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The Best Things To Do In Sydney This Weekend

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Contributor | Urban List, Sydney, NSW

Contributor | Urban List, Sydney, NSW

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. 

Blue skies and warm weather are still going strong, with heaps of events to get around—head to one of these local thrifty markets, hilarious theatre shows, jaw-dropping exhibitions, or unmissable food events finishing up at the end of September.

Meet The Brewer At The Squire’s Landing

The Squire’s Landing, Circular Quay, The Rocks | Saturday 13 September, 12pm–2pm

A close up image of a hand holding a small glass that reads 'James Squire' with an alcoholic liquid inside. The blurred background of the image includes the scenery of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Image credit: The Squire’s Landing | Supplied

James Squire’s flagship waterfront brewery, The Squire’s Landing, is hosting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into beer mastery on Saturday 13 September. For $49pp enjoy beer tastings with canapes, meet Head Brewer Jack Fox and learn about the fascinating history of James Squire, brewing techniques and upcoming releases—all in eyeshot of the stunning Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. 

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Sydney Contemporary Art Fair

Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh | Thursday 11 September - Sunday 14 September

A small crowd of people are walking into another room of Carriageworks, with some contemporary artworks visible on the side of the image. A woman in the middle of the small crowd has turned around to chat and discuss the artwork with a man behind her, while other people continue to walk into the next room.Image credit: Sydney Contemporary | Website

This premier art fair by Sydney Contemporary is bringing the largest and most diverse collection of contemporary art that Australia has ever seen. A specially curated fair of works from over 100 galleries and 500 artists, this event promises interactive installations, experimental live performances, inspiring presentations and some striking visual art. 

Grab a guided tour for a more informed and smooth exploration, or peruse the lengths of this fair yourself and experience each artwork with a fresh mind. General adult day tickets start at $35, with a premium pass ticket covering all dates going for $150. 

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Blak Markets 

Dawes Point Park, The Rocks | 14 September 10am-4pm

A wide shot of a woman sitting on a picnic mat with children sitting around her as she is teaching them how to weave. There are colourful weaving threads in the middle of the picnic blanket. In the background, there are some other stalls and a blurred view of the Sydney Opera House across the water.Image credit: The Rocks | Website

Immerse yourself in the knowledge and arts of Australia’s Indigenous peoples with the Blak Markets this weekend. With 20 Indigenous stores to browse and admire, shop for unique, hand-crafted jewellery or try out some Aboriginal-inspired foods for a new taste. With activities like weaving workshops, along with cultural performances, this market will keep entire families entertained and learning. The bonus? All profits go to supporting Aboriginal communities.

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Eco Living Festival

Broadarrow Reserve, Maroubra | Sunday 14 September, 10am–4pm

An image of a man in an outdoor venue standing next to a giant sign that reads 'ECO', and he is filling up his water at a recycled water station.Image credit: Cambridge Markets | Website

Lover of all things green? The Eco Living Festival is a sustainable pop-up market in Maroubra offering the chance to shop from over 100 eco-conscious stallholders. There’ll be locally made products, recycled vintage, green tech innovations, plant-based and low-waste food options, environmental education groups, and more.

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Record Rummage 

Dawes Point Park, The Rocks | Every Sunday of September 10am-5pm

A close up image of a pair of hands searching through a crate of vinyl records.Image credit: The Rocks | Website

For any hardcore music or vintage aesthetic fans, the Record Rummage pop-up at The Rocks should be on your weekend schedule. With stalls and crates packed with vinyls, both classic, new and old, this market is the spot to bring home some new beats. Spend hours solo searching or spark up a convo and ask the music-loving stallholders for some recommendations–either way, you’re sure to be in your element.

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Tulip Time Flower Festival 

Corbett Gardens, Wingecarribee Street, Bowral | Friday 12 September - Monday 6 October 

A wide-shot photo of a crowd of people in an outdoor area. There is a large group of tulips growing hwere people are taking photos and posing in front of them, and there are markets in the background that many people are shopping at. The day is sunny and sky is clear.Image credit: Tulip Time Southern Highlands | Facebook

Not quite in Sydney, but close enough for a bright spring day drive, the Tulip Time Flower Festival is back in bloom from this weekend onwards. With over 80,000 colourful tulips to admire and snap some incredibly dreamy photos of, adult tickets start at $18.50, youth tickets at $12.50, and all children under 12 have free entry – an ideal outdoor adventure for the family.

