You can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art after-hours this weekend

The Museum of Contemporary Art will stay open late on Friday and Saturday.
Galleries will stay open until 9pm on Friday, April 11.
Artbar is also back this weekend, curated by artist Shaun Daniel Allen.
READ MORE: I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art – is it worth the admission fee?

Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art may have ruffled a few feathers when it introduced the admission fee at the start of the year, but its program of one-off events is working hard to win people over again. This weekend alone sees the harbour side museum stay open for longer so art lovers have more opportunity to visit. Here’s what you can expect to see after-dark.

What’s on at the MCA this weekend?

Extended hours are back this Friday. The MCA will stay open late on Friday, April 11, so you can explore the artworks until 9pm. All galleries, including Julie Mehretu’s A Transcore of the Radical Imaginatory which is open on level three until April 27, will stay open until late and the MCA Store on level one will remain open to shoppers until 7pm. The MCA Cafe at Tallawoladah, on the ground floor, will also open until 9pm and members are in for an extra treat, as they can enjoy a special 20% off dining.

Sweetening the deal even more for Sydneysiders, NSW residents can take advantage of 2-for-1 All Access tickets bought in-person, when proof of residency can be provided (5-9pm).

Artbar: Liner Notes

One of Sydney’s best cultural after-dark options makes a comeback on Saturday, April 12. The Artbar series sees an artist take over the MCA gallery for the night, curating a one-off evening of art, installations, performance and live music.

This weekend, Bundjalung painter, photographer, musician and tattoo artist Shaun Daniel Allen (Shal) steps up. Artbar: Liner Notes is an adults-only event that will combine visual, sonic and social encounters. As you move through the museum, you’ll find instrumental improvisations by award-winning musician Jono Ma, Lake Kelly and more, rooftop performances by Beth and Blue and Mark Callaghan, and look out for the DJ set by Oxford Art Factory co-founder, Edward Woodley.

You could even take a piece of permanent art home with you, as local Sydney artists Sophia Baughan (of Hand in Hand) and Garth Neale (Eazy Tiger) offer on-site tattooing.

Set against the backdrop of the Museum’s contemporary art collection, the experiences are designed to “connect, contrast and complement one another,” says Shal.

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General admission for Artbar isn’t cheap at $72.95 per person, but you can get 30 per cent off at the time of writing—snap up a ticket for this one-night-only event for $51.55 while you can.

FAQs

What are the MCA’s opening times?

The Museum of Contemporary Art is open Wednesday-Monday 10am-5pm and is closed on Tuesdays. This weekend, however, the museum will be open 10am-9pm on Friday, April 11, and 10am-5pm and 7pm-11pm on Saturday, April 12.

How much are tickets?

Museum entry is ticketed. MCA Members, under 18s and Australian students receive free entry.

General admission: adults $20, concession $16.
All-access admission: adults $35, concession $28.
Artbar: Liner Notes: adults $72.95 ($51.55 on offer), concession $65.80 ($46.45 on offer). Available here.

How do I get to the museum?

The Museum is a six-minute walk from Circular Quay, where public buses, trains, ferries and light rail services run regularly. For more information and to plan your journey, visit Transport NSW.