderfully by cabaret legend Marney McQueen here in Aus) as the narrator of the tragic tale, who continuously places herself at the center of the action – quite literally – much to Jack and Rose’s repeated dismay. It brings the campness of the film to the front, with Stephen Anderson (Mary Poppins) playing Rose’s awful mother Ruth (complete with a bird’s nest headpiece), and Abu Kebe (Choirboy) playing a brilliant, tear-jerking drag parody...

Aria is a tasteful black comedy for Kirribilli’s Ensemble Theatre, doing the job its audience wants it to do – it offers plenty of laughs, a few political jabs here and there, but never pushes the envelope too far, with veteran playwright David Williamson playing it safe in this brand new offering. The play has the airs of Don’s Party for the upper echelons of society, but without the depth of Williamson’s more well-known works. This tale of blind prejudice focuses around the matriarchal Monique (Tracy Mann, Belvoir’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime), whose adult sons are the jewel of her eye as she refuses to let go of the past. A true narcissist to her bones, Monique seemingly gave up her career as an opera singer for love and family, despite her incessant insistence that she could have been the next big thing. The need for perfection now overrules everything in the path of Monique’s lifestyle, with her son’s wives needing to be perfect “acquisitions for the family” rather than loving partners for her boys that can do no wrong. But now, the wives have had enough, and Monique is in for a rude awakening. Tracy Mann is the perfect step-monster-in-law; whose vanity blinds her to the broken shards of a family in front of her Australia’s most prolific playwright, Williamson’s earlier works explored the depths of the working classes’ struggles against the classist turmoil of white Australia. Now, we’re on the other side of the class divide, and while the...

It’s summertime in the Harbour City, and you know you can't go wrong with some picnic blankets, antipasto snacks, and live music. Bonus points if there's a sunset and a harbour view involved.  Sunset Sessions – Cockatoo Island's family-friendly outdoor gig series – is back and running every Saturday evening from January 11 to April 5 (except February 8, when the island will be taken over by the Nowhere Festival). A carefully curated line-up of local and not-so-local acts (brought together by Sydney tastemakers The Music & Booze Co) will be playing on the lawn of the Biloela House every Saturday evening, where there will be grazing boxes and refreshments aplenty.  There's a broad range of talents to take in, with artists hailing from all over Australia – with a mix acoustic sets, folk, contemporary and feel-good sounds. Highlights from the line-up so far include First Nations traditional language storyteller Maanyung, sibling doo-wop duo Surely Shirley and etherial physch spaceman Misty Lanes, with more acts still to be announced.You can catch Sunset Sessions on Saturdays from 5.30pm, but get there early when the gates open at 5pm to soak in the atmosphere. Tickets are $35, and children under 12 can attend for free. If you find yourself wanting more of Cockatoo Island’s out-of-this-world views, you can turn your Sunset Session into a sunrise by booking a night at the island’s heritage listed lodgings or the waterfront campground. For the first few events (from January 11...

There’s something so intriguing about exploring the depths of the ocean, because we don't get many chances to check out what's down there. If you’re not a diver but you’ve always wanted to see what happens underneath the ripples of the water's surface, check out this ocean photography exhibition that's returning to the Australian National Maritime Museum.From November 28, the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2024 exhibition will feature all of the winners and finalists of the prestigious prize, which is led by the London-based Oceanographic Magazine.  The exhibition will display 118 of the most awe-inspiring wildlife shots ever snapped, immersing you in the otherworldly magic of the ocean and bringing you face-to-face with some of the sea's most majestic creatures. Particular highlights will no doubt be getting your peepers on the winning image from photographer Rafael Fernández Caballero. His incredible photo of a Bryde whale feeding on a heart-shaped baitball was taken in Baja California Sur, Mexico during the Mexican sardine run. The stunning shot was chosen from more than 15,000 images by a panel of expert judges.  There are plenty of other award-winning photos on display across 10 categories, including the Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year and the Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year.   Tickets are on sale now with discounts available for concessions and children and family passes on offer. All tickets include access to...

