The best things to do in Sydney this weekend

The genre-defying, multi-award-winning, smash-hit Broadway sensation, Hadestown has finally made its way down to Sydneytown – and it’s unlike any musical you’ve ever seen or heard. With industrial steampunk aesthetics, a soulful jazz-folk fusion, and even a comment on our dying world, this is a brave new world for musical theatre. The Down Under debut of Hadestown opened at the Theatre Royal Sydney to a ready-made fanbase. There’s a lot of hype surrounding this show – the Broadway production picked up eight Tony Awards (including Best Musical for 2019) and still plays to packed houses today, and there’s also the highly successful West End production and the North American tour.  An incisive adaptation of the age-old myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown is the brainchild of indie-folk musician Anaïs Mitchell (with very clear influences from Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver, who appeared on the 2010 studio album). It started its life as a song cycle, and then a studio album, and now it’s a fully-formed stage musical with a dedicated international following. Hadestown is a spectacular challenge to what we think a musical is and can be Like many fans, I discovered Hadestown via the studio album and the Broadway recording. With such a strong, atmospheric tone, the music doesn’t even need visuals to shine – featuring everything from chugging vocal sounds, deep growling singing, floating falsettos, muted trombones, a train whistle, and heavy acoustic guitars. Hadestown is the...

Just over a decade since it was last seen in Australia, Annie is back – bursting onto the Capitol Theatre stage filled with optimism, joy, and hope. Director Karen Mortimer revives this quintessential piece of musical theatre with a sentimental production that preserves the charm and flair found in Thomas Meehan’s book. For those living under a rock (mainly me), this Tony Award-winning musical follows the story of 11-year-old Annie, who is growing up in an orphanage in 1930s New York, under the cruel eye of Miss Hannigan. In the midst of the Great Depression, pessimism is all around, but chipper young Annie has the antidote: hope. Encouraging others to believe that “the sun will come out tomorrow”, Annie’s enduringly positive spirit seems to finally pay off, when billionaire Oliver Warbucks chooses to take her in for two weeks over Christmas. Four spirited young performers share the titular role in this production, alongside an alternating cast of child actors. On opening night, Dakota Chanel’s Annie is a ray of sunshine, fully embodying the doe-eyed optimism of the character, balancing warmth and comedy with the more tender and emotional segments. The whole ensemble of “orphans” share an incredible chemistry, which is strongly on display in their performance of ‘It’s The Hard Knock Life’. The stakes are high when it comes to such a well-known and well-loved song, but this ensemble more than meets the challenge with a passionate and committed performance.  Annie is the...

If you’re of a certain age, you have history (HIStory, perhaps?) with Michael Jackson. I remember getting ‘Thriller’ on cassette as a kid. ‘Dangerous’ was one of the first CDs I ever owned. I remember seeing the extended music video for ‘Thriller’ on VHS, which came packaged with a behind-the-scenes documentary. One woman, cornered for a quick vox pop at one of the filming locations, asserted that she loved Jackson because he was “down to earth”, which is darkly hilarious in hindsight.  Down to earth? The press called him “wacko Jacko” – we all did. He slept in a hyperbaric chamber. He owned the Elephant Man’s skeleton. His skin kept getting paler, his nose thinner. What a weird guy! Was any of it true? Hard to say. Even today, when a careless tweet is like a drop of blood in a shark tank to fans and journos alike, the media furor around Michael Jackson stands as one of the most frenetic in living memory, eclipsing the likes of Beatlemania. Jackson wasn’t bigger than God, he was God to a lot of people – the King of Pop, the first Black artist to smash through the MTV colour barrier, an artist, an icon, a living legend. Then came the allegations of child sexual abuse, which first began in August 1993, and continue to this day. For those who were still on the fence, the documentary Leaving Neverland, released in 2019, saw many more fans abandon Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50. And so, it makes sense that MJ the Musical would set Jackson’s relationship with the...

These days, it seems the best thing that a musical can be is non-traditional. Countless new productions have landed on our stages in recent years, proclaiming that their show is “like nothing we’ve ever seen before”. And while it is exciting to see new works that push the form into genre-defying territory (the brilliant Hadestown is testament to this) as well as productions that put a new twist on well-trodden territory (like The Hayes’ reinvention of The Pirates of Penzance), it’s a refreshing change to see the complete opposite: a proper classic musical theatre spectacle, that remains authentic to the source material. Opera Australia’s fresh production of Guys & Dolls – the latest outdoor spectacle in the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour series – gives us just that, with the picturesque backdrop of the Sydney skyline, to boot.  Recommended: get ready with our guide to going to Guys & Dolls on Sydney Harbour The New York imagined by Damon Runyon, whose short stories served as inspiration for Guys & Dolls, is a place of heightened realism, populated by comical gangsters with absurd names like Harry the Horse and a thirst for illegal gambling. Director Shaun Rennie (Jesus Christ Superstar) stays true to this world, while also injecting some fresh touches. Brian Thomson’s heightened stage design perfectly compliments this – oversized set pieces, such as a giant yellow taxi, make the most of the unique outdoor setting and the enormous floating stage.  The production’s stars...

Just like the Easter school holidays creep up on you, so does the spending on activities to keep the kids entertained. Skip out on the eye-watering ticket prices and pay a visit to the great-value Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Show this autumn. The family affair returns to the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, set to put the little – and not-so-little – ones in the Easter spirit without costing you a pretty penny. This year, the festivities kick off on Saturday, April 12 and will run until Sunday, April 27. The jam-packed program features everything from high-energy motorcycle and bike stunt shows to adorable little daschund meet and greets, 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, and an animal nursery with cuddly ducklings, chicks, lambs, goats and piglets. Of course, there will be showbags galore too. For the first time the event welcomes an exciting lineup of shows set to wow little fans. The Paw Patrol Stage Show runs from April 12 to April 22 and the Bluey Live Interactive Experience from April 23 to April 27, and even better, there will be opportunities throughout the day to meet the characters (and snap a cheeky pic, 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 April 27 is Greyhound Adoption...

