Opera Bar at sunset
Photograph: Steven Woodburn
Photograph: Steven Woodburn

Things to do in Sydney this week

Wondering what to do across Sydney? Our list will guide you in the right direction

Avril Treasure
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Did you see Oasis on the weekend? I did – and the Gallagher brothers were bloody brilliant. What wasn’t fun? Getting home. If you were one of the 140,000 fans who went and are keen to keep the good times going this week, check out our guide to the best bars for live music, and our favourite places to dance.

The Finders Keepers Market returns to Carriageworks from Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16. Expect more than 200 stallholders with art, ceramics, jewellery and homewares, plus food stalls, live music and booze. Find out more and get your tickets here.

If there’s one thing you do this week, I reckon it should be to see La Ronde at The Grand Electric in Redfern. I went recently and was captivated from the get-go (see a sneak-peek here). Part circus, part comedy show, and 100 per cent a good night out. I promise you’ll love it. Find out more here.

The Lovers has landed in Sydney. Expect a banging pop soundtrack, an incredible live band and a fun twist on a Shakespearean classic. Grab your boots – Virginia Gay stars as a frontier heroine in Calamity Jane, the brilliant cult classic now on at the Opera House. You can check out our full guide to all the shows on in Sydney here.

If you’re in need of a laugh, The Comedy Store runs comedy shows every week, Thursday to Sunday – and tickets are cheap. It’s a great date night idea, too.

Hungry? Work your way through our guide to the best affordable eats. Got a special occasion coming up? Here’s our guide to Sydney’s best restaurants (or check out the top new restaurants here). Thirsty? Don’t miss our guide to Sydney’s best bars here.

Plus, take a dip at one of Sydney’s best beaches, get your sweat on with a pretty bushwalk, or pack drinks and snacks and throw out a rug at one of our fave picnic spots.

Scroll on for our full list of the best things to do in Sydney this week.


Mapping out your weekend? These are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend.

