The best things to do in Sydney this February

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...

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...

Perhaps it’s unpatriotic to suggest it, but I’d argue that Australia has produced strikingly few immortal works of art, particularly narrative art. But, we’ll always have Picnic at Hanging Rock – which can make a strong claim for being the most important Australian artistic work of the 20th century, and one that still casts a shadow over the 21st.  The novel by Joan Lindsay first saw the light of day in 1967, but it was Peter Weir’s 1975 film adaptation – a haunting and subtle work and the ne plus ultra of Australian Gothic – that really struck a chord with audiences. This year marks the film’s 50th anniversary, which seems to be the reason behind this haunting new production for Sydney Theatre Company’s 2025 season, the latest of numerous stage adaptations.  STC Resident Director Ian Michael (Constellations, Stolen) and playwright Tom Wright (whose adaptation was first staged by Malthouse Theatre and Black Swan Theatre in 2016) are certainly betting on Picnic at Hanging Rock’s cultural staying power. This Picnic is in no way naturalistic, but it certainly evokes a sense of the uncanny Both Lindsay’s novel and Weir’s film are elliptical and meditative, posing questions rather than offering answers. This production is perhaps more opaque than either, taking an experimental direction that ramps up the themes of horror and suspense. This works a treat in the early movements of the play, keeping the audience off kilter, forcing us to engage with a conceptual realm where time,...

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...

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...

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...

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....

If you’ve ever wanted to get seriously close to a Sumatran tiger (without there being a terrible ethical or safety problem in the way), now is your chance. Tiger Trek is an experience that's free (included in the cost of your Taronga Zoo tickets). Attendees are invited to get into a flight simulator that takes them (very quickly) from Mosman to the Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra. Upon landing, you travel through an Indonesian-inspired village, meandering down a path past village shops and through a rainforest that looks uncannily like you’re in Indonesia. At the end, you'll get the chance to meet the three Sumatran tigers who were born at Taronga Zoo in 2019, as well as their beautiful mother, father, uncle and grandmother.  With only 350 Sumatran Tigers left in the wild, these tigers are incredibly important. Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, but as seen through Tiger Trek, all is not lost. Deforestation in Indonesian rainforests has decreased by 75 per cent since the folks over at the zoo began monitoring it in 1990. There has been a steady increase in the consumption of sustainable palm oil worldwide, with shoppers far more aware of the devastation caused by unsustainable palm oil harvesting than ever before. It's easy to feel helpless when it comes to this stuff, which is why one of the coolest parts of Tiger Trek is Choice Mart – this end room of the trek has been built to look like a supermarket check-out, complete with interactive touch screens that...

Julie Mehretu is widely regarded as one of the most significant painters of her generation, acclaimed for her large-scale paintings which erupt with colour, line, energy and movement. This summer, the first major survey of the New York-based artist’s work ever exhibited in Australia is coming exclusively to the MCA Australia on Sydney's Circular Quay.  Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and now based in New York City, Mehretu has exhibited extensively at major institutions across the US, UK and Europe. Most recently, Mehretu was commissioned to create an 83-foot tall glass mural for the Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago. She was named one of the “100 most influential people in 2020” by Time magazine; and in 2024, The New York Times described her as “one of today's most original and thought-provoking painters.”   Opening on November 29 and running until April 27, the much-anticipated Julie Mehretu: A Transcore of the Radical Imaginatory addresses urgent concerns of our globalised world including revolution, migration and climate change. Featuring 13 new works created especially for the exhibition, the presentation will include more than 80 powerful abstract paintings, prints and drawings dating from 1995 to the present. The exhibition will also feature a series of talks and tours, with extended hours for Art Up Late for Sydney Festival on Wednesdays, January 8, 15 and 22 until 9pm.  Julie Mehretu: A Transcore of the Radical Imaginatory is part of the Sydney International...

It's a universally acknowledged truth that a heady swig of gin makes for a jolly good time. The wonders of this diverse and delicious liquor are known to many of us, but when it comes to finding out where the very best joints in Sydneytown to swill ’em actually are, we can often come up lost. That is, however, until now.  Enter: Gin Journey – the sauced-up baby of British-born Leon Dalloway, Gin Journey founder and all-around lord of all things liquor, who has been charming fans of the devil’s drop with his educational bar crawls from London to Sydney since 2013.  Gin Journey is Dalloway’s original invention, with this tried and tested explorative experience taking you on a guided tour of Sydney’s boutique distilleries and hidden gin bars, including Young Henrys, Ester Spirits and Unexpected Guest Distillery. A gin flight is included at each stop, along with an artisan gin cocktail to smooth its way.  Throughout the tasting tour, Dalloway will share fun facts about the popular tipple's fascinating history, from its checkered days as ‘mother’s ruin’ to its present-day ascendancy and the botanical bonanza of contemporary Aussie gins. Expect good chat, delicious (and extremely high quality) gin moments, and to leave at the end of the day feeling more than pleasantly buzzed.  Margarita Journey is the latest addition to Sydney’s boozy block, following the exact same base model as its gin-heavy sister, but with an obvious tequila-esque twist. In three hours, you’ll tick off hot...