Around Sydney

No Lights, No Lycra is an afterwork activity unlike any other. Beloved by its loyal followers for decades, this pitch black anonymous dance class is all about two things: total and unfettered freedom and the chance to seriously, seriously dance.  With locations all over the world, No Lights No Lycra has been bringing sweet tunes, sweat and a total lack of inhibition to people who are keen to boogie like nobody’s watching them for years. And for interested Sydneysiders, opportunities to let loose in the pitch dark are plentiful.  How does it work? You arrive (solo, or with whoever you want to bring as your anonymous dancing companion), enter a community hall, and dance for a good hour and a half to absolute bangers. The catch? It’s so dark you can’t see your feet.  The joy of this dance class is that it cuts out all the surface bullshit of judgement and fear and leaves space just for you, your joy and time for you to move your body in a way that thrills you, and you alone. In Sydney, there are weekly classes going down in Bondi, Newtown, Parramatta and Sutherland – plus a whole lot more. You can find out all the details of your closest local event by just typing in your location into their online interactive map.  Tickets generally seem to cost around the $10 to $15 mark for an hour or so, which feels pretty worth it to us, and you can book online through your location (which can be found using the aforementioned map). Forget Saturday nights and 79 tequila shots. No Lights...

Have someone special in your life who considers themselves a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to their favourite Australian spirits? If so, then head over to Pitt Street Mall, Westfield Parramatta or Westfield Bondi and give the ultimate Christmas present with a personalised bottle of Archie Rose gin or whisky.  At one of these exciting Sydney activations, you can choose from two gin and two whisky blends for a personalised touch. You can then customise your own label background, a name to go on the front and a heartfelt or cheeky message on the back. With such a thoughtful gift, you’ll certainly be the favourite at Christmas. What's even better is that the turnaround time is only 10-15 minutes, so in the time it takes to grab a coffee, your personalised bottle will be ready to take home. Can't make it to a pop-up? You're in luck because you can also visit Archie Rose's Bar and Cellar Door in Rosebery, where you can pick up a bottle of tailored whisky, gin or vodka. Alternatively, you can create your own tailored spirits from liquid to label via the Archie Rose website. But make sure to order before December 15 to ensure your bottle comes before Santa and his reindeers.  Running from December 2 until the end of the year, find an Archie Rose pop-up near you at Westfield Parramatta on level four near Target and Westfield Bondi on level 4 near Zara. Then, from December 19, find a pop-up at Pitt Street Mall on the ground floor near Zara. Of course, you can also head...

Every summer, right after the dust settles from the Harbour City’s epic NYE fireworks display, Sydney Festival is waiting to take over the city with a great big helping of fresh arts and culture. This is your chance to get in on an almost-month-long program that’s crammed with exciting performances, immersive art installations, phenomenal live musicians, and parties that rock on well into the night.   Featuring more than 130 experiences and running from January 4–26, highlights of the 2025 festival include a salacious true crime tale staged inside Darlinghurst Courthouse; Sydney Town Hall’s conversion into a Wild West pioneer town; the world premiere of a wacky unauthorised opera about the magical duo Siegfried and Roy; and intimate contemporary gigs in regal spaces like the ACO on the Pier and the City Recital Hall. You also have the chance to explore some sizeable new statement-making art installations – like Colour Maze, a vibrant installation unravelling across the wharf at the heart of the festival hub that invites the entire family to walk inside; and What We Leave Behind from Cave Urban, which invites you to share messages of hope for our environmental future that are woven into a unique bamboo structure on Tallawoladah Lawn. As with last year, the festival hub takes the form of ‘The Thirsty Mile’ – a full-swing festive takeover across both of the historic piers that make up the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct and the eight national performing arts companies that call them...