What’s On This Weekend In Sydney
Lizzie Scorer
Contributor | Urban List, Sydney, NSW
Eloise Luke
Contributor | Urban List
Ilaria Sanzari
Contributor | Urban List, Sydney, NSW
Looking for the best things to do in Sydney/Eora this weekend? There's never a shortage of exciting activities in Sydney to keep your calendar full.
Whether you want to scratch that clothes-shopping itch, look for free foodie feed, or groove to DJ beats with water views—we reckon you'll find something here to keep you occupied.
Here's what's on this weekend in Sydney.
Christmas Markets
Various Locations | Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 December
Image credit: Blue Sky Markets | Instagram
Seeing as it’s the last weekend before Christmas, it’s your final chance to savour all the holiday jolliness by attending a Sydney Christmas market. There are heaps of festive markets in Sydney this weekend, including the bustling Martin Place Christmas Markets featuring an abundance of food and gifts, and the Carriageworks Christmas Market boasting over 120 stalls.
Christmas Lights
Various Locations | Until Thursday 25 December
Image credit: City of Sydney | Website
Chasing that holiday spirit? There’s not much better than scavenging for the best Christmas lights in Sydney. We’ve rounded up our favourite Sydney streets for Christmas lights, both in the CBD and out in the ‘burbs, boasting mega Christmas-themed light displays, giant character inflatables and special Santa appearances for the young ones.
Ashfield Bowlo Community Christmas
Orpington Street & Parramatta Road, Ashfield | Friday 19 December, from 5.30pm
Swing into silly season (literally) at the Ashfield Bowlo Community Christmas Party. There’ll be plenty of lawn bowls (for $10 per person), carollers, Christmas karaoke, a ham raffle, and a special appearance from the big man himself, plus an outdoor Chrissy movie for the kids, kicking off at 8pm. Bring your festive cheer and wear some festive gear to celebrate.
Poketto Market
1 Dangar Street, Chippendale | Saturday 20 December, 9am–2.30pm
Image credit: Poketto Cafe | Instagram
Chippo’s fave cafe, poketto, is throwing their final market of the year—perfect for splashing some cash on last-minute Christmas gifts. The kitchen is also open as normal from 8am–2.30pm for yum treats and sips. Round up the crew and shop for some goodies with a side of good brews.
Drop In Pottery + Paw Print Ornament
Ceecee Studios, 1/103–105 Quarry Street, Ultimo | Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 December, 10am–2pm.
Image credit: Ceecee Studios | Instagram
Ceramic outpost Ceecee Studios hosts laidback drop-in pottery sessions every Saturday and Sunday at their gorgeous Scandi studio in Ultimo. Make your own creation or paint a ready-made piece—it’s a fully self-paced sesh with guides there to help if you need. You can even book online for wheel-throwing tips, too.
This weekend, bring your pup along for the fun and make a paw print ornament to put on your tree as a one-off Chrissy special.
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The Grifter Brewing Co. Happy Hour
1/391–397 Enmore Road, Marrickville | Wednesdays–Fridays, 4pm–6pm
Image credit: The Grifter Brewing Co. | Instagram
Dialling up the summer vibes, The Grifter Brewing Co. has rolled out a sunny happy hour to celebrate the expansion of their solar power setup. The Marrickville legends are slinging $7 cold schooners and $10 chilled wines at their tasting bar from Wednesday to Friday between 4pm and 6pm.
Artificer Coffee x Andrew Boy Charlton Summer Residency
1c Mrs Macquaries Road, The Domain | From 8 December, 6.30am–1pm daily
A three-month summer kiosk has rolled into Sydney’s Andrew Boy Charlton Pool, bringing together coffee, books and croissants from the legends at Artificer Coffee, Between Lines and Lune Croissanterie. Open daily from Monday 8 December, swing by to unwind with a cold brew and harbourside views.
Gallery Brave Naughty Nice Emporium
342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills | Monday-Friday, 10am–6pm
Image credit: Gallery Brave | Instagram
A mischievous Christmas pop-up has taken over Surry Hill's Gallery Brave, offering artsy mystery boxes priced from $10 to $70. Some are nice, others naughty—revealed only when opened. Doing last-minute Kris Kringle shopping or stressed about choosing a gift? Skip the guesswork and let Santa decide their fate.
