What’s On In Sydney This August And Beyond
Lizzie Scorer
Contributor | Urban List, Sydney, NSW
Eloise Luke
Deputy Editor (Local Markets) | Urban List
2026 is serving a massive lineup of events and activities in Sydney/Eora to keep your calendar absolutely loaded.
Expect a jam-packed August in Sydney with heaps of food-filled experiences, unique events, moonlit movie nights, and a banging roster of entertainment.
Here are Urban List's picks for the best things to do in Sydney this week, all of August and further into 2026.
- August Food Events And Markets
- August 2026 Art, Culture And Exhibitions
- August 2026 Music, Theatre And Film Events
- What's On In Sydney Beyond August
Never miss a new opening or upcoming event in Sydney again—get us in your inbox here.
August Food Events And Markets
Minskys' Noughties Pricing
287 Military Road, Cremorne | Every Monday In August
Image credit: Minskys Hotel | Instagram
Pub prices are getting a serious throwback this August, with Minskys Hotel winding the clock back to the early 2000s every Monday.
For the entire month, the Lower North Shore local is serving $5 schooners, $10 schnitzel and chips, and $2 meat raffle tickets, making it one of the cheapest Monday nights out in Sydney. The beer lineup includes VB, Carlton, Pure Blonde and Reschs, while the meat raffle kicks off from 5:30pm for anyone keen to try their luck.
Running every Monday from 3–31 August, it's an old-school pub night that doesn't ask much of your wallet,just bring a few mates and lean into the nostalgia.
Bar Planet's Tarot & Martinis
Newtown | Sunday 30 August, 3pm–5pm
Image credit: Bar Planet | Supplied
Newtown's Bar Planet is pairing two very different kinds of clarity this August, with martinis flowing and tarot readings on offer for one afternoon only.
Running from 3pm to 5pm on Sunday 30 August, guests can settle in with a classic or two while getting a read on what's ahead, making it a low-key way to spend a Sunday that's equal parts indulgent and introspective. Whether you're a tarot regular or just curious to see what the cards say, it's a fitting way to while away an afternoon in Newtown with a drink in hand.
Free Food, Oyster Sauce And MasterChef Stars Are Coming To Manly Wharf
Site 2, Manly Wharf, East Esplanade, Manly | Saturday 8 August, 11am–4pm
Image credit: Lee Kum Kee | Supplied
Free full-size Panda Brand Oyster Sauce bottles, fresh sticky chicken samples, and bucket loads of sample sachets, plus meet-and-greets with MasterChef Australia legends Declan Cleary and Mimi Wong are on the menu in Manly this weekend.
On Saturday 8 August, Lee Kum Kee is hosting its biggest Australian giveaway, marking over half a century of slinging sauce in Aus. 2,000 free full-size bottles of the brand new Panda Brand Oyster Sauce Squeezable Bottle, plus 1,500 sauced-up tasting dishes and 2,500 free sachets are up for grabs from 11am to 4pm.
Declan and Mimi will also be on hand to share their simple cooking tips for adding an instant umami kick to everyday meals. Can’t squeeze it into the cal this Saturday? Add the new sauce to your cart and get chefing.
Brooki Bakehouse's Sydney Flagship Opening
Barangaroo | Friday 14 August
Image credit: Brooki Bakehouse | Supplied
Brisbane's viral bakery is finally making its Sydney debut—and this time it's here to stay. After years of sell-out pop-ups and endless pleas from fans, Brooki Bakehouse is opening its first permanent NSW flagship at Barangaroo, bringing the full lineup of the chunky cookies that made it an internet sensation, alongside its complete range of baked goods. If you need another reason to head down on opening day, the first 100 customers through the doors from 10am will score a free fresh-from-the-oven cookie.
Suntory House
Basement/82-88 Elizabeth Street, Sydney CBD | Friday 31 July–Saturday 3 October
Image credit: Oba Yusuke | Supplied
Suntory's annual Sydney bar residency is back for a third year, this time taking over Sakura House with a two-month celebration of Japanese drinking culture inspired by nomikai—Japan's tradition of gathering over drinks after work. Expect an inventive cocktail list built around Suntory's iconic spirits, beers and whisky, alongside playful creations like the Matcha Point martini, melon-inspired Mazda Zoom Zoom, wasabi-spiked Nagano Sawa and the venue's signature Sakura Sour on tap.