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

The best things to do in Sydney

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Sydney
If you've ever wondered what would happen if a kid's drawing of their wildest dream utopia suddenly came off the page and into real life, you're in luck, because that's pretty much what's happening right now beneath the Art Gallery of NSW.  Artist and professional disruptor Mike Hewson has taken over the weird subterranean world of The Tank with his one-of-a-kind new exhibition, Mike Hewson: The Key's Under the Mat, where for the first time ever, all the main lights in the normally pitch-dark Tank will be switched on, revealing a weird wonderland of interactive art pieces and play equipment that have to be seen to be believed. We're talking: A steam room with stained glass windows that you can actually sit in, a functioning sauna with bespoke church pews, five actual operating public barbeques that you can cook on, rushing water to play in (seriously, bring your swimmers), a working laundry,  and a free-to-use recording studio, plus a whole plethora of bright and delightful surprises that are all about getting community together, to do cool stuff, for free. Basically, break your imagination and delete all adult expectations. This is unlike anything we've ever seen.  Kids who aren't afraid of some risk are also one of Hewson's big targets with this show (although parents, rest easy, the floor is specially made out of recycled soft rubber that's rated for use in public playgrounds), with the space also home to a wild children's playground. Intrepid kidlets can test their...
  • Musicals
  • Haymarket
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
As I’m on my way to Sydney's Capitol Theatre for the new Australian production of The Book of Mormon, my friend tells me it’s the very first musical a lot of people see. Created by South Park duo Trey Parker and Matt Stone (with Robert Lopez), the show’s reputation for extremely irreverent jabs at religion draws a non-traditional theatre crowd. What I now realise my friend didn’t mean was, “it’s often the first musical kids see”. When I say the musical is extremely irreverent, I mean it. The humour is crass, verging on grotesque (some things I wouldn’t dare repeat). So it’s probably questionable that I’ve brought along my 13-year-old son with me. That said, he loves it.  Some of the humour is classic teen boy (i.e. a regular exclamation from one of the Ugandan characters that he has “maggots in my scrotum”). Very South Park. My son laughs loudly with the rest of the audience – and when the jokes go too far, he cringes, glancing around with a “should I be laughing at this?” look. Although the shock value is high, it’s nice seeing a Gen Alpha-ite who’s been raised on Youtube and other screen-based entertainment bopping along in his seat to the song and dance of a stage show.    What’s the premise of The Book of Mormon? The Book of Mormon tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries sent to a small village in Uganda. Although the story centres on Mormonism, Parker and Stone have been known to refer to the show as an “atheist’s love letter to religion” – a wink and a jab...
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  • Art
  • Paintings
  • Sydney
The Art Gallery of New South Wales’ newest exhibition – Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890-1940 – spotlights 50 trailblazing females who were among some of the first to draw attention to the fact that women can make some pretty bloody great art too.  The speedy rate of industrialisation in the 19th century meant a major shift in European society. Artists used it as a chance to reject traditional themes like religion, and instead focused on fresh ways to portray individuals (in a time where it felt like machines were going to rule the world). Meanwhile, women used it as their ticket to pull a seat up at the table. The focus of the exhibition is specifically on our very own Australian and New Zealander artists who made the journey to Europe to immerse themselves in the modernist movement. Gallery-goers can peruse works from historic names like Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith, and also witness the work of some lesser-known but equally important creatives like CL Allport, Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Featuring celebrated and rediscovered paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture and ceramics, the exhibition includes work by celebrated artists such as Nora Heysen, Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith, alongside lesser-known but equally compelling figures such as CL Allport, Justine Kong Sing and Stella Marks. Dangerously Modern’s run in Sydney spans all the way to mid-February so a hot (art) girl summer awaits. You...
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  • Musicals
  • Sydney
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Much of what we learn about love comes from the media we consume. For me, the idea of love was always intertwined with play. “Love at first sight” was an unattainable ideal that existed only on screen. Shakespeare, perhaps one of the most well-known Western and colonial storytellers, captured the complicated realities of love in ways that still resonate today: that it is meddlesome, ever-evolving and often sustained by blind faith in an unspoken kind of magic. Laura Murphy’s (The Dismissal, Zombie! The Musical) adaptation of the Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Lovers, leads with magic. Its music and lyrics are grounded in the modern-day sensibilities of love – swiping right, choosing frivolity over fervour, and navigating the ongoing feminist challenge of knowing oneself while giving to another – all set to the perfect pop soundtrack for a meet-cute. For the theatre-savvy, Murphy’s musical realises the promise that &Juliet only flirted with, doing so through an entirely original score that wins the audience over with novelty rather than nostalgia. What’s the premise of The Lovers? Helena (Natalie Abbott, Muriel’s Wedding, Zombie! The Musical) loves Demetrius (Jason Arrow, Hamilton), who loves Hermia (Loren Hunter, Six), who loves Lysander (Mat Verevis, The Tina Turner Musical) – a classic love quadrangle complicated by friendship, loyalty and the constraints of parental approval. When Hermia defies her father and runs off with Lysander into the magical forest, chaos...
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  • Things to do
  • Barangaroo
Golden hour is a uniquely magical time in Sydney, when the sun begins to drop below the mountains and casts a honey golden glow across the city. And while golden hour is beautiful anywhere in the city, Barangaroo – Sydney’s buzzy west-facing waterside precinct – offers one of the best. After a successful launch event back in autumn, Barangaroo is bringing its Aperol-fuelled Golden Hour series back – and this time, the deals run all day long.   Throughout the month of November, one of Sydney’s prime sunset spots will be upping the ante with its golden hour offering; with live entertainment, affordable foodie offerings and ice-cold goblets of (appropriately golden) Aperol Spritz.Brought to life by the Bars of Barangaroo District, in partnership with everyone’s favourite orange aperitif, Golden Hours Barangaroo is a month-long event series designed to get people outside and enjoying springtime’s golden light.Throughout the duration of the event, 25 venues across Barangaroo will be serving up two Aperols for $30 (that’s $15 per drink), with excellent food offerings across the precinct and a varied line-up of live entertainment. Inspired by the Italian ritual of aperitivo, Barangaroo favourites including Gina, Zushi, Love.fish, Barangaroo House and Crown Sydney's Woodcut will be offering early evening treats to complement your Spritz.Plus, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the event, we can expect DJ sets from local tastemakers and roaming entertainment...
