The first month of spring is always an exciting time to be in Sydney. The mood is high, the events are pumping, and the local mentality shifts from escaping the cold to embracing the sun.
If you’re a tourist spending time in Sydney over the next 30 days, get ready to wrap yourself in everything from experimental theatre and harbourside wine sessions, to South Western Sydney moon festivals and beachside jazz.
We’re also looking at the first full-season of the new Sydney Metro, which served over 1 million passengers during its first week of operation and has completely transformed the way Sydneysiders get around to neighbourhoods such as Crows Nest, Chatswood and Sydenham.
Below you’ll find numerous ways to enjoy this beautiful city, which is infinitely more connected than ever before.
The Best Things To Do In Sydney This Month
1. Art: Sydney Contemporary
Sydney Contemporary is one our major annual art events, taking over Carriageworks with multiple streams of art all wrapped into one big, expressive showcase.
It’s both an essay on, and a probe into, the way Australian and international art has evolved and where it’s heading over the next few years, best experienced with the site-specific works and performances that includes booths curated by our best galleries so guests can engage with curators and artists on a personal level.
Don’t miss Lisa Roet’s 9-metre-tall Skywalker Gibbon (pictured above), which makes it’s Sydney debut on the roof of Carriageworks after three decades of travelling all over the world clinging to everything from a Bejing skyscraper to a church facade in Edinburgh.
Where: Carriageworks; 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW 2015
When: September 5-8
Tickets: $40
2. Performance: Sydney Fringe Festival
Sydney’s major event for September is always the extravagant fringe festival. Packed full of action, drama and a desire to do things differently, the 30-day festival squeezes in hundreds of events—free and ticketed—that this year range from bombastic rock shows and South African gospel to communal dinners and high-concept dance productions.
Make sure you check out our top picks of the festival and book those tickets in early. You’ll also want to look further afield and check out what’s happening in the Greater Sydney Precinct (clustered around the Riverside Theatres of Parramatta) and Inner-West Precinct.
Where: Various locations around Sydney
When: September 1-30
Tickets: Varies by event
3. Drink: Negroni Week
Dates have been confirmed for this year’s Negroni Week with the yearly cocktail festival kicking off on September 16 and wrapping up on September 22.
While the exact program won’t be confirmed until closer to the date [we’ll update this listing as soon as we know more], you can expect Sydney’s best cocktail bars to come together to showcase their own twists, turns and styles when it comes to one of the world’s most popular cocktails. Plus, every purchase of a special Negroni goes to supporting Slow Food’s mission to foster a more equitable and sustainable world of food and beverage.
Thousands of the best bars around the world get involved across the same week, so it’s a great way to feel connected to millions of cocktail lovers around the world as we all cheers to making the world a better place to live.
Plus, now that the Sydney Metro is up and running you can use that and the Light Rail to get between all the bars scattered around Sydney much faster, making it more feasible to fit a massive bar crawl into one night.
Where: Various bars across Sydney
When: September 16-22
Tickets: Free
4. Musical: Sunset Boulevard
Andrew Lloyd Webber is no stranger to even the most casual theatre-goer having produced some of the most popular musicals for decades. His latest: Sunset Boulevard, a tale of faded glory and redemption set against the pizzaz of Hollywood’s golden age with Sarah Brightman in the lead role.
Brightman is Norma Desmond, a once-famous Hollywood star now attempting to claw her way back into the limelight. Australia actor Tim Draxi stands opposite her as down-on-his-luck playwright Joe Gillis, whose volatile relationship with Norma fills the production with drama, dread and a blazing hot look beneath Hollywood’s glittering facade.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre; Sydney Opera House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000
When: From Wednesday, August 28
Tickets: From $69
5. Family Fun: Lite Brite & Dream Circus
Sydney’s historic Luna Park has two brand new attractions suitable for all-ages, designed with the latest technology as immersive experiences that introduce a bit of magic into the day-to-day. With family entertainment trends moving beyond traditional amusement park rides, it’s nice to see Sydney stay ahead of the curve with Lite Brite and Dream Circus.
Take the family and make a day of it. Amusement park rides are still par for course at Luna Park, but these new additions will help add a bit of variety to your Luna Park experience. Lite Brite, curated by Worlds of Wonder, is a ticketed event that pulls guests across three themed worlds from prehistoric landscapes to futuristic cities. Light and sound is used to enhance the experience.
Dream Circus is much more fantastical, lifted by a dramatic audio-visual package complementing a 3D movie with actors taking guests on a journey beneath the sea and into dream-like states.
Where: Luna Park; 1 Olympic Dr, Milsons Point NSW 2061
When: September 1-30
Tickets: $39
6. Culture: Oz Comic-Con
Oz Comic-Con is always a cracking day spent at Sydney Showgrounds. The two-day pop culture festival celebrates all things fandom with special guests, cosplay competitions, gaming booths, and a vibrant communal atmosphere that capture that life-affirming excitement that comes with just being a fan of stuff.