Plan a floral day trip, or make it a weekend getaway with one of the best Southern Highland accommodation spots, to celebrate the arrival of our beloved Aussie warm seasons. 

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Negroni Month At Esteban 

1 Temperance Lane, Sydney CBD | Until Tuesday 30 September

a negroni cocktail pictured beside a burning candle on a bartop for Esteban negroni month
Image credit: Esteban | Instagram

For the entire month of September, Esteban is honouring the humble Negroni with a lineup of three next-level drinks—in partnership with Campari and YCK Laneways. Alongside the tried-and-true classic, there'll be two exclusive Esteban creations, putting their signature spin on the iconic cocktail—and as one of Sydney's best Mexican restaurants, they know their way around a bar. Try the El Coco, featuring coconut-infused Campari, smoky Applewood gin and a hint of chipotle for heat; or the Tepache de Negroni, with staple Campari, orange peel, Katún gin, and a lightly fermented orange tepache. 

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Mary's Weekend Brunch & Bottomless

Victoria Cross, Tenancy T16/155-189 Miller Street, North Sydney | Every Saturday And Sunday

mary's bottomless and brunch menu person cuts into a stack of pancakes with butter and bacon alongside a full table of breakfast treats
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.

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Bennelong In 45 Minutes

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney CBD | Daily

bennelong in 45 minutes three bar snacks displayed alongside a signature cocktail
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.

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Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition 

Fever Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park | From Friday 29 August

michelangelo's sistine chapel: the exhibition in sydneyImage 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.

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​Aprés On The Harbour

Pier Bar, 11 Hickson Road, Dawes Point | Daily, 12pm–9pm

apres on the harbour pier barImage 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. 

Book online

Art And Culture Month At The Rocks

The Rocks, Sydney CBD | Until Tuesday 30 September
 

Spring has sprung in The Rocks, and they are launching the inaugural Art and Culture Month to celebrate. This weekend, take your pick from a variety of free events celebrating the best that Sydney has to offer: leave your sad sandwich behind this Friday and grab a bite from The Rocks Markets, while listening to a lunchtime set handpicked from Sydney's vibrant music scene. On Saturday, there's a free pop-up art cube in Dawes Point Park that you can help bring to life. Paint-by-numbers style (so all skills, or lack thereof, are more than welcome), pick up a brush and leave your creative mark on this collaborative masterpiece – on display until the end of September.

Events Guide

Recovery Sundays

Baptist Street Rec. Club, Corner of Cleveland and Baptist Street, Redfern | Every Sunday

baptist street rec club recovery sundays sydneyImage 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. 

Book online

Yolŋu Power: The Art Of Yirrkala

Art Gallery of NSW, Art Gallery Road, Sydney CBD | Until Monday 6 October

yolŋu power the art of yirrkala at AGNSW best things to do in sydney this weekend
Image credit: AGNSW | Supplied

Celebrating eight decades of works from the communities of Yirrkala, in north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala shares the community, culture and Country of the Yolŋu people through their eyes and over 300 works including video, sculpture, bark paintings, digital installations and prints. 

The exhibition is a collaboration with the Aboriginal-owned Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, which was launched during the ‘70s as an act of Yolŋu self-determination in the midst of the land rights movement.

Adult tickets to Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala are $25, kids under 12 are free, and you can nab two-for-one tickets between 5pm and 10pm on Wednesday nights.

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Cerith Wyn Evans....In Light Of The Visible

Level 3, Museum Of Contemporary Art, 140 George Street, The Rocks | Until Sunday 19 October

Cerith wyn evans....in light of the visible at MCA sydney best things to do in sydney this weekendImage 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. 

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Suntory Bar 

Whisky Thief, Prefecture 48, 230 Sussex Street, Sydney CBD | Friday 8 August–Saturday 8 November

suntory bar takeover at prefecture 48 whisky thief whats on in sydney this month august 2025Image 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. 

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Cheese Making Class With Bottomless Bubbles

Shop 2a, 791–795 Botany Road, Rosebery | Various dates in September and October

cheese making class with bottomless bubbles sydney this weekend 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. 

Book online

The Book of Mormon

Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell Street, Haymarket | Tuesday 15 July–Sunday 30 November

the book of mormon sydney capitol theatre 2025 best things to do in sydney this weekendImage 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. 

Book online

RELICS: A New World Rises 

Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Darlinghurst | Saturday 16 August, 2025—Tuesday 27 January, 2026

relics a new world rises sydney australian museum lego masters exhibitionImage 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. 

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Main image credit: Rekodo | Supplied

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.

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.

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