What’s On In Sydney This Month 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.
- September Food Events And Markets
- September 2026 Art, Culture And Exhibitions
- September 2026 Music, Theatre And Film Events
- What's On In Sydney Beyond September
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September Food Events And Markets
Hong Konger Street Market
Victoria Avenue, Chatswood | Sunday 20 September, 10am–7.30pm
Image credit: OzStarter | Supplied
Chatswood is getting a taste of Hong Kong this September, when more than 50 local businesses, makers and creatives take over Victoria Avenue for the one-day Hong Konger Street Market.
Organised by OzStarter, the market will be split into three areas inspired by Hong Kong’s streets: Food Street for street eats, desserts and milk tea; Ladies’ Street for shopping, beauty and market-only finds; and Tai Nan Street, an arts-focused precinct spotlighting local designers and creatives. There’ll also be games, live portrait sessions, handmade goods and plenty more to browse throughout the day.
Love Tilly Group's Charity Dinner For RU OK?
Fabbrica Darlinghurst | Tuesday 8 September
Image credit: Love Tilly Group | Supplied
Love Tilly Group is hosting its annual charity dinner, raising funds and awareness for RU OK?, a national suicide prevention charity. Held this year at neighbourhood pasta bar Fabbrica Darlinghurst, the night brings together an all-star lineup of chefs from across the group.
Guests start upstairs with a standing mingle over bites from Love, Tilly Devine and Letra House. Downstairs, savoury courses continue at a long communal table with dishes from Palazzo Salato, Fabbrica and Ragazzi, plus the returning steak frites from Dear Sainte Éloise. Dessert wraps up around the benchtop island with tiramisu. Held over two sittings, tickets are $100, with all proceeds going to RU OK?
Crush Clubs Sexy Singles Dinner Party
Attenzione, Redfern | Thursday 3 September
Image credit: Crush Club | Supplied
Crush Club is bringing its debut singles dinner party to Sydney this September, taking over the private dining room at Attenzione for one very flirtatious night. Expect a lively room of singles feasting on a three-course Italian menu, with guests moving freely between tables after each course so you're never stuck talking to the same person twice. High energy, flirtatious and delicious, tickets are $90 and come with the chance to meet your one true love, or at least a very good pasta.
Bar Bruno's Aperitivo Hour Is Serving $2 Oysters Alongside $10 Martinis
Bar Bruno | Daily, 3–6pm
Image credit: Bar Bruno | Supplied
Whether you've clocked off early or just want a pre-dinner drink and snack, Bar Bruno's daily Aperitivo Hour has you covered. From 1 September, $2 oysters join the lineup alongside a Two-Sip Wet Martini ($10), Aperol Spritz ($13), crumbed olives with 'nduja mascarpone ($8), a Bruno Burger ($14) and mushroom bruschetta ($8 each). Dishes and drinks start at $8 per item, running daily from 3–6pm.
Chin Chin Is Turning 15 With A Month Of $15 Cocktails And A Bill-On-The-House Dice Game
Chin Chin, Surry Hills | Throughout September
Image credit: Chin Chin | Supplied
Chin Chin is celebrating 15 years with a month-long stack of birthday specials across both its Melbourne and Sydney locations. Every table dining throughout September gets a shot at winning their meal for free—roll three dice, land a total of exactly 15, and the whole table eats on the house. Executive Chef Benjamin Cooper is also hosting a Birthday Edition of Cooking with Cooper on 13 and 20 September, a hands-on class covering green nahm jim, beef martabak spring rolls and hellfire chilli oil, before a Feed Me feast featuring the cult-favourite kingfish sashimi ($165pp, limited places). Rounding things out, Chin Chin is pouring $15 cocktails each week, alongside limited-edition specials including chicken and sweetcorn dumplings, sesame cauliflower toast and a pandan and coconut birthday lamington.
$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.
Tailor Room's Precopeo
The Rocks | Sunday 13 September
Image credit: Tailor Room | Supplied
The Rocks is getting a Mexican cocktail Sunday session courtesy of Oscar and Miguel Valle, the team behind Mexico City bar Licorería Limantour. Called Precopeo, it takes its name from the Mexican ritual of meeting for drinks and snacks before heading out for the night.
From 3pm to 5pm, Despacho Margarita takes over The Garden with margaritas, street snacks, vinyl DJs and mariachi. Then from 6pm to 10pm, Limantour—ranked No. 52 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, takes over the intimate Tailor Room with a one-off menu (tickets $50, including two cocktails).
Australian Native Food Festival
Carriageworks, Eveleigh | Saturday 26–Sunday 27 September
Image credit: Carriageworks | Supplied
Following last year's successful debut, the Australian Native Food Festival returns to Carriageworks for a two-day celebration of native ingredients, culture and connection. Presented by Indigiearth and led by Weilwan woman Sharon Winsor, the program unites Indigenous and non-Indigenous chefs including Rayleen Brown, Aunty Beryl Van Oploo OAM and Mindy Woods.
The festival also features 30 First Nations-owned businesses selling native spices, bush beauty products, chocolate and handcrafted weaving. Each day includes a basket-weaving workshop from Ngumpie Weaving, and new for 2026 are one-on-one Ngangkari Healing Treatment Sessions with Pitjantjatjara healer Debbie Watson.
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.
The Grounds of Alexandria is teasing a Winnie the Pooh takeover
Launching this Friday 11 September.
Expect a full Disney-style transformation dripping in 100 Years of Pooh magic — details are still under wraps, but if the teaser images are anything to go by, this one's set to be a hunny-loving photo op. Watch this space.
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.
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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.
September Art, Culture And Exhibitions
Sydney Contemporary
Carriageworks, Eveleigh | 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.
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.
