The Flying Spaghetti Monster has no birthday. Mawlid is either donezo or on the horizon. Hanukkah is a distant memory at this point, and the summer solstice is old news. Yep, it's December 25, and it's #NotMyChristmas. Without family obligations, what does one do on a day when almost everything is closed? Well, my non-Christian compatriot, follow us on a journey through an almost-abandoned city. Almost, but not quite...
Dates: From Dec 28
Price: From $40 for adults (and $20 for kids)
Melbourne is famous for its tennis – but the summer action actually hits off in Sydney, with the United Cup. Now in its third year, this international mixed tennis tournament sees top male-female teams from all over the world hit it out in Sydney and Perth (with Sydney games on in Olympic Park). The fun thing about the United Cup is that these big-name players are relying on the success of their teammates, as well as themselves – it's a country-versus-country tennis tournament, as opposed to individual-versus-individual. So there's a team comaraderie on the sidelines that you don't get at the Grand Slams. And then there's the fact that the teams are made up of men and women – it's a genuinely mixed tennis tournament.
Dates open: Dec 14 to Feb 2 (except for Dec 25 and 31)
Price: From $44
Ever wondered what it’d be like to play Squid Game for real? Now you can. Luna Park Sydney is teaming up with Netflix to bring you Squid Game: The Experience. Kicking off on 16 December under Luna Park’s iconic Big Top, and running on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays all the way until February, you’ll get the chance to step into the intense world of the Netflix hit show and take on some of its infamous challenges. Once the games are done and dusted, you can refuel at the Korean Street Food Night Market.
Dates open: Year round (except for Dec 25)
Price: Free
Want something to do that will most definitely blow your mind? We recommend heading to the Sydney Modern extension of the Art Gallery of NSW. With its towering floor to ceiling glass windows, this light-filled gallery is perfect pit-stop on a sunny day. It's the most significant cultural development in the Harbour City since the Sydney Opera House, and you cannot fully comprehend the scale of this mammoth building until you start descending down within it. Expect to explore a massive underground WW2 fuel bunker, a whole host of wildly colourful multisensory exhibitions, and an all-round art experience that rivals MoMa in New York. You heard it here first folks.
Dates open: Nov 21 to Feb 16 (except for Dec 26, 31 and Jan 1)
Price: Free
Head across the hallway to your besties’ apartment and get ready to giggle – everyone’s favourite '90s sitcom is setting up shop at The Fullerton Hotel, and you can get involved. The Friends Experience is taking over level one of the CBD hotel from Thursday, September 26 – so you and your friends will soon be able to relive unforgettable moments from the show. The Friends Experience has attracted more than a million visitors around the world, and now it's our turn. The 45-minute nostalgic experience will set you back $25 per person, and the interactive sets are suitable for all ages.
Dates open: Dec 28, 29 & 31
Price: From $59
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. 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. Throughout the show, you make decisions for the character, mostly by choosing options via your mobile phone (after scanning a QR code) – and sometimes just by yelling out. Then dice rolls are directed by the Dungeon Master, played by the charismatic Cody Simpson-lookalike William Kasper. So, led by the dice and audience decisions, the acting is largely improv, which makes for a fun and chaotic time that really rouses the audience.
Dates open: Dec 26-30
Price: $26
These in-between times are perfect for catching a flick – and why not do it outdoors? Pack your picnic baskets and bring a blanket, because after months of being cooped up inside, Sydney's famous Moonlight Cinema is back for another run at Centennial Park.
Dates open: Until Feb 2
Price: $35 for an adult
Film director James Cameron is best known for his blockbusters Titanic and Avatar, but did you know he’s also an avid deep-sea explorer? Not only has he completed 72 deep dives in submersibles (specialised vessels designed for underwater travel) but he’s also led eight major expeditions. His most recent was a record-breaking dive to the bottom of the ocean in the Deepsea Challenger, the submersible he co-designed and co-engineered. Experience moments from Cameron’s greatest underwater adventures through large cinema-scale projections, artefacts and specimens from his expeditions at this fascinating exhibit, James Cameron - Challenging the Deep.
Dates open: Nov 1 to Jan 26 (except for Dec 25)
Price: From $40
This Christmas season, Hunter Valley Gardens has turned luminous with the biggest Christmas lights display in Australia, and the Southern Hemisphere for that matter. Spread across eight magical acres, the spectacular display features more than four-million lights – all illuminating a magical fairground setting. You’ll find a ferris wheel, a traditional Venetian carousel, a 35-metre-long superslide, swing chairs and spinning teacups – operating from 6pm until 10pm every night.
Dates open: December 26-30
Price: from $50 (includes unlimited rides)
if the Squid Games experience is a little too adrenaline-inducing for you, Luna Park is still open for its regualr ride passes and the Dream Circus. Dream Circus is its own event so you can either enter a new world at the Big Top of holograms and light, or pair it with some epic rides for all ages. There’s plenty of time for repeat goes on the Wild Mouse, soaking up history in Coney Island or spinning on the Rotor until you vomit (although we don’t recommend ending your night that way).
Dates open: Summer time
Price: Free
In excellent news for CBD-dwellers, the list of free things to do this summer just got a boost – with The Rocks precinct announcing a packed program featuring free yoga classes, market, and community picnics. If you’re up for an active morning, join The Rocks’ free run club. If you’re in the mood for an open-air movie, The Rocks’ free Laneway Cinema is back this summer every Wednesday evening. Tickets are free, and are available to book on the Monday before the screening. You can learn more about all the free events popping up throughout The Rocks this summer over here.
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