This year, Sydney’s special guests include Giancarlo Espostio (Gus Fring from Breaking Bad) and John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harness from Doctor Who) who will be leading panels alongside a host of other celebrities providing insight into some of the world’s favourite TV shows and movies.
Where: Sydney Showground; Grand Parade, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127
When: September 21-22
Tickets: $45
7. Drink: Rosé All Day at Opera Bar
Opera Bar’s 10-day wine festival is back, celebrating a love of all things pink as rosé comes out to play from September 6.
Shadowed by the sails of Sydney Opera House, guests will be able to purchase spring-ready rosé cocktails, as well as premium bottles of the good stuff, frosé and even a few pink-inspired snacks like strawberries and cream pavlova and Sydney Rock Oysters served with rosé mignonette
Where: Opera Bar, Lower Concourse Level, Sydney Opera House
When: September 6-15
Tickets: $45 (includes entry and three drinks)
8. Live Music: Manly Jazz Festival
The soul of New Orleans springs up by the beach at Manly Jazz Festival, the longest-running music festival of its kind in Australia with over 70 acts from world-class performers.
Four outdoor stages have been set up with a few participating venues on and off the iconic Manly Corso, stretched across 3 days as the sound of freedom floats right on down to the sand.
Expect a wide range of styles from free-jazz to swinging dance bands inside and around venues like The Steyne and even Manly Library. Don’t forget to spend some time in the pop-up Bucketty’s Jazz Garden either, with an outdoor bar and plenty of live music all weekend.
The festival is also a great excuse for locals and tourists to jump on the Manly Ferry and remind themselves why Sydney is considered one of the world’s most picturesque cities.
Where: The Corso; Manly NSW 2095
When: September 20-22
Tickets: Free
9. Drink: Sake Festival
Over 200 varieties of Japanese Sake will be full display as the third annual Sake Festival takes over Carriageworks in September.
Not only that, but the Sake Festival is fashioned as one of the most comprehensive and insightful Japanese cultural festivals in Australia, with restaurants, bars and more artists coming together for a weekend of booming drum performances, food pairing masterclasses, and more.
Where: Carriageworks; 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
When: September 28-29
Tickets: From $60
10. Culture: Cabramatta Moon Festival
Cabramatta may take a bit of effort to get to, but the South Western suburb is one of the richest culinary awards the city has to offer. The various Vietnamese restaurants out here are considered some of the best in Australia, so bring your appetite when you head out that way for the annual Cabramatta Moon Festival.
The cultural festival is complete sensory experience, visually dazzling with lantern parades and more than 100 food and market stalls set up showcasing food from all over Asia. Make a day of it with live performances and cooking demonstrations, threaded together by lion dancing and taiko drumming to pay homage to the many different cultures across the Asian continent.
Strangely enough, there’s even a Queen tribute show being planned to headline the event, while MasterChef favourite Khanh Ong will lead the culinary offering.
Where: Cabramatta Town Hall, Cabramatta, 2166
When: September 8; 11pm – 8pm
Tickets: Free
11. Live Music: Night at the Barracks
Head on out to North Head Sanctuary in Manly as packed party program, Night at the Barracks, kicks off on September 15 for several weeks of parties, live music and more in some historic and beautiful surrounds.
A pop-stage stage will bring in big-ticket musicians like Icehouse, Pete Murray, Birds of Tokyo, Bag Radiers and The Presets. Highlights include a gospel-led homage to Whitney Houston (September 15) and a family-friendly tribute to Taylor Swift (September 29).
Where: North Head Sanctuary; N Head Scenic Dr, Manly NSW 2095
When: From September 15
Tickets: From $79
12. Al Fresco: Sydney Streets (Haymarket & Potts Point)
The City of Sydney’s efforts to push Sydney into a new-age is hinged on a number of things. Transport has just been one major factor, but also lifestyle initiatives like Sydney Streets, enlivening some of our city’s best neighbourhoods with pedestrian-only street parties to celebrate the many independent businesses, restaurants, cafes, bars and shops that populate these areas.
It’s been a huge hit over the past few years, really digging out the distinctive character that wraps these neighbourhoods. It’s also a celebration of our warmer months, with plenty of things happening throughout each Sydney Streets day, including pop-up food stalls, live entertainment, and family friendly activities each curated by local operators.
September has just two of these Sydney Streets events planned. First up will be Haymarket on September 21, with Dixon, Hay, Little Hay and Sussex Streets shut to cars from 9am to 11:30pm for a day of family fun. Then we’ve got the village-vibes of Macleay Street, Potts Point on September 28.
Pack both into your event diaries because it’ll be a great way to celebrate the unsung heroes that fill these neighbourhoods with life day-in, day-out.
Where: Haymarket | Potts Point
When: September 21 | September 28
Tickets: Free
