Things to do in Sydney today

Believe it or not, we’re approaching the end of Feb, which means Sydney is getting a whole lot more glittery. This weekend, the Harbour City’s most joyful and inclusive picnic is coming back. On Sunday February 15, the Mardi Gras Fair Day will return to Victoria Park for a full-day, all-ages celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride – and it’s completely free. This beloved event is alfresco joy dialled all the way up: live music, drag royalty, more than 200 stalls, and a kaleidoscope of community groups coming together in one big, brilliant love-in. From glitter-covered families and pets in drag, to elders swapping stories and dancefloor friends reuniting in daylight, Fair Day feels like Sydney’s unofficial first dance of the season. Come hungry – the food trucks bring the goods – and stay for the performances that roll until sunset. It’s warm, welcoming and wonderfully extra, with a crowd that turns browsing into bonding. Whether you’re there to celebrate, connect or simply soak up the vibes, Fair Day is where Sydney shows up as its most colourful, generous self.Keen? Learn more over here.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:  These are the best gay bars and queer clubs in SydneyThese are the best things to do in Sydney this weekendAnd here’s a love letter to Sydney

Make your next Sunday session sparkle with a brunch that screams summer. Taking place on the rooftop of the gorgeously decked out Woolly Bay Hotel, Ovata Sundays promises a whole heap of bubbles and banging tunes.  While you’d be hard pressed to find a decent all-inclusive brunch in Sydney for less than $100, let alone less than $80 – Ovata Sundays delivers on value and good vibes. For just $75, you’ll score a dedicated spritz menu (including a citrusy number and a classic Hugo spritz), Ovata sparkling wine (including the newly launched Ovata by Oakridge Sparkling Rosé) and fresh canapés for an hour and a half – all while a DJ is mixing it up on the decks from 3pm to 5pm.  For nibbling on, there will be pork san choy bow, wagyu sandos, citrus-cured salmon bites and jamon croquettes – don’t mind if we do. If you’re feeling a bit more peckish there are other deliciously paired items you can add-on like South Coast rock oysters and tempura Yamba prawns. Plus, if you like what you’re drinking, you can score special deals on glasses and bottles of Ovata by Oakridge wine on the day.  Rather a mid-week bevvy? Arturo’s is putting on spritz specials from 4.30pm to 5.30pm on Wednesdays to Sundays. Get the crew together for Ovata Sundays on Arturo’s Rooftop from February 15 to April 19 (excluding March 29). Seatings are $75pp – bookable on the hour from midday – and you can lock yours in here.

If you’re ready to zhuzh up your walls with a piece of real artwork, you’ve now got all the more reason to take that big step. The Barnardos Unbound Art Show returns to Sydney with works from emerging and established artists to raise money for a good cause. This year, the mixed-media art show is expanding with a free two-week long public exhibition for the first time. Taking over The Garden Gallery at the Botanic Gardens from February 13 to 24, you can catch an up-close look at all the donated pieces including sculpture, photography, paintings and printworks. If you’re hoping to get your hands on an exclusive local artwork, the online auction is currently underway with bidding closing at 9pm on February 12. In line with the theme of Place to Belong, all the works donated tell a story of belonging with artists such as Antoinette Ferwerda, George Hall, Ken Done, Leah Thiessen and Vicki Lee contributing pieces.  The funds raised will go towards Barnardos’ safety and prevention programs, which are committed to improving the wellbeing of children in need and creating a better future for them.  To make a bid in the auction you can find the full line-up here, or for more info on the exhibition head here. 

Calling all beer lovers: Brookie Fest, a three-day beer fest bringing together the ace breweries dotted around Brookvale on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, is back for its third year. This seriously fun shindig kicks off on Friday, February 13, and runs until Sunday, February 15 with Brookvale’s best breweries, distillers and eateries – including Bucketty's Brewing Co, Freshwater Brewing Company, Manly Spirits Co, Dad & Dave's Brewing and more – all getting in on the action – and you should, too. There will be lots of smashable ice-cold beers and live bands performing throughout the festival, but we’re big fans of the wacky entertainment. W're talking about dachshund racing (yep, those sausage dogs are set to battle it out), skating demos, a chilli eating contest, and the ever-popular Esky races. Got little ones? Bring them along on Sunday for kids’ karaoke, balloons and hair braiding.  You can check out the full line-up here. See you at Brookie Fest! Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READS: Thirsty? These are the best breweries in Sydney right now. Feel like a swim? Hit the surf with our guide to the top beaches in Sydney here. Check out our guide to the coolest bars in Sydney.

It’s that time of year again when Mardi Gras takes over Sydney, bringing with it the glittering cinematic showcase of LGBTQIA+ excellence that is the Mardi Gras Film Festival. Opening with the beautiful Australian film Jimpa, starring Olivia Colman, John Lithgow and Aud Mason-Hyde, there’s tonnes to see before the festival wraps two weeks later with American high school comedy She’s the He. Here are ten of our top picks: Pillion Thirsty Heated Rivalry fam, we know you’re checking out Alexander Skarsgård as a biker leather-clad dom in this smoking hot British debut feature. Loosely adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ novella, Box Hill, by writer/director Harry Lighton, it’s astonishingly sexy, absurdly funny and achingly bittersweet. Harry Melling’s the revelation, as the sub drawn into a fetish scene he barely understands, but embraces with his whole body, in this sex-positive delight that’s also a Christmas movie. Yippee-ki-yay. The Chronology of Water Another literary adaptation, this one marks the Cannes-berthing directorial debut of Personal Shopper star Kristen Stewart. Blown away by would-be-swimmer-turned-author and academic Lidia Yuknavitch’s powerfully raw memoir, Stewart made it her mission to bring it to life as a formally daring, non-linear fever of a film. Led by a towering performance from Imogen Poots, as a bisexual woman and addict attempting to rebuild her life after shocking childhood abuse, it’s a tough, but emotionally rewarding watch. The Serpent’s Skin...