Things to do in Sydney today

At the northern tip of Australia, in north-east Arnhem Land, lies Yirrkala  – it’s an internationally renowned arts community whose work has shaped history and challenged convention. The good news? You don’t need a plane ticket or a 4WD to experience its power. From now until October, Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala brings the beauty and brilliance of Yirrkala’s art to Sydney.  Featuring nearly 300 works by 98 artists, the exhibition spans bark paintings and wooden sculptures to video art and digital installations. Each piece speaks to the deep cultural, political and social histories from which it emerged – revealing tradition not as static, but as a living force of innovation and resistance. Our hack? Explore the exhibition on a Wednesday night at Art After Hours – not only will it feel like you’re making the most of your week, but you can score two-for-one tickets* from 5pm to 10pm.  Catch Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until October 6. Tickets start from $13 for youth (free for children under 12) and $20 for members. Book yours here.  Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. The exhibition is presented in partnership with the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre. *Terms and Conditions apply, head to artgallery.nsw.gov.au for details.

There’s always a lot going on at Sydney’s favourite house. So much so that it can be hard to keep track – with new headliners dropping every other week, and huge events taking over the various venues seemingly out of nowhere.  Keen to go to a show under the sails over the next few months? We’ve rounded up a few top picks in the Sydney Opera House winter to spring season:  Badu Gili: Healing Spirit, a stunning illumination of the sails This dynamic projection will light up the Eastern Bennelong sails with First Nations artwork five times a night, every night until Friday, December 12. Backstage tours, a peek behind the curtain Explore the inner workings of Australia's most famous buildings on one of these expert-led tours. Dates: DailyTickets: From $48 The Play That Goes Wrong, a beloved piece of slapstick theatre Celebrating ten years of dominating the West End, this slapstick masterwork is bringing big giggles to the Drama Theatre this winter.Dates: Thursday, July 24 - Sunday, August 3 Tickets: From $89 Emily Sun and Slava Grigoryan, an intimate classical performance Internationally acclaimed violinist Emily Sun and multi-ARIA-winning guitarist Slava Grigoryan will perform a magical, serene showcase of mesmerising classical pieces as part of the Opera House’s intimate Utzon Music series.  Dates: Sunday, August 3Tickets: From $69.90 + booking fee.  Generations and Dynasties, a celebration of First Nations storytelling These intimate events (held in the Utzon room, a...

August isn’t always the easiest month in the Harbour City, so to inject a little light to one of Sydney’s darker months, Barangaroo is bringing a heap of wellness-inspired activities to the waterside precinct for four nourishing weeks. ‘Barangaroo You Wellness Month’ will run from Friday, August 1 until Sunday, August 31, with a line-up of free activities centred around health, movement and mindfulness ranging from sound baths to HYROX-style training sessions. Plus, they're giving away 20 free Scandi-style sauna sessions. Keen? Read on.One of the key pillars of Barangaroo’s wellness month program is ‘Wellness on the Water’. For the month of August, Sydney’s sauna on wheels Cedar and Salt will be in residence at Marrinawi Cove, so you can book in for an icy swim in the harbour followed by a Scandi-style sweat session. Don’t have the cash to splash? Barangaroo will be giving away 30 free sauna sessions – you’ll need to sign up to their newsletter and be online when free sessions go live at 9am on Wednesday, July 23. If you miss out on scoring a free sauna session, you can still score a free coffee if you head down to Marrinawi for a dip between 7am and 11am on Friday, August 1.  Other highlights of the program include weekly yoga sessions every Wednesday lunchtime led by Jacqui Jarrett, a proud Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr woman, elder and a traditional owner of the Sydney Basin, weekly talks (also on Wednesday lunchtimes) from experts in the wellness space including founder of...

Mark your calendars: Orange Region Fire Festival is returning this winter, with a focus on showcasing local creatives on every level. Artists, musicians, authors and performers are joining winemakers, chefs and venue hosts to form an exciting series of collaborations and festival events over the 10-day program — all just a short winter's road trip away from Sydney.  Food highlights of the festival include The Alchemy of Earth, Fire, Food and Wine in Molong which brings together a ceramicist, a chef, and a winemaker (August 2); magical Ember Feast at the Orchard (August 3), where fire-cooked fare meets live music; a hands-on Jam and Marmalade Making Class with Jasmin (August 7); the Festa del Fuoco (August 7-10), serving up a flamed Italian menu; a premium long lunch at Ross Hill at The Peacock Room (August 9), complete with a hearty, seasonal menu; and After Hours: Food Over Fire (August 9), where the Nashdale Lane team up with The Union Bank’s executive chef Dom Aboud for flame-licked dishes. Wine not your thing? Check out the Wassail Winter Cider Festival (August 2). It's not just about food and drink, with a rich line-up of cultural and creative events to keep your days just as full as your plates. Try your hand at silver jewellery making, join a cooking class, catch a short film screening followed by a Q&A or get hands-on at a ceramics workshop. Plus, cosy up to plenty of campfire-style live music throughout the ten days.  Sounds inviting? Make sure you're there when...

Need a new profile pic? We’ve got you.  One of the world’s biggest immersive experiences has just landed in the Harbour City – serving up a fun, surreal backdrop for your Instagram grid glow-up . Bubble Planet: An Immersive Experience is open now at Paddington Pavilion, Sydney Olympic Park, offering Sydneysiders a transporting, ultra-Instagrammable experience. Already experienced by more than two million visitors around the world, with sell-out runs in Milan, Los Angeles, London and Brussels, Bubble Planet is a fantastical world of optical illusions, cutting-edge virtual reality experiences, giant bubbles, and next-level immersive projections. Visitors to the Sydney site can expect to embark on a dreamlike journey through more than 10 otherworldly rooms, home to giant bubble domes, LED underwater-style wonderlands, selfie hubs and VR dreamscapes.  Almost 10,000 tickets were sold ahead of the official opening, so we expect this one will be another sell-out run for the people who brought the incredible immersive Van Gogh experience to Sydney back in 2020. Session at this bizarre immersive world run for between 60-90 minutes, and the experience is suitable for people of all ages – with kids under four welcomed in for free. Keen? You can learn more and snap up tickets over here.    Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, things to do and travel inspo, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Want more activity inspo? Here’s what’s on in...