What’s On This Weekend in Sydney: Our Sydney Editor’s Top Picks

Winter is wrapping so it’s time to squeeze in your last few cosy activities before it’s all ocean swims and bare feet.

Stuck for plans? Catch our top six picks of what to do in Sydney this weekend below. 

What’s On This Weekend

Hit Up Sydney’s New Adult Playground: Send It! Social Club

Looking for something more than dinner and drinks? Send It! Social Club got the memo for a night out that’s a little different. You can expect state-of-the-art sporting simulations, cocktails, share plates and more. Enjoy a night of connection as you move from cricket and baseball to golf, darts and pro racing rigs.

Canterbury Leagues Club & The Doylo

Journey to Tokyo Sans Plane Ticket

Satisfy your Tokyo cravings with a trip to Barangaroo House this September. Tate of Japan is taking over all three levels with special menus, collabs, and a curation of one-off experiences. Highlights include Fridays throughout September with “Share the Rare Hour”. Guests can experience a rare pour of Nikka Decades (one of only 100 bottles available in Australia) paired with karaage and caviar. You can score a 15ml pour for $60, served from the trolley.

Another highlight will be kicking off later in the month when famed Newtown ramen joint Rising Sun Workshop pops up for Ramen & Records at Rekōdo, between Wednesday 17th and Friday 19th September.

And down at House Bar, it’s all about Tokyo’s iconic 7/11 convenience stores. Think sandos, onigiri and more.

Friday 5th September to Sunday 28th September

Barangaroo House, Barangaroo

Wander Through This Immersive Light Show

From Friday 5 September to Monday 6 October, the heritage-clad Bella Vista Farm will glow with an immersive sound-and-light extravaganza that is set to whisk you straight back to the 1700s. At Echoes, wander along a convict‑reimagined trail, drift through fluorescent flower fields, and soak up stories from the Dharug sky‑watchers to early settlers Elizabeth and John Macarthur — all brought to life with lasers, mood‑setting soundscapes and interactive zones.

Sessions kick off every 15 minutes from 6:15 pm each night, and most folks spend around an hour soaking it all in. Tickets are a breezy $17.50 for adults, $12.50 for kids (ages 3–17), with free entry for little ones under 2, and a family bundle at $49. Hungry after your stroll through the illuminated past? Street‑food style trucks are on-site, dishing up tasty treats to keep you fuelled.

From 5th September to 6th October

Get your tickets here

Sydney’s Most Scenic Pool is Back, Just in Time for Spring!

After a 16-month closure for essential upgrades, this harbour-side pool is back just in time for spring. A refurbished pool deck, perfect for some springtime sun, is just one of the upgrades you can expect to notice. And yes, Oh Boy Cafe will be back shortly, too, with plenty of new delights to enjoy by the pool. Pack plenty of sunscreen and make a day of it!

1C Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney

Sydney Contemporary Art Fair

Sydney Contemporary is back at Carriageworks, taking over the Eveleigh precinct this September. This year’s fair is set to be one of the best with 114 galleries and over 500 artists from across Australia, Aotearoa, Hong Kong, LA, and London, showcasing everything from bold gallery presentations to kinetic installations and live performances. It’s the kind of four‑day art marathon where you’ll sip, stroll and soak up creativity from dawn till dusk.

New this year: ‘Photo Sydney’, a dedicated photography sector spotlighting outstanding photographers. And don’t sleep on the curated programs — Installation Contemporary, Performance Contemporary, Talks, and even a Kid Contemporary with workshops that work for all ages. Expect provocative panels, sculptural spectacle, and encore-worthy after-dark events.

From 11th September to 14th September

245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh

Experience Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Right Here in Sydney

After an Australian debut in Brisbane and a tour around the globe, it is finally Sydney’s chance to experience this iconic immersive exhibition. Visitors will be able to experience 34 of Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition. You’ll be able to view these masterfully recreated pieces at eye level, where details often missed will be revealed. You’ll also be able to glean plenty of background on the pieces via informative signage and audio guides, illuminating how these pieces have shaped art, fashion, film and design to this day.

From $24, tickets available here

Fever Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park

Sydney Fringe Festival

Sydney’s most independent arts festival is back, taking over the city this September with boundary-pushing theatre, comedy, music, visual arts and more. From bold premieres to hidden gems in unexpected spaces, Sydney Fringe Festival champions creativity in all its glorious, genre-bending forms.

Expect laneway takeovers, immersive pop-ups, and late-night energy across the Inner West and beyond. With a jam-packed program dropping soon, now’s the time to clear your calendar and lean into the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly original.

1st to 30th September September

Various Locations across Sydney

Checkout the full event guide here

Suntory Bar at Prefecture 48

Get ready: Suntory Bar is landing in Sydney, and it’s bringing serious Japanese flair to Prefecture 48, the ultimate CBD precinct celebrating food, drink and culture. Kicking off on Friday 8 August, this two-level pop-up offers a refined, yet playful drinking experience inspired by ‘nomikai’ — Japan’s art of post-work socialising.

Sip over curated cocktails made with Toki whisky, Roku gin, Haku vodka and more, paired with inventive dishes created in collaboration with distinguished Japanese chef Tetsuya Wakuda.

Nestled inside heritage-listed Prefecture 48, this is where traditional craft meets local sophistication — perfect for whisky lovers, curious drinkers or anyone chasing a memorable evening. Walk-ins are welcome, or book a spot for one of their limited-time, chef-collab activations.

Tuesday to Thursday, 5pm to 11pm & Friday to Saturday, 5pm to 12am

8th August to 8th November

Prefecture 48, 230 Sussex Street

Haven’t found your perfect weekend plans yet? Check out the best new restaurant openings in Sydney, or our monthly guide to read about everything else that’s happening this month in Sydney.

Writer

Olivia Storrie

9 September 2025

Armed with an Arts Degree in History and Psychology from the University of Sydney, a natural curiosity and a ravenous appetite, Olivia is your go-to for restaurant recommendations across the city. She also has a keen interest in hiking, patting other people’s dogs, travelling, curating her maximalist home and reading every book she can get her hands on.