To soak it all up, Sakura House's kitchen has created a menu of elevated izakaya snacks, including Famichiki-style fried chicken with smoked bonito cream and caviar, mini Balmain bug katsu sandos, aburi salmon temaki and strawberry Pocky mochi ice cream. There's even a Japanese-style vending machine stocked with exclusive merch, snacks and prizes, making it feel like you've stepped straight into a Tokyo backstreet bar.
Friends Of The Clock
The Clock Hotel, Surry Hills | Friday 1 August–Sunday 31 August
Image credit: The Clock | Supplied
The Clock is once again celebrating the best of Surry Hills with the return of Friends Of The Clock, a month-long collaboration spotlighting some of the neighbourhood's favourite producers. This year's limited-edition menu sees the pub partner with Tonton Bread, Bourke Street Bakery and Veneziano Coffee to create exclusive food and drinks available all day throughout August.
Highlights include a meatball focaccia pocket served on Tonton Bread's freshly baked focaccia, fried popcorn chicken with Bourke Street Bakery's signature hot sauce and pickles, and an Italian hazelnut tiramisu infused with Veneziano Coffee. Behind the bar, expect playful cocktails like the berry-forward Pump Up The Jam and the indulgent Veneziano Coffee Club Martini.
T2 Westfield Sydney Flagship Opening
T2, Westfield Sydney, Pitt Street Mall | Saturday 1 August, From 9:30am
Image credit: T2 | Supplied
Bat And Ball Pub's 2nd Birthday Bistro Bash
Surry Hills | Saturday 1 August, From 6pm
Image credit: Bat and Ball | Instagram
Two years in and Bat and Ball Pub is throwing itself a proper party. The Surry Hills boozer's main stage plays host to a night of live music from Bread Club Band, Digital Versatile Disc, Demolition Man and Dog Days, with $2 schooners running courtesy of Young Henrys until one very special birthday brew keg gives out. No frills, no fuss, just a pub doing what pubs are meant to do on their birthday.
Tilly Takeover: Chile
Love, Tilly Devine, 91 Crown Street, Darlinghurst | Tuesday 12 August, from 6pm
Image credit: Love, Tilly Devine | Supplied
Love, Tilly Devine's next Tilly Takeover is heading to Chile, with Dennis Roman of Senses At Wine pouring a selection of bottles from across the country's vineyards for one night only.
Stretching almost 1500km between the Andes and the Pacific, Chile's wine regions cover an unusually wide spread of terroirs and climates, known for crisp Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays, delicate Pinot Noirs and structured Cab Sauvs. Then there's Carménère, a Bordeaux grape once thought extinct after phylloxera wiped it out in the 1800s, only to be found thriving in Chile a century later, having spent decades mistaken for Merlot.
Roman, known as "El Mostacho," will guide guests through the likes of a hazy orange Gustavo Martinez 'Kilako' Pet Nat, a gooseberry-driven Villard 'Expresión' Sauvignon Blanc, Antiyal's dark fruit Carménère, a skinsy Cacique Maravilla 'Pipeño' Pais, and Pedro Parra Y Familia 'Imaginador' Cinsault. Wines are available by the glass, bottle, or as one of two four-wine flights ($55 or $80).
Head chef Tom Cleland's menu runs as usual, with one Chilean addition for the night: a completo, an in-house-made pork hot dog loaded with avocado, tomato, sauerkraut, mayo and mustard.
Manteiga Nights
Manteiga, Darlinghurst | Fridays and Saturdays from 8 August
Image credit: Mantiega | Supplied
Justin Martins (ex. Bentley, Est. Restaurant, Dinner by Heston) is taking his Darlinghurst café into the evening with Manteiga Nights, a contemporary spin on Portuguese cuisine running every Friday and Saturday from 8 August.
Expect charcoal-grilled dishes, Portuguese classics reinterpreted through a modern lens, and a drinks list built around Portuguese-inspired cocktails, including a Portuguese Tart Martini. Desserts lean into the theatrical, with a reimagined Pastéis de Nata and a Madeira Bombe Alaska, all served in a dim-lit, long-dinner setting with traditional music.
