The sun is shining and the beach is calling. Start planning your Sydney summer holiday now and dream of days smell like sea salt. In addition to the joys of being at our beachside locale there are also plenty of events running through the summer from festive events in the Christmas lead up to sport, theatre and markets.
Start your #summerbucketlist with some of our favourites upcoming events to put together the perfect itinerary.
Festive
Christmas on the Green
Hyde Park North, City
25 November
Start off your festive celebrations with a live and free outdoor concert in the beautiful setting of Hyde Park. Perfect for the whole family with lots of kid’s entertainment, food vendors and fireworks to cap off the night.
Martin Place Christmas concert and tree lighting
25 November
Santa and the Lord Mayor will arrive on a cycle-drawn sleigh to lit the Christmas tree and officially kick off Christmas in Martin Place.
Boulevard of Light
25 November to 2 January
Pitt Street Mall, City
The mall turns into a Christmas wonderland of twinkling lights. Do your Christmas shopping and enjoy carols every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from November 25 to December 21 too.
Christmas at QVB
455 George Street, City
Visit Santa at QVB in the Enchanted Garden located on level two. Plus see the beautiful Swarovski Christmas Tree, at 24 metres this is Sydney’s tallest Christmas tree and residing under the beautiful QVB dome with over 82,000 crystals, 65,000 lights and a 2.2m wide crystal gilded star it is definitely the most spectacular.
Coogee Carols
17 December
Goldstein Reserve, Coogee Beach
Bring the whole family to the 16th annual Coogee Carlos. This year the free event is hosted by comedian Amanda Keller. Enjoy traditional and contemporary carols, a visit from Santa and fireworks.
Christmas at Sydney Town Hall
19 December
This annual summer event in the beautiful town hall building featuring choirs and the police band. Tickets can be purchased here.
Movies and the arts
Mov’In Bed Outdoor Cinema
Mov’In Bed
Until 10 December
The Showring, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
The biggest outdoor bed cinema in the world, enjoy the fun on an outdoor cinema this summer with the comfort of queen beds. It’s really the only way to watch a movie this summer.
Titanic the Exhibition
Ongoing
Byron Kennedy Hall, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
Titanic The Exhibition unravels the mystery of the unforgettable tale of RMS Titanic’s first and final deadly voyage in a thrilling self-guided tour.
The Australian Ballet
Capitol Theatre
The Australian Ballet’s 2017 season wraps up with two beautiful ballets: The Sleeping Beauty (11 to 25 November) and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland© (5 to 22 December). And perfect for little ballerinas Storytime Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty (20 to 29 December) is a condensed performance full of colour and excitement playing at the Opera House.
The Merry Widow – Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Opera Australia’s 2018 season starts off with two well-known and loved shows: The Merry Widow (2 January to 3 February) and Carmen (10 February to 23 March). Enjoy the decadence and comedy of Lehar’s Widow and the drama of Bizet’s Carmen.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
Here the songs you love from the Oscar winning film LA LA LAND brought to life by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 7 to 9 December.
Markets
Eat Summer
November 18
The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
The name really says it all, eat (and drink!) the flavours of a Sydney summer at this twilight food market. Fried chicken and cocktails are just the start, do we really need to say more?
The Big Design Markets Sydney
The Big Design Markets
24 to 26 November
Royal Hall of Industries
The perfect reason to start your Christmas shopping with more than 200 stall holders, great dining options and even free activities for the kids. We love finding those beautifully handcrafted items and one-of-a-kind pieces that make our friends and family feel extra special.
Hard to find Market
26 November & 17 December
The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
Discover everything you love about hardtofind.com in person at this market. Think unique and quirky gifts that show thoughtful selection. There will also be love music and wine tastings to make it a fun day out.
Sport
Sydney Summer sport is all about cricket, key fixtures:
The Ashes, Fifth Test, Australia V England, 4 January, SCG
One Day International Series, Third ODI, Australia V England, 21 January, SCG
T20 International Series, First T20, Australia V New Zealand, 3 February, SCG
Sheffield Shield
- Round 7, NSW V SA, 16 February, SCG
- Round 8, NSW C TAS, 24 February, SCG
KFC BBL|07
- SIX V SCO, 23 December, SCG
- SIX V STR, 26 December, SCG
- SIX V THU, 13 January, SCG
- SIX V HEA, 18 January, SCG
- SIX V STA, 23 January, SCG
Rebel WBBL|03
- SIX V HUR, 23 December, SCG
- SIX V THU, 13 January, SCG
- SIX V HEA, 18 January, SCG
Excited about a Sydney summer in Coogee? We are! Book your getaway here.
Image: Destination NSW
Image credits:
Martin Place Christmas Tree – Destination New South Wales | The Merry Widow – Opera Australia | The Big Design Markets – The Big Design Markets | Cricket – Destination New South Wales