This Incredible Outdoor Lightshow Is Returning To One Of The Region's Most Historic Landmarks
Bella Vista Farm | 18 September – 11 October
Image credit: Laservision | Supplied
Echoes: Moon Garden is returning to Bella Vista Farm this spring, bringing its sold-out immersive light and sound journey back through the grounds of one of the region's most historic landmarks. Produced by Laservision in partnership with The Hills Shire Council, the award-winning trail transforms the historic farm into a glowing after-dark world of light, sound and storytelling. Tickets start from just $11.50, so it's well worth getting in early before it sells out again like last time.
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.
This New Street Festival Has Circus Performers, Disco Grannies And A Confession Booth
George Street, The Rocks | 26–27 September
Image credit: The Rocks | Supplied
Unbound: Street Performance Festival is closing out Art and Culture Month with a full street takeover of George Street. Expect towering puppets, including a giant bin chicken, alongside world-class buskers and circus performers, roving streetlamp posts, disco-loving grannies and a confession booth. The two-day event caps off a month-long celebration of art, music and culture through The Rocks, Sydney's oldest precinct, and promises to be a suitably chaotic send-off.
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.
September 2026 Music, Theatre And Film Events
Wild Things International Kids Festival
Sydney Opera House | Saturday 26 September–Sunday 11 October
Image credit: Sydney Opera House | Supplied
Sydney Opera House is launching its first annual kids festival this spring school holidays. Wild Things transforms the building into a creative wonderland for kids and their families across 16 days, with leading companies from Europe, North America, the United Kingdom, Asia and Australia presenting work for ages zero to 14.
The lineup spans circus, Korean pansori and inventive stage adaptations of classic children's book, plus James Joyce's Ulysses, taking young audiences through Taiwan, Syria, Africa, Korea, Australia's First Nations, Antarctica and outer space. All performances are priced at $49 and under.
Armenian Film Festival Australia
Sydney | Friday 11–Sunday 27 September
Image credit: Amenian Film Festival | Supplied
Armenian Film Festival Australia (AFFA) marks its 10th anniversary this year with a national program screening across the country. One to spotlight on the Sydney program is Outliving Shakespeare.
Set in a derelict Soviet-era retirement home, the film follows a group of elderly residents rehearsing an original play, "Shakespeare's Sins". It's a thought-provoking look at the loneliness that comes with ageing, and the community the troupe builds along the way.
State Library Of NSW: 200 Years Of Awe
State Library of NSW | September–October
Image credit: State Library of NSW | Supplied
Australia's oldest library continues its 200th-anniversary celebrations with a six-week program of performances, talks and free live music from some of Australia's leading creatives.
On 11–12 September, director and storyteller Stephen Page AO presents RECLAIM: A Contemporary Ceremony in the Mitchell Library Reading Room, combining dance, spoken word, poetry and music to celebrate the resistance and resilience of NSW's First Nations peoples. From 18–19 September, composer and yidaki master William Barton presents Earth Flow, also in the Mitchell Library Reading Room, with Aunty Delmae Barton, Jack Thompson, Ray Martin and the Sydney Street Choir.
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.
Strummingbird Festival
Newcastle Foreshore, Newcastle | Saturday 17 October
Image credit: Strummingbird Festival | Supplied
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.
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).
What's On In And Around Sydney Beyond September
France's First 360° Immersive Electronic Experience Lands in Australia
Saturday 24 October, 4pm-11pm
A new immersive electronic music experience is heading to Melbourne and Sydney this October, with Electro Merveilles bringing a 360° celebration of French culture through music, art and projections. The event will feature sets from French headliners Tchami and Tigerlily, alongside KVISION, Tyson O'Brien, Alex Hosking, Mowgli May and Fred B Side.
The Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre will transform into an immersive world of light and projection on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, before the celebration wraps with an open-air French Touch party on the University of Sydney campus on Sunday 25 October. Tickets start from $99 in Melbourne and $69 in Sydney.
Melt Festival
Across Brisbane/Magandjin | Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 8 November
Image credit: Melt Festival Brisbane Powerhouse | Supplied
Need an excuse to travel up north? Here it is. Melt Festival returns to Brisbane/Magandjin this spring, bringing over 100 queer arts and culture events to more than 50 venues. Big names like Courtney Barnett, Melanie C, TEEKS and Jude York are involved, but the biggest draw might be a five-storey-high hot-pink duck. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s famous Rubber Duck is coming to Australia for the first time, bobbing along the Brisbane River/Maiwar before starring in the River Pride Parade on Saturday 24 October.
Expect themed party boats, riverside activations and a free Opening Party at Brisbane Powerhouse. And in a city first, there’ll be a Brisbane Pride Rally, March and Fair Day joining the festivities for one enormous Pride Saturday.
Elsewhere, Circa premieres Show Me Love, an immersive acrobatic journey through Brisbane Powerhouse’s hidden corridors, while new drag competition Mr First Nation celebrates Blak excellence. There’s also free participatory art, Heated Rivalry Trivia, Queer PowerPoint chaos, local music and plenty more reasons to make a trip out of it. Basically: pack something pink, book the flight and follow the duck.
Sydney's Only Chance To Walk Inside A David Hockney Painting Is Here
Carriageworks, Eveleigh | Ongoing
Image credit: Lightroom | Supplied
Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) makes its Australian debut at Carriageworks, wrapping visitors in a 360° immersive journey through 60 years of David Hockney's practice, narrated by the artist himself. After sold-out runs in London, Manchester, Seoul and Singapore, the show pairs state-of-the-art projections with an original score by Nico Muhly, taking audiences from beloved classics to lesser-seen works and new pieces created especially for this project. Already dubbed "a breathtaking triumph" by The Independent, it's not one to sleep on.
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
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