The Best Things To Do In Sydney This Weekend
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.
Labour Day long weekend has come and gone, and honestly? We need a nap (and maybe a Berocca). If you’re still piecing yourself together or just easing back into reality, we’ve rounded up the best long lunches, kid-friendly outings and food specials you might’ve missed. Consider this your gentle re-entry into the weekend—or a way to keep the party going.
Chess And Mahong Club
Ace Hotel Lobby Bar | Sunday 12 October, 4pm
Image credit: Ace Hotel | Supplied
There’s a quiet renaissance happening in Sydney—less rave, more rook. Across bars and studios, game clubs are becoming the new social scene, and this Sunday, it’s landing at Ace Hotel’s Lobby Bar. From 4pm, @___mschess and @noflowers.mahjong are hosting an afternoon of chess and mahjong. Come for the game, stay for the $13 martinis, $2.50 oysters, and Happy Hour running 4–6pm.
Mode Festival
Cockatoo Island, Balmain, Sydney | Saturday 11 October
Image credit: Mode Festival | Instagram
Taking on Cockatoo Island for that exclusive and intimate feel, Mode Festival is bringing heavy beats and innovative art installations to Sydneysiders for the fourth year in a row. In honour of electronic music and the cultural community surrounding it, this festival is one of the largest in the Aussie world for techno lovers and music fanatics.
Sponsored by favourites like Philter Brewing (for guaranteed good beer), there’ll be plenty to eat and drink between sets played by foreign artists like Four Tet and Floating Points, along with Aussie musicians like X Club and IN2STELLAR. Just hop on one of the private ferries and juggle between the four different stages they’ve set up for this year–there’s plenty to see, hear, and dance hard to. Tickets are selling quickly, so get on it.
Summer Sunset Sessions
Q Station, 1 North Head Scenic Drive, Manly | Saturdays
Image credit: Q Station Manly | Supplied
Live tunes, harbour views, and wine at golden hour? Say less. The Glasshouse at Q Station Manly is bringing back Sunset Sessions, and they kick off this Saturday. Partnering with Whipbird Wines, there will be quality drops, grazing boards, seafood hampers and plenty more snackage to pre-order. Each session features a set from talented local artists—this weekend, it's Lawson and Cass. Bring your picnic chairs or rugs, a group of your favourite people, and settle in for a quality arvo sesh.
Maple Social Club: House Party
Potts Point | Friday 10 October
Image credit: Maple Social Club | Instagram
The Maple Social crew is back with House Party 2.0, transforming a Potts Point space into a four-level sonic playground. Each floor has its own soundscape: The Underground brings tech and UK garage; Purgatory leans into R&B and hip-hop; The Confessional invites a little mystery; and Heaven closes things out with indie-dance energy.
The theme is Saints & Sinners (angels, devils, or anything in between), though you’re welcome to wear whatever feels right.
American Express Secret Menus
Various Locations | Wednesday 1 October—Friday 31 October
Image credit: Cho Cho San | Supplied
Ever wondered what chefs whip up when they’re not plating your usual order? Well, the kitchen curtain’s finally lifting. We’ve teamed up with American Express® for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it secret menu dining series—your VIP pass to fresh flavours you won’t find on the menu.
From October through to November, we're taking over twelve of your favourite venues across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with exclusive secret menu dishes. Think: personal passion projects, recipes that’ve been quietly marinating for years or culinary experiments that have been kept under lock and key…until now.
Don’t sleep on this one—the first six-venue bursts are only running until 31 October.
The Island: Beach Club Saturday
Departure: Man O'War Steps, Farm Cove Street, Sydney CBD | Saturday 11 October
Image credit: The Island | Instagram
The Island’s Beach Club Saturday's kick off this weekend with a five-hour party from 3pm until sunset, bringing DJs, cocktails and unbeatable harbour views to 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.
Darling Square Moon Festival
Darling Square, 35 Tumbalong Boulevard, Haymarket | Saturday 27 September—Sunday 12 October
Image credit: Darling Square | Instagram
This annual celebration of the autumn harvest (or in our case, the arrival of spring) has its roots in ancient Chinese moon worship—and Darling Square is set to mark it in style. Beginning this weekend, expect glowing lantern displays, live entertainment, delicious mooncakes, and plenty of free, family-friendly fun right in the heart of the CBD.
To keep the festivities rolling, some of Sydney’s best restaurants are serving special menus for the Moon Festival: try the salted egg mochi cheesecake at 15cenchi, traditional mooncakes at XOPP by Golden Century, and mooncake-inspired gelato at Messina.
Live Music Lineup At Elliott's
79 Elliott Street, Balmain | Friday 10–Sunday 12 October
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).
This Friday from 5pm to 9pm, you can expect an all-funk set from DJ Prop Joe—expect rare grooves, funk cuts and soulful classics to get the courtyard buzzing. The vibes will be staying high through to Saturday, with a 2.30pm set from Boomerang and evening beats from Gonz. Finishing off the weekend is Body Corp, with an eclectic mix spinning from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.
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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.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
Fever Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park | From Friday 29 August
Image credit: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition | Supplied
Explore Renaissance Rome without leaving Sydney at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition, open from Friday 29 August at Fever Pavilion in Sydney Showground. The immersive 60-90 minute experience brings to life 34 of Michelangelo’s frescoes, including The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment, in true-to-size, high-definition reproductions.