  • Musicals
  • Sydney
  • price 2 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Most of us know and love the whip-crackin’, brown-leather-pants-wearing character of Calamity Jane from her appearance in the 1953 movie musical of the same name starring Doris Day. This version of her sings like a Disney princess and has perfectly coiffed blonde hair, which is somewhat unrealistic for a woman who dressed in soldier’s uniforms in the 1880s, took responsibility for her six younger siblings, and could outshoot, outdrink and outswear any other man in her hometown of Deadwood, USA. Beloved Australian actor Virginia Gay’s interpretation of the famous Calamity irreverently, lovingly muddies up the too-perfect-movie-musical-version in a brand-new production that is positively stuffed with theatrical treats, now showing at the Opera House. It’s grimy, it’s silly, and the fourth wall is nowhere to be found. It’s also the biggest production since the original staging of this idea, which debuted in 2017 as part of the Neglected Musicals program at Hayes Theatre Co transforming Sydney Opera House’s studio theatre into a grand version of Deadwood’s Golden Garter saloon and theatre. The premise of Calamity Jane is this: Calamity is an unruly local of small-town Deadwood who rides with “Wild” Bill Hickok, and has a hopeless crush on second lieutenant Danny Gilmartin (despite her otherwise masculine appearance, Calamity is still very much a little emotional girl at heart). When the local theatre owner fails to secure a beautiful actress from New York, Calamity vows to...
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  • Shopping
  • Markets
  • Haymarket
Chinatown Night Market
Chinatown Night Market
Every Friday from 5pm, Chinatown transforms into a vibrant night market selling Asian street food, desserts and gifts. After a month-long closure, the popular night fest is back, now in a temporary new location – next to Paddy’s Market Light Rail stop. RELATED READ: These are the best Chinese restaurants in Sydney. Chinatown Night Market attracts a wide mix of visitors, from tourists and homesick international students to the post-work crowd, who you’ll find wisely padding their stomachs with cumin lamb skewers before hitting the next bar. During peak times, it can get a bit squishy, but the hustle and bustle is also what makes it fun. A number of Chinatown stalwarts run stalls each week, and you'll find everything from yum cha favourites like har gow and mango pancakes to fluffy roti canai. As tempting as those options might be, ration stomach space for the takoyaki – a Japanese savoury doughnut‑hole snack filled with seafood – or dragon beard candy and potato chips on a stick. You’ll also find stalls selling clothes and sunglasses, jewellery and phone cases. On some weeks, there’s even a Scientology stall offering “free stress tests” to the curious. There are no artisanal goods, but more mass-produced, imported products à la Paddy’s Markets downstream. Find out more here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READS: These are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend Read more about...
  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Castle Hill
In a city where culture is constantly evolving, the Powerhouse Museum has no problem keeping up. Spanning four sites – including Sydney Observatory, Powerhouse Castle Hill, the heritage-listed Powerhouse Ultimo site currently undergoing a $300-million transformation and a brand-new Powerhouse Parramatta location set to open in late 2026 – it’s officially the largest museum group in Australia. Now, Powerhouse Castle Hill is taking centre stage with its latest instalment Powerhouse Materials – a new series of exhibitions and events that showcase the Powerhouse Collection (home to more than half a million objects!) through the lens of a guest curator and a chosen material. Actor and activist, Chloe Hayden was the first to curate a colourful and quirky exhibition focused on textiles, and now Andy Griffiths is in the hot seat. The second iteration continues to embody imagination and eccentricity with Powerhouse Materials: Paper. Curated by best-selling children’s author Andy Griffiths (the mind behind the Just! and Treehouse series), this exhibition dives deep into the world of paper. From November 22 to March 8, this free exhibition features a quirky collection of paper objects from the Powerhouse Collection, ranging from the ordinary to extraordinary. Every visitor will receive a self-guided activity book packed with drawing and story prompts developed in collaboration with Griffiths – perfect for sparking young imaginations, and giving older ones a blast from the past. For...
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  • Musicals
  • Elizabeth Bay
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Every year, I wait with bated breath to see what original Australian musical the Hayes Theatre Company will put forward. In recent seasons, I’ve seen rock-singing country wrestlers, breakdancing zombies, and now – tap-dancing horses? Yes, Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical gallops onto the Hayes stage with all the energy, heart and irreverent Aussie spirit you’d expect from this beloved company. Even for those unfamiliar with Australia’s horse-racing history, the name “Phar Lap” carries mythic weight – the underdog chestnut who became a national hero during the Great Depression, and whose story is forever tied to “the race that stops the nation.” This new musical takes that legend and runs with it, blending history and humour with plenty of high kicks to create a crowd-pleasing spectacle that’s equal parts hoofbeats and hope. What's the premise of Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical? At the centre of the story is Harry Telford (Justin Smith, Into the Woods, The Dismissal, Dubbo Championship Wrestling), a down-on-his-luck trainer who’s never managed to produce a winner. His fortunes change when he stumbles upon Phar Lap (Joel Granger, Guys & Dolls, The Book of Mormon), a New Zealand–born thoroughbred with the makings of a champion. Sensing an opportunity, Telford strikes a precarious deal with the ever-money-hungry David Davis (Nate Jobe, Shrek the Musical). To get Phar Lap into winning form, the unlikely pair must navigate the horse’s relationship with his jockey Jim Pike...
  • Drama
  • Millers Point
  • price 2 of 4
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can spit out venom so lethal that there is no antidote. There are not many works which can produce such poisonous sparring and emotional violence with the same acclaim and excellence as Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winner’s work is a gruelling feat of art, which director Sarah Goodes tackles with a fresh ferocity and with all the classical nuance and complexity that comes with Albee’s work. What is the premise of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha (Kat Stewart) and George (David Whiteley) are a middle-aged couple who have spent their married life at New Carthage University where George works as an associate professor in the history department. The couple arrive home at two o’clock in the morning after attending a faculty party hosted by Martha’s father, who is also the University’s president. During what seems like a slight marital dispute after the party, Martha informs George that she has invited a younger couple who have recently joined the university to their house. As the argument begins to heat up, Nick (Harvey Zielinski) and Honey (Emily Goddard) arrive at the couple’s place just as Martha is cursing at George, foreshadowing the tumultuous night ahead.  The story uses the two couples’ relationships to explore ideas of truth and illusion. By using the privacy of a vicious domestic argument, the audience, like Nick and Honey, become a witness to a generally...
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