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...

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...

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...

With its rich cultural make-up and diverse array of delicious cuisines, it’s already pretty hard to leave Liverpool on an empty stomach. Now, for five weekends across March and April, the Most Blessed Nights markets will make you even more spoilt for choice.  This street food fest is taking over Macquarie Mall from Thursdays to Sundays, starting at 6pm each evening. There’ll be lights, there’ll be family fun, and of course, there will be some fan-favourite local food offerings.  There will be camel burgers, chargrilled plates, falafels galore, moreish kebabs, spiced skewers, cheesy tacos and more. A range of cuisines will be served up by Yummy Time Dumpling and Pec African Kitchen to the Fijian Taste of Paradise and Indian skewers.  The markets run until midnight each night, so you’ve got plenty of time to grab dessert, too. Look forward to fresh chocolate-covered strawberries, fluffy hot loukoumades (fried doughnut balls), cookie crossaints, lady fingers and frozen treats, plus you can’t go past some gorgeously crunchy knafeh (a stretchy cheesy sugar-soaked pastry).  The Most Blessed Nights Street Food Market is on Thursday to Sunday from 6pm until March 23, and returns again from April 17 to 20. For the full list of market stallholders across the event and more information, head here.

Call it “One Flew Over the Old Bird’s Nest”, if you like. Following its hugely successful debut with Melbourne Theatre Company in 2023, veteran comedian and Working Dog mainstay Tom Gleisner’s (The Castle, ABC television's Utopia) catchy new musical comedy set in a nursing home (and seasoned with a dash of tears, as expected) is now Sydney Theatre Company’s latest and very welcome offering. Directed by Dean Bryant (Dear Evan Hansen) with music by Katie Weston, Bloom is an across-the-board crowd-pleaser, the kind of popular four-quadrant gem that’s almost impossible to dislike. It even has a few pointed comments to make about the fraught state of aged care in Australia, but these never overwhelm the palpable sense of fun. What more could you want? We get two fish out of water (or Randle McMurphys, if you will) for the price of one here, both arriving at the understaffed, underfunded (and, as it eventuates, underestimated) Pine Grove Aged Care facility on the same day. One is new resident (or possibly inmate?) Rose (played by Evelyn Krape, reprising her role from the Melbourne run) – a feisty-to-the-point-of-prickly old dame, age has not wearied Rose, but it did lead to an accidental fire that made her an unwilling candidate for permanent care. The other is stoner/slacker/music student Finn (Sloan Sudiro), who was drawn here by the promise of a free room and board in exchange for some light duties. The duties turn out to be anything but light, as the frazzled staff –...

With Easter just around the corner, we’re busy filling our trolley with overpriced chockie eggs and making plans to enjoy the extended weekend. If your calendar is looking a little bare, we’ve got just the ticket for your Easter Sunday. In an eggs-cellent showdown, the Sydney Swans will be going head-to-head with Port Adelaide in a round-six clash that promises to be a very family friendly match-day. Even better news for families, we've got a discount code you can use to nab a family ticket for just $70 (subject to availability) – use code SWANSHQ70 when purchasing via this link. After an epic 2024 for the Swannies, Sydneysiders will no doubt be keen to don the red and white to support the team in this new season that's well underway.   Which AFL teams are playing on Easter Sunday? The Sydney Swans are going head to head with Port Adelaide on Easter Sunday (April 20). Once you’ve finished up your Easter egg hunt you can get on down to the game for a family-friendly first bounce time of 3:20pm. Pretty nice way to spend Easter if you ask us. Where is the Sydney Swans vs Port Adelaide game? The match-up between the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide will take place at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Moore Park. Which means you can hop on the Light Rail from Central Station to get there.   What time is Sydney Swans vs Port Adelaide? Gates will open at the SCG at 1:30pm and first bounce will take place at 3:20pm – which means no late nights for families. As always the...

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...

It’s imperative that you do not eat before you visit the Carriageworks Farmers Markets. You’ll want to save maximum belly space for your personal version of The Bachelorette where you decide who gets your dollars and what delicious produce gets to come home with you. Maybe you like something soupy and savoury first thing? In that case head to Bar Pho for a traditional Vietnamese start to the day. On the veggie train? Hit up Keppos St Kitchen for a falafel breakfast, or head to Food Farm for a classic bacon and egg roll.Once the hounds of your hunger have been quieted it’s time to prepare for your next meal, or seven. Stock up on artisan cheese from Leaning Oak, smoked salmon from Brilliant Foods and Sydney’s favourite sourdough from AP Bakery and brunch is sorted. You can spend a whole lot of money if you want to here, but equally you could just grab a kombucha on tap from Herbs of Life and find a chair for some of the best dog-watching in the city.  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel tips and city insights, straight to your inbox. Hungry for more? Look at our list of the best markets in Sydney – produce or otherwise.