Whether you’ve seen the originals or not, the exhibition provides a rare chance to walk through one of history’s greatest masterpieces from a never-before-seen perspective, letting visitors admire every brushstroke up close without the busy Vatican crowds around.
Aprés On The Harbour
Pier Bar, 11 Hickson Road, Dawes Point | Daily, 12pm–9pm
Image credit: Pier Bar | Website
Cosy, golden-hour spring evenings have taken over Pier Bar on Sydney Harbour, complete with crackling firepits, sparkling lights, chic cocktails and outdoor cabanas overlooking the water. The winter menu continues this month to help get Sydneysiders through the last few cooler nights of the season transition, with warming favourites like a cheesy potato bake and truffle jaffle, steak frites, oven-baked camembert, and a candle-lit Biscoff fondue served with pretzels, toasted marshmallows, and fresh strawberries to dip.
A half cabana fits 4 guests with $150 minimum spend, a full cabana fits 8 with a $300 minimum spend and the entire cabana area fits up to 14 with a $600 minimum spend. Aprés On The Harbour is open daily from 12pm to 9pm.
Recovery Sundays
Baptist Street Rec. Club, Corner of Cleveland and Baptist Street, Redfern | Every Sunday
Image credit: Baptist Street Rec. Club | Supplied
Wanna end the weekend right? Redfern’s Baptist Street Rec. Club is slinging complimentary spring rolls all day for Recovery Sundays alongside $7 beers and $8 house wines. From 2pm, you can also grab $15 Margaritas and Palomas, plus $10 Bloody Marias and West Coast Coolers ‘til 10pm. There'll be DJs spinning groovy tunes, board games to rally around and a mouthwatering menu on the lineup, too.
Cerith Wyn Evans....In Light Of The Visible
Level 3, Museum Of Contemporary Art, 140 George Street, The Rocks | Until Sunday 19 October
Image credit: Museum of Contemporary Art | Website
Welsh contemporary artist and sculptor Cerith Wyn Evans presents his first ever exhibition in Australia, Cerith Wyn Evans….in light of the visible at the Museum of Contemporary Art. His towering neon light installations create an immersive environment of light and sound, inviting guests to discover the exhibition as if they are wandering through a garden.
Major works include Sydney Drift (2025), hanging sculptural forms inspired by Sydney Harbour; F=O=U=N=T=A=I=N (2020), a three-metre-tall white neon wall audiences can walk through; and Composition for 37 Flutes (2018), 37 glass pipes breathing sound into the gallery.
Suntory Bar
Whisky Thief, Prefecture 48, 230 Sussex Street, Sydney CBD | Friday 8 August–Saturday 8 November
Image credit: Suntory Bar | Jiwon Kim
Premium Japanese beverage house Suntory is taking over Prefecture 48’s Whisky Thief for a three-month-long stint of Tokyo-level cocktails and elevated malts, alongside exclusive snacks by legendary chef Tetsuya Wakuda—marking the first chance to taste Tetsuya’s cooking since the closure of his eponymous Sydney CBD restaurant in July 2024.
Try a botanical Roku G&T, an ‘80s-style Japanese Slipper starring Suntory’s Midori melon liqueur, and the hero serve: a refreshing Hakushu Highball, made with crisp Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve whisky from the highest distillery in the world, paired with soda and fresh mint.
Cheese Making Class With Bottomless Bubbles
Shop 2a, 791–795 Botany Road, Rosebery | Various dates in September and October
Image credit: Omnom Cheese Making | Facebook
A hands-on cheese-making class is a perfect way to spend a not-so-sunny day in Sydney. Part of RedBalloon’s Best Of Guaranteed experiences, you’ll learn how to make burrata and bocconcini from scratch with expert instructors, all while enjoying bottomless bubbles. And the best part is: you’ll take home almost one kilo of handmade cheese. Tickets are $109 per person.
The Book of Mormon
Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell Street, Haymarket | Tuesday 15 July–Sunday 30 November
Image credit: Capitol Theatre | Website
Labelled “the best musical of this century” by the New York Times, the Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-winning musical-comedy, The Book Of Mormon, has returned to Sydney at the Capitol Theatre.
If you’re not familiar with the plot of this smash-hit, it follows two young mismatched Mormon missionaries as they aim to spread the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to a remote village in Uganda, which quickly unfolds with hilarious improvisations and satirical sing-a-longs. Tickets start at $99, plus a booking fee.
RELICS: A New World Rises
Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Darlinghurst | Saturday 16 August, 2025—Tuesday 27 January, 2026
Image credit: Australian Museum | Website
Created by LEGO® Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler, RELICS: A New World Rises is an immersive exhibition at the Australian Museum showcasing 14 mini LEGO® worlds inside vintage objects. Think lively LEGO® towns inside an antique piano, and newsroom scenes in old TVs.
Running until 27 January 2026, the exhibition also has an interactive build area, custom scavenger hunts and audio guides. Tickets are $29 for adults, $25 for concessions, $19 for children aged 4-15, and free for children aged 0-3 and Australian Museum members.
Main image credit: The Island | Instagram
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