The Dog House
The Netwown Hotel, 174 King Street, Newtown | Friday 14 August to Sunday 30 August
Image credit: Sheep Dog | Supplied
PB&J cocktails, whiskey ice cream affogatos, a fun photobooth, dog-friendly dining offers, a giant treat dispenser, and more are popping up at The Newtown Hotel for a limited time to launch Sheep Dog’s new Peanut Butter & Jelly Whiskey.
Inspired by the iconic combo, there’ll be themed cocktails like the Good Boy, blending the new whiskey with oat milk, vanilla and a jam-and-crushed-peanut rim, and the That A Girl Wooftini, a spin on everyone’s fave espresso martini. For something even more extra, go for the Woofagato: a mini Sheep Dog Peanut Butter & Jelly whiskey drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
Throughout the takeover, enjoy Yappy Hour daily with $15 Sheep Dog cocktails, $10 Sheep Dogs shots and $12 Woofogatos from 5pm to 7pm, plus there’s a full program of events like Monday Quiz Nights, Dine With Your Dog Wednesdays, Drag Bingo on Fridays and DOGUE, a doggy salon pop-up on Thursday 20 and Thursday 27 August.
DIY S'mores, High Cheese And More Sydney Winter Deals
Various Locations | Until Tuesday 1 September
Image credit: Pier One Sydney Harbour | Supplied
There are heaps of seasonal deals in Sydney to get around; you just need to know where to look. Start with Après On The Harbour with DIY s’mores, schnapps, fire pits and mulled wine at Pier One Sydney Harbour, running daily from 4pm to 9pm, plus DJs on the weekend.
There's also High Cheese (like high tea for cheese lovers) at Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park on Fridays from 11am to 4pm. Or for something more casual, every Thursday you can grab unlimited $1 wings at Dizzybird from 6pm to 9pm.
And if all that sends you into a food coma, unwind at W Sydney’s AWAY Spa with its new treatment menu in collaboration with LaGaia UNEDITED. Or stretch your legs by tackling the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb (it's not just for tourists, you know), before tucking into bed at the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel.
Escaping out of Sydney instead? Moxy Sydney Airport has a Stay 1 Night. Park Free For 14 package including a buffet breakfast, return airport shuttle transfers and up to 14 nights of complimentary valet parking.
Plus, Marriott Bonvoy members can save 10% off eligible stays, bars and dining from 1 July to 30 September, and it's completely free to join.
Marathon After Party At Aster
Aster, Sydney | Sunday 30 August, 5pm–10pm
Image credit: Aster | Supplied
Aster rooftop bar is taking the marathon celebrations 32 floors above the harbour, hosting an exclusive after-party in partnership with Stylerunner just moments from the finish line. Expect a curated DJ set, recovery-inspired cocktails and a carb-fuelled menu, all against unrivalled views across Sydney's skyline. Entry is complimentary and open to runners, supporters and anyone keen to celebrate marathon weekend, with the first 60 guests walking away with a Stylerunner merch bag.
The Botanica's 10th Anniversary Italian Festival
2 Laguna Street, Vaucluse | Throughout August
Image credit: The Botanica | Supplied
The Botanica Vaucluse is celebrating its 10th birthday with a month-long lineup of Italian-inspired collaborations, bringing together some of Australia's leading gluten-free artisans. Throughout August, you can tuck into an exclusive Amalfi-inspired lemon tart by acclaimed pastry chef Sebastien Sans Gluten, while on Saturday 8 August, Calabrian pastry chef Daniele Barresi of Eden Pasticceria will unveil a towering cannoli display, with every table of two or more receiving a complimentary gluten-free cannolo.
One of Sydney's few Coeliac Australia-certified restaurants, The Botanica has spent the past decade proving gluten-free dining can be every bit as indulgent as traditional Italian fare. Chef Abby James (ex-Quay and Jonah's) is leading the kitchen throughout the celebrations, which follow the venue's sold-out Gluten-Free Pizza Night earlier this month.
Pour Decisions At Gelato Messina
Erin, Gelato Messina | Thursday 6 August, 6:30pm
Photo credit: Messina | Supplied
Gelato Messina is launching a new ongoing series that pairs wine with, of course, gelato. Pour Decisions is a collaboration with DRNKS, bringing a different winemaker to Erin each session to pour their wines alongside five Messina flavours, matched scoop for sip by the gelato chefs.