Mode Mischief Pop-Up
17 Oxford Street, Paddington | 10am–6pm daily and 10am–7pm on Thursdays
Image credit: Mode Mischief | Instagram
Spotted on Hailey Bieber and Emma Chamberlain, design-led label Mode Mischief has officially landed in Sydney for summer, stationed at a beautiful boutique on Paddington’s bustling Oxford Street. Open from Tuesday, 9 December, Hotel Mode is an immersive concept pop-up where you can shop the full range, score early access to upcoming drops and get your hands on exclusive Hotel Mode merch.
Hawke’s Brewing: Operation Sickie
8–12 Sydney Street, Marrickville | Until Monday 2 March
Image credit: Hawke's Brewing | Instagram
The sneaky legends at Hawke’s Brewing are granting work-waggers 49% off the bill if they can successfully chuck a sickie—one of the greatest Australian pastimes.
Rock up on Friday 19 December, Monday 5 January, Friday 23 January, Tuesday 27 January or Monday 2 March after pulling a sick day from work and show your host the proof to score this awesomely cheeky deal.
Just Add Clicquot
Various Merivale Venues | Until Wednesday 31 December
Image credit: Veuve Clicquot | Supplied
Until Wednesday, 31 December, Merivale is turning up the heat on silly season celebrations—$125 bottles of Veuve Clicquot are available across more than 15 venues, giving you plenty of excuses to gather the crew. Think long lunches at Totti’s, sunny afternoons at Coogee Rooftop, or an easy post-work catch-up at Establishment Bar—all with a little extra pop.
You’ll find the offer at Bar Totti’s, Coogee Pav, Establishment Main Bar, Good Luck Restaurant, Ms. G’s, MuMu, sushi e, The Newport, and heaps more participating Merivale venues.
The Golden Hour Flip At The Bungalow
340 Stanmore Road, Petersham | Wednesday–Sunday, from 5:30pm
Image credit: The Bungalow Petersham | Website
The Bungalow Petersham is a stylish cafe by day and an elegant evening diner by night, making the switch during that prime golden hour period for a dinner with extra glow. This evening menu, taste-tested by the Urban List team ourselves, features dishes with elements from all your favourite cuisines. Think the Sri Lankan prawns with that light spice and warm roti (which practically melts in your mouth, we can confirm), or the golden tofu steak with hints of Japanese flavour (a tempting vegetarian choice). Top it off with an espresso-infused tiramisu, and you’ve got your end-of-week feed expertly sorted.
Happy Hour At Bush
55 George Street, Redfern | Every Friday and Saturday, 4pm–6pm
Image credit: Bush | Instagram
This local favourite in Redfern is bringing happy hour specials to their evenings, including a weekend happy hour that features drinks for under $10 alongside freshly made nibbles. With Bush boasting native food and courtyard dining on Gadigal land, pop in over the weekend to try out the newest dish while picking from the current happy hour menu – think $3 oysters and a $6 Hawkes Lager. This special menu will continue rotating drink combos and accompanying snacks, so expect something new to taste on every visit.
Arms Length Bar’s Weekend Specials
7 Kellett Street, Potts Point | Friday–Sunday, 12pm until late
Image credit: Arms Length Bar | Instagram
Arms Length is bringing special after special, including their Sunday $2 Oysters and discounted Lo Fi wines to amplify those end-of-week afternoons. Seated outdoors among fairy-light wrapped branches, share as many freshly shucked oysters as your heart desires while your wallet stays happy.
The bar is also hosting DJ nights every Friday and Saturday from 6pm until late, where you can sip on happy hour drinks from 4pm and get up to groove soon after. This spot gets busy, so keep an eye on their What's On page and book yourself a spot this weekend.