Get ready, Sydney! The Motherland African Festival is back and bigger than ever. Immerse yourself in the rhythms and flavours of Africa at Macquarie Mall from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13. The best part? Entry is free. Motherland is all about celebrating the rich and vibrant history of Africa’s many cultures. Liverpool will shine a light on a whole heap of dynamic nations that make up "the Mother Continent" through a weekend-long program of dance, music, food and drumming performances. There are workshops for all ages, including a Jollof Rice Competition; an African drumming workshop with global performer Lucky Lartey; art and painting classes with young Ghanaian migrant Emmanuel Asante; face painting by Sydney-based makeup artist Lauren Maher; and hair braiding by Sweetstylez. Throughout the weekend, you can also browse the artisan market and discover a range of African goods, including jewellery, textiles, spices, and beauty products. Catch a show on the mainstage where Mike Champion and The Young Boys, True Vibenation, and the AfroMbollo Band are all set to perform. You can also head to the Afrobeats Lounge and join the silent disco on Friday night, the dance demo on Saturday, or the dance lesson on Sunday where your instructors will also put their own skills to the test in an epic dance battle. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, indulge in the authentic flavours of Africa and try some of the continent’s tastiest delicacies, like Congolese saka saka, Nigerian...

Lets face it, heading along to the cinema ain’t cheap these days – add a choc top into the mix and yeesh, you may as well take out a second mortgage. If 2025 is all about saying yes to getting out and about but doing it on a budget, Parramatta has the answer: a bunch of free pop-up movie nights for the whole family to enjoy. The travelling Family Movie Nights pop-up event will span across two weekends sitting inside the NSW school holidays, with the first kicking off on Friday, April 11 at Binalong Park, Old Toongabbie. Wondering what’s on the line-up? Don’t worry, they won’t be dusting off the old VHS and playing Flubber (although 10/10 would watch again), organisers have nabbed an epic line-up of flicks including the 2025 Academy Award nominated musical spectacular, Wicked. It’s free, and I get to sing ‘Defying Gravity’ to the good people of Parramatta? Win, win! Not only will this family-friendly initiative from the City of Parramatta bring the magic of movies to the masses, but you can also expect a bit of a funfair with live music, art, games, food stalls, kid’s workshops and plenty more kicking off from 4pm before the film begins at sundown. City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Martin Zaiter said the return of Family Movie Nights will be a welcome event for parents looking for cost-effective activities during the school holidays. “It’s getting harder for families to find fun yet affordable things to do during the school holidays, so we’re making life easier by putting on...

Descend down the escalators in the Art Gallery of NSW’s ultra-chic modern north building, and you’ll see an enormous octopus perched above the entrance to one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the Sydney summer – step inside a futuristic cyber cityscape with Cao Fei: My City is Yours. An unfurling of purple tentacles beckons you to step into the multidimensional world of this influential Chinese contemporary artist, and become totally immersed in playful and inventive multimedia installations. Cao Fei (pronounced ‘tsow fay’) encourages you to jump into an inviting pit of foam cubes, walk through installations embedded with found objects, perch on a yoga chair to watch a short doco, lay down to watch another video projected onto the ceiling, sit in an original 1960s cinema chair from Beijing to watch a sci-fi film, and even strap in for a VR experience.  The exhibition offers a unique blend of virtual worlds and cutting-edge technology, as well as tributes to fallen city haunts both here and abroad. But for many Sydneysiders, the most remarkable sight will perhaps be the pitch-perfect recreation of the Marigold, the much-loved yum cha institution from Sydney’s Chinatown, which sadly closed for good in December 2021. Inspired by the restaurant’s 1990s Canto-decor, original furnishings have been salvaged for this uncanny installation – including the chandeliers and light fixtures, tables and chairs, regal red carpeting, and gold signage. All of this is juxtaposed by some...

Picture this: you’re sipping on beautiful natural wines with your friends, overlooking Sydney Harbour while enjoying cheeses, pickles and seasonal vegetables curated by Aplenty. Then, you look up at the luminous moon in the sky while astronomers share what the planets and stars are up to this autumn. No, this isn’t your latest celestial dream, but a brand-new experience happening next month at Sydney Observatory to coincide with the full moon. Called Pink Moon and Natural Wine, the evening will feature Australian small-scale wine distributor Lo-Fi Wines, who will be offering tastings from low-intervention producers including Gut Oggau (Austria), Saep (South Australia), A.R.C. Wines (Victoria), and Château Acid (New South Wales). You’ll also get a chance to meet with the winemakers, chat about their drops, and deep-dive with sommeliers. Dreamy catering company Aplenty will be serving optional grazing platters and boxes featuring freshly baked focaccia, cheeses and other yum snacks. Guests will hear an insightful in-conversation between Tiffany Gardoll, an archaeologist and vineyard historian, and Shanteh Wale, host of the Over A Glass podcast, with Powerhouse food program manager, Xinyi Lim. The three will discuss viticulture in Sydney, winemaking in your backyard, and wine notes that Sydneysiders love (hello, juicy and fruity chilled reds). Next, winemaker and farmer Dave Gartelmann from South Australia’s Saep Wines, and James Audas from Victoria’s A.R.C. Wines and...

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...