First up is Stratosphere by Ravensworth, made by the Martins in the Canberra District, kicking off a series that's part tasting, part dinner, part excuse to try something new on a Thursday night.
Carriageworks 2026 Bay 20 Program
245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh | Various Dates Throughout 2026
Image credit: Carriageworks | Supplied
Sydney’s Carriageworks is staking its claim as the city’s home for independent storytelling in 2026, unveiling a stacked new season inside its Bay 20 theatre.
Across the year, expect bold theatre, contemporary dance, opera, live music and family works from some of Australia’s most inventive creatives. Highlights include the Sydney premiere of VISTA from Stephanie Lake Company (5–8 August), the high-impact, sci-fi-leaning U>N>I>T>E>D from Chunky Move (11–14 June), and the gloriously unhinged return of Bernie Dieter with Club Kabarett (October–November).
First Nations storytelling anchors the program too, with Michael Leslie’s world premiere Beyond the Tracks, Moogahlin’s Healing Scars, and NAISDA celebrating 50 years of cultural impact. Add Sydney Chamber Opera’s revival of The Oresteia, Griffin Theatre Company’s adaptation of Wake in Fright, and a family-friendly ocean adventure with Erth’s Shark Dive, and you’ve got a season that’s worth catching.
Select shows are on sale now, with more to be announced throughout the year.
Dumpling Making Classes At Lotus
Lotus The Galeries, 500 George Street, Sydney CBD | Ongoing
Image credit: Lotus Dining Group | Website
In the dumpling-loving world, Lotus is a familiar name that sparks daydreams of crispy dough and juicy insides. Crafting some of the best dumplings in the city, Lotus is offering to share their expertise with their dumpling-making masterclasses at The Galeries location.
Whether you’re looking for a fun new date activity or just want to level up on your culinary skills, this masterclass will teach you the tips and tricks of making delectable dumpling dishes. Available by booking only, submit an enquiry online to secure your spot as a future dumpling chef.
You might also like
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? The 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.
July Art, Culture And Exhibitions
Brassaï: Secret Paris At Heide Museum Of Modern Art
Heide Museum of Modern Art | Until 15 November 2026
Heide Museum of Modern Art has unveiled Brassaï: Secret Paris, the most comprehensive survey of the Hungarian-born French photographer's work ever seen in Australia, and his first solo exhibition in the country in over five decades.
Co-curated by Heide Artistic Director Lesley Harding, Philippe Ribeyrolles (manager and curator of the Estate Brassaï and the artist's nephew), and French photography curator Emmanuelle de l'Ecotais, the exhibition brings together more than 150 original vintage prints capturing Paris in the 1930s. Expect Brassaï's atmospheric night photography, his experiments with Surrealism, hallmark images of early Parisian graffiti, and intimate portraits from his inner circle, including decades of photographs made in Pablo Picasso's studio, alongside Salvador Dalí, Henry Miller and cabaret singer Kiki de Montparnasse.
Cold Dip Club Sydney
Coogee Beach | Every Wednesday, July–August
Image credit: Cold Dip Club | Supplied
If you're keen to romanticise winter instead of hiding from it, Cold Dip Club Sydney is back. The Copenhagen-born community returns to Coogee Beach this July and August, inviting Sydneysiders to swap the snooze button for a 6:30am sunrise plunge.
Held every Wednesday morning, the free community dip is all about embracing cold-water swimming with a crowd before thawing out over a $2 coffee from nearby Bathers Coogee. Last year's sessions regularly drew more than 50 people, proving winter wellness is better with company.
Whether you're a seasoned cold-plunger or simply curious about the hype, it's an easy way to start your day—preferably with warm hands wrapped around a coffee afterwards.
W Sydney Launches New Wellness Menu With LaGaia UNEDITED
AWAY® Spa, W Sydney | From Friday 1 August
Luxury wellness is shifting beyond traditional massages and facials, with guests increasingly seeking experiences that regulate the nervous system, support long-term wellbeing and deliver visible, lasting results.
Responding to this shift, W Sydney has partnered with Australian skincare brand LaGaia UNEDITED to launch an entirely new treatment menu at AWAY® Spa. The menu combines advanced Australian-made skincare with holistic therapies including lymphatic drainage, gua sha, breathwork, thermal therapy and sound healing, designed to restore body, mind and skin through immersive, results-driven rituals.
Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes
Art Gallery Of NSW, Art Gallery Road, Sydney CBD | Saturday 9 May–Sunday 16 August
Image credit: Archibald Prize | Instagram
The Archibald winner has just been unveiled, and while you might have missed the grand ceremony, you'll be able to peruse the highly anticipated exhibition—alongside the Wynne and Sulman prizes, at the Art Gallery of NSW. With over 1000 entries, it's one of the biggest portraiture competitions in the country—the final 59 works displayed until mid-August.
The centrepiece, of course, will be the 2026 winner: Richard Lewer's portrait of Iluwanti Ken, a Pitjantjatjara Elder, senior artist and ngangkari (traditional healer)—who is also a finalist for the Wynne Prize.
John Prince Siddon’s MCA Foyer Wall Commission
Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay | From Friday 24 April
Image credit: MCA | Supplied
A major new work by John Prince Siddon has taken over the foyer wall at the Museum of Contemporary Art, with the artist unveiling the largest work of his career to date as the MCA’s 2026 Foyer Wall Commission.
Stretching 15 metres across the museum’s Circular Quay entrance, Worra Munga! Ernie and Bert Dreamtime voice blends desert storytelling, political commentary and vivid contemporary imagery in Siddon’s unmistakably layered style. Expect a surreal world of animals, ancestral figures and pop culture references, all threaded through ideas of interconnectedness, memory and resistance.
Mechelle Bounpraseuth ສູ້ສູ້ Sou Sou
Art Gallery NSW, Naala Nura Building Lower Level 2 | Until February 2027
Image credit: Art Gallery Of NSW | Installation view of the exhibition Mechelle Bounpraseuth: ສູ້ສູ້ Sou Sou at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, artworks © the artist
Ceramic Indomie, Sriracha and mangosteens are taking over the Art Gallery of NSW and best believe you'll want to mark this one down in your calendar. In Sou Sou (a Lao phrase of encouragement that kind of means 'keep going', 'stay strong' or 'you can do it'), Mechelle Bounpraseuth scales up a stack of everyday pantry staples and fruit into glossy, hand-built forms with an exhibition that leans hard into the rituals around her family table, pulling from Lao heritage to frame food as something deeper than sustenance.
This one is definitely an all-ages affair where visitors can gather on floor mats, leave offerings at a fruit shrine, or add to shelves of reimagined canned goods—a cool way of showcasing how these small acts echo how culture gets passed down, held and reshaped.
Pup Yeah!
QT Hotels & Resorts | Ongoing
Image credit: QT Hotels & Resorts | Supplied
QT Hotels & Resorts is pampering pooches across Australia and New Zealand with dog-friendly stays. Pup Yeah! boasts pet-appointed rooms, luxe orthopedic memory foam CUB beds, St Argo’s hand-baked treats stocked up in the mini bar, dog-friendly room service with dishes like steak tartare and bacon ice cream, plus a bunch of designer grooming products from smith&burton to truly spoil your furry best friend.
To top it all off, each QT destination has a Strut Your Pup digital map, offering guides on the best local walks, parks, pup-friendly cafes and photo ops. Book a well-deserved stay for you and your pooch online.
August 2026 Music, Theatre And Film Events
Cabaret, Cocktails And Karaoke
Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre | Friday 28 August
Image credit: Benjamin Tiger
Cabaret, Cocktails and Karaoke is back for its August edition, and it's the perfect excuse to celebrate Seymour's return after a six-week refurbishment. Host Kimie Tsukakoshi kicks things off with a live cabaret performance alongside special guests Michael Hing, Christine Pan and Chaya Ocampo, before the mic gets handed over to the crowd. Get your song picked early, because once karaoke takes over, this becomes one of Sydney's most joyfully unhinged sing-along nights. Drinks and light bites flow all evening, so it's less a show with an interval and more one long, seamless party.
17th Korean Film Festival In Australia (KOFFIA)
Event Cinemas George Street | Thursday 20–Tuesday 25 August
Image credit: Korean Film Festival | Supplied
The 17th Korean Film Festival in Australia returns to Event Cinemas George Street with 10 films across six days, including nine Australian premieres and five visiting guests.