China Heights Exhibitions
Level 3, 16/28 Foster Street, Surry Hills | Wednesday–Saturdays, 12pm–5pm
Image credit: China Heights Gallery | Website
China Heights is a contemporary and independent art gallery set on bringing fresh creativity to the streets of Sydney. With a rotating exhibition program constantly in progress, you can enter for free to admire and be inspired by the newest artworks displayed.
There's also a catalogue of artworks available for purchase to anyone wanting to bring a piece of the gallery home. Whether it's a creative interest or a search for quality home decor, this gallery should be the next stop on your list.
Henley's Rock Revival Saturdays
9 Lime Street, Sydney CBD | Every Saturday, 9pm–late
Henley's is cranking the volume all the way up every Saturday with Rock Revival—a weekly live music event that's all about band culture and loud guitars. From 9pm until late, it's a non-stop lineup of punk, rock, indie and high-volt party bands taking on the stage.
Keeping the energy (and spirits) high, you’ll find pizza by the slice loaded with combos like truffle mushroom and fior di latte, smoked chorizo and chilli, and Philly cheesesteak, alongside cold beers on tap and a crowd that knows how to party.
The Island: Summer Season
Departure: Man O'War Steps, Farm Cove Street, Sydney CBD | Every Saturday
Image credit: The Island | Instagram
The Island’s Summer Season is in full swing, with five-hour parties from 3pm until sunset every Saturday. Expect next-level DJs, cocktails and unbeatable harbour views at Sydney’s favourite floating bar. Guests can level up with VIP Banquette booths, Rooftop access or table packages, while water taxi transfers run every 20 minutes from Man O’War Steps from 2:50pm, making it the easiest way to get to the action.
Dine-Out With Uber Eats
Various Locations | Ongoing
Image credit: Island Radio | Instagram
With eating out getting pricier by the month, plenty of Sydneysiders are rethinking their restaurant habits. But while the splurge might be shrinking, the love of a shared meal isn’t going anywhere. That’s where Dine Out with Uber Eats comes in—a new initiative helping diners stretch their budget a little further.
The best part? These offers are available any day and time the restaurant’s open (aka no happy-hour restrictions or weekday fine print) so you can plan your next dinner, date or catch-up on your own terms.
Live Music Lineup At Elliott's
79 Elliott Street, Balmain | Every weekend
Image credit: Elliott's | Instagram
Since their recent opening in Balmain, Elliott's have been curating a live music program that takes full advantage of the Inner West's recently relaxed music laws—and things are getting loud this weekend. The courtyard hosts a rotating lineup of vinyl DJs and live soul, funk, and blues sets every weekend, curated by Jordan McDonald (NITE-RITE Entertainment).
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 5pm, expect groovy DJ sets—think rare beats, funk cuts and soulful classics to get the courtyard buzzing. The vibes will be staying high across the whole weekend, wrapping up your week on a high note.
Mary's Weekend Brunch & Bottomless
Victoria Cross, Tenancy T16/155–189 Miller Street, North Sydney | Every Saturday And Sunday
Image credit: Mary's | Supplied
Mary's VX has launched an epic brunch and bottomless menu for an ideal weekend feed. Co-founder Jake Smyth reckons this is one "worth crossing town on the Metro for"—sky-high pancake stacks, brekkie burgers, unlimited spicy pickle margaritas (don't knock them until you've tried them) and bottomless filter coffee to keep the old man going. The bottomless menu comes in at a pretty $55 per person, or you can keep things breezy and order à la carte.
Bennelong In 45 Minutes
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney CBD | Daily
Image credit: Bennelong | Supplied
There's certainly no fast-track to a luxury lifestyle, but Bennelong is doing its best—this $50pp experience speed-runs sophistication in a 45-minute session, offering three refined bar snacks and a signature cocktail. Ideal for those needing a quick pre-theatre snack or just short of time, the dishes are drawn from Bennelong's pre-existing menu—Maremma duck pithivier with black garlic; Wagyu bresaola panisse, brown butter aioli; Chestnut, truffle and shiitake arancini; and much more. Head in from 5.30pm onwards, and you can experience the best seat in the harbour for a palatable price.
Main image credit: Martin Place Christmas Markets | Website
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