Let’s just start by saying I’m not a D&D player. I’ve played a couple of times with my family, led by my teenage son as Dungeon Master, but that was just to show interest in something he loves. So I do understand the basics – that said, you don’t need any prior knowledge of D&D to get swept up in the magic that is Dungeons and Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern. If anything, this show is probably the best way I’ve found so far to get a better grasp on the complex game that is D&D. This is an interactive show that began in New York as an Off-Broadway production – the same director, Michael Fell, also rehearsed with the Australian cast. In what ways is it interactive? The story lies in the audience’s hands, as well as with the roll of the 20-sided dice.  As you enter The Studio at the Sydney Opera House, you pick a coloured sticker from a basket. Depending on what colour you choose, you get aligned with one of the three classes: Warrior, Mage (Wizard) or Assassin/Entertainer. Throughout the show, you make decisions for the character in your assigned class, mostly by choosing options via your mobile phone (after scanning a QR code) – and sometimes just by yelling out. (Top tip:Make sure you turn up with a fully-charged phone.) You answer polls and take part in little games to choose what character the actors play, then make decisions or see the outcomes of characters’ actions. Dice rolls are directed by the Dungeon Master, played by the charismatic Cody Simpson-lookalike William...

Back for its thirteenth year, Australia’s biggest non-fiction film fest is coming to the Harbour City this February – bringing a 50-strong program of incredible documentaries to big screens across Sydney for ten horizon-expanding days.This year’s Antenna fest kicks off on Thursday, February 6, with a carefully selected program of films screening every night until Sunday, February 16. Opening night will welcome the Australian premiere of Reas, a documentary-musical hybrid following cis and trans women reenacting their incarceration experiences through music and performance. According to Festival Director Dudi Rokach, it’s these kinds of boundary-pushing, reality-expanding films that form the backbone of the program, with Rokach describing every feature as “imaginative, cinematic, and provocative.” Other highlights of this year’s program include About A Hero, a scarily futuristic film based on an AI-generated script, Union, a Sundance-winning documentary following a group of Amazon workers as they take on their employer, and Look Into My Eyes, a film documenting a group of NYC-based psychics (directed by Lana Wilson, the filmmaker behind Taylor Swift: Miss Americana). Among the 50 films on the program, 12 are Australian-made shorts, and three are feature-length Aussie documentaries. Films will be screened at Dendy Newtown and the Ritz in Randwick. Tickets start at $25 for a one-time adult pass – you can check out the program and book tickets over here. Stay in the loop: sign...

Somebody pop the Champagne, because Sydney’s most stunning outdoor cinema is back by the harbourside. Westpac OpenAir is taking over Mrs Macquaries Point again this summer, with panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge as its staggering backdrop.  Running over 41 nights from January 9 to February 18, the film program includes the first Australian screenings of A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Bob Dylan; the Nicole Kidman-starring Babygirl; Luca Guadagnino's Queer starring Daniel Craig; and The Count Of Monte Cristo, direct from Cannes Film Festival. Other highlights include We Live in Time starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield; Robbie Williams biopic Better Man; Maria starring Angelina Jolie; Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy; Gladiator II; Wicked; Elton John: Never Too Late; Nightbitch and Conclave.  Meanwhile, there’s more than iconic views and the latest blockbusters in store. This year’s ‘Festival of Film’ is accompanied by an equally glittering ‘Festival of Food’, with three of Sydney’s best chefs setting up shop at the harbourside cinema. Film fans can fuel up before the credits roll with a bowl of excellent pasta from the pop-up ‘Fabbrica at Chandon Garden’ curated by Scott McComas-Williams, or a selection of Vietnamese fusion sharing plates from ‘Luke Nguyen at The Point’. If you’re looking for a refined full-service affair, then ‘Summer House Dining by Danielle Alvarez’ will be brought to life by Alvarez...