Headlining the program is The Ugly from Train to Busan director YEON Sang-ho, alongside HONG Sang-soo's minimalist drama The Day She Returns, and high-stakes neo-noir Project Y, led by HAN So-hee and JUN Jong-seo. The wider line-up features KO Kyung-pyo, SHIN Min-a and TWICE's Dahyun, spanning psychological mysteries, crime dramas, first love stories and intimate family dramas.
Opening Night belongs to Once We Were Us, starring KOO Kyo-hwan and MUN Ka-young, with director KIM Do-young in attendance for a Q&A. KO Kyung-pyo (Reply 1988) and producer KANG Taeu will also front a post-screening Q&A following Maze, alongside directors LEE Hwan and KIM Jin-yu at selected screenings.
Footloose The Musical
Sydney dates and venue TBC
Image credit: Footloose The Musical | Supplied
If your idea of a night out leans towards big vocals, full-throttle choreography and a soundtrack you already know every word to, Footloose The Musical is pulling into Sydney (sign up to the waitlist) after drawing serious crowds in Perth, Melbourne, Newcastle, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra.
You’ll follow Ren McCormack, a city kid dropped into a town where dancing’s off-limits, as he starts to push back against the rules. Leading the charge is Gabriel Tiller, joined by Brittany Morton, Steven Hirst, Sophie Weiss and Rachael Beck. Expect tight choreography, standout vocals and a run through the hits—“Holding Out for a Hero”, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” and “Footloose” included.
With a short season and momentum building, this one won’t hang around for long—sign up for Sydney tickets here.
Live Music Lineup At Elliott's
79 Elliott Street, Balmain | Every Weekend
Image credit: Elliott's | Instagram
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 month. 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).
Melrose FutureLab Takes Over Nimbus Co This August
Nimbus Co, Bondi | Throughout August
Melrose FutureLab is taking over Nimbus Co, Bondi's renowned sauna and ice bath studio, throughout August to launch its new supplement powder, Daily Longevity Stack.
The all-in-one powdered formula is designed to support energy, cognitive performance, muscle strength and nervous system health in a single daily serve, powered by NMN, creatine, resveratrol, vitamins and targeted nootropics.
What's On In And Around Sydney Beyond August
$15 Thursday Smash Burgers At Chophouse Sydney
Chophouse Sydney, CBD | Thursdays throughout September, lunch only
Image credit: Chophouse Sydney | Supplied
Matt Moran's CBD steakhouse Chophouse Sydney is trading white tablecloths for a $15 smash burger this September, running every Thursday lunch throughout the month. It's the first time Chophouse has done a takeaway burger, cooked fresh on the Terrace flat grill and built with a house-made beef patty, American cheese, onion and the restaurant's signature burger sauce on an AP Bakery bun. Grab it to go for an easy desk lunch or take a seat on the Terrace, with the option to go double or add bacon for $5 each, and pair it with a $10 draught or $15 glass of wine if you're staying to dine in. Walk-ins only, available 3, 10, 17 and 24 September.
Sydney Contemporary's 10th Edition
Carriageworks | Thursday 3–Sunday 6 September
Image credit: Sydney Contemporary | Supplied
Australasia's leading contemporary art fair marks its landmark 10th edition with its largest ever program, returning to Carriageworks with more than 100 galleries from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Asia and the UK, showing work by over 500 artists from 33 countries.
Curated by José Da Silva, the program brings 15 ambitious installation and performance works into play, including Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie's ALWAYS at Sydney Fish Market, Joan Ross's video installation at Barangaroo, three works celebrating the late Billy Apple®, and a new performance piece from Melbourne duo The Huxleys. Elsewhere, expect major sculptural works from William Kentridge, Nabilah Nordin and Kirtika Kain, alongside a kinetic collaboration from Grace Lillian Lee, Dr Ken Thaiday Snr and Allan George Lee.
Africa Film Fest Australia
Sydney Opera House and Event Cinemas Parramatta | Thursday 3–Sunday 6 September
Image credit: Africa film festival | Supplied
Africa Film Fest Australia returns with fourteen Australian premieres, spanning nine feature-length films and documentaries, eight short films, filmmaker Q&As and an Opening Night celebration at the Sydney Opera House.
Highlights include The Eyes of Ghana, directed by two-time Academy Award winner Ben Proudfoot and executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions; Muganga: The One Who Treats, produced by Cynthia Pinet and Angelina Jolie; and Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story, tracing the Harlem photographer behind the Black Is Beautiful movement. The 2026 program spans stories of apartheid, independence, music and Black creative movements from across Africa and its global diaspora.
Unlock The Rocks With Art And Culture Month
The Rocks | Throughout September
Image credit: Unlock The Rocks | Supplied
The Rocks is unlocking its creative soul this September, with Art and Culture Month bringing a free, month-long celebration of art, music and culture to Sydney's oldest precinct. By day, expect a self-guided art trail and weekend workshops tucked into the laneways, from plein-air painting at Dawes Point Park to weaving and sketching sessions, plus a Sunday record market and the regular Rocks Markets running Friday to Sunday. Once the sun goes down, the program shifts into live jazz, stand-up and improv at Unfiltered, unscripted chats with emerging musicians courtesy of FBi, and late-night culture at the Museum of Contemporary Art. It all builds to the Unbound: Street Performance Festival on 26–27 September, when George Street shuts down for giant puppets, aerial acrobats, roving performers, a disco under mirror balls and a conga line parade through the historic streets.
Chefs In The Vines
Spicers Guesthouse, Pokolbin | Saturday 5 September
Image credit: Spicers Guesthouse | Supplied
For one day only, five restaurants and five Hunter Valley wineries come together for Chefs in the Vines, a food and wine event built around regional produce and face time with the people behind the plates.
Chefs James Soltau, Anthony Fullerton (Circa 1876, éRemo), Thomas Heinrich (Restaurant Botanica) and Ed Butcher (Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens) will cook across five live stations, each preparing a signature dish exclusively for the event, from a wood-fired Barossa pork kebab to XO Birubi Beach pipis. Wine flows from Tyrrell's, Brokenwood, Mount Pleasant, First Creek and Silkman Wines, held across two sessions from 12–2pm and 2:30–4:30pm.
Strummingbird Festival
Newcastle Foreshore, Newcastle | Saturday 17 October
Strummingbird Festival is back for its second year, touring a stacked lineup of American country stars and homegrown heroes across regional Aus. Topping the bill is cross-genre superstar Post Malone, bringing his Nashville-inspired F-1Trillion to the stage. On support duties are the likes of Bailey Zimmerman, Cooper Alan, Jindabyne local Brad Cox and Cigarettes @ Sunset—plus a stack more on the mammoth program.
Kicking off in Ballarat on 10 October, before heading north to Newcastle on 17 October and finishing the run on the Sunshine Coast on 18 October, it’s set to be a toe-tapping, head-banging boogie. We don’t need to tell you that country’s having a comeback, so make sure to grab your presale tickets here on 13 May to lock in the best price.
Takashi Murakami Retrospective At AGNSW
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney | From Saturday 5 December
Image credit: Art Gallery Of NSW | Supplied
A major Australian-first retrospective of Takashi Murakami is landing at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, bringing one of the world’s most recognisable contemporary artists to Sydney in a blockbuster summer show.
Opening this December as part of the Sydney International Art Series, the exhibition spans more than three decades of Murakami’s work—from his early ‘Superflat’ experiments to new pieces being unveiled globally for the first time.
Set across multiple gallery spaces, including the Nelson Packer Tank, the show promises a full immersion into Murakami’s saturated, surreal universe. Expect paintings, sculptures, video and large-scale installations that blur the lines between high art and pop culture, pulling from anime, fashion and traditional Japanese art.
Now, fill your calendar with
- 50 Of The Absolute Best Things To Do In Sydney
- Sydney's Best Walks To Do In 2026
- The Best Restaurants In Sydney Right Now
Main image credit: No Flowers Mahjong Club | Instagram
Editor's note: Urban List editors independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. Urban List has affiliate partnerships, and if you purchase something through the links in this article, we will earn a commission from those partners. To find out more about who we work with and why, read our editorial policy here.
Urban List Best Of: has our highest stamp of approval—curated lists of the very best recommendations for you to eat, do, see, buy or book, carefully chosen by our Editors.
What’s On This Weekend In Sydney
The Best Restaurants In Sydney To Book In 2026
.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&ar=3:2&w=1100)