ISSUE 42. What’s on in Sydney this week: Sydney finally has plans…

Sydney, it’s time to gear up. This week is going to be big.

Clearly, spring has sprung, and we’ve decided to become interesting again. SURPLUS is taking over 21 Darlinghurst venues, Anyma is erecting several extremely large screens in The Domain, and Sculpture by the Sea is returning for its 30th year of hot girl walks.

The week also brings Carl Cox and Eric Powell to Selina’s, a robotic artist to Redfern and a three-week surf and music festival in Manly. So, yeah, it’s a busy one.

Whip out that diary. Here are the best things to do in Sydney this week.

HIGHLIGHTS

Nike x Supply Store: SURPLUS 2026

Nike and Supply Store are taking over Darlinghurst with three days of underground music, streetwear, art, vintage, skating and food across 21 venues. Over 120 creatives are involved, including British-Nigerian artist Slawn, a South Asian night market and Sydney hardcore band SPEED. It’s street-festival but on a whole new level.

• WHEN: Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October
• WHERE: 21 venues across Darlinghurst
• HOW MUCH: Free and ticketed events
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Anyma Presents: ÆDEN

Anyma is bringing the enormous audiovisual production he premiered at Coachella to The Domain for its only Australian performance of 2026. Argy, Colyn, Layla Benitez and PARIS join him for an evening of melodic techno, digital creatures and screens considerably larger than necessary. Prepare for the influx of Insta stories, this is basically the event to be at on the weekend.

• WHEN: Saturday 17 October, from 5pm
• WHERE: The Domain, CBD
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $200
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Surf + Sound Festival

Manly is combining live music, public art, food and surf culture across three consecutive weekends, and it all kicks off this Friday. The program includes Skegss, The Whitlams, Babe Rainbow, Kita Alexander and Winston Surfshirt, alongside a free Jeremyville-curated art trail.

• WHEN: Friday 16 October to Sunday 1 November
• WHERE: Manly Wharf and Manly Beach
• HOW MUCH: Free public programming and individually ticketed concerts
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Sculpture by the Sea

It’s official, the annual hot-girl migration is back. This time, there are over 100 sculptures returning to the Bondi-to-Tamarama coastal walk for the exhibition’s 30th edition. If you didn’t already know, Sculpture by the Sea is kind of a big deal, with the free outdoor gallery attracting roughly half a million visitors each year. Most of them will become trapped behind a tourist photographing an artwork from six separate angles.

• WHEN: Friday 16 October to Monday 2 November
• WHERE: Bondi-to-Tamarama coastal walk
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

HOT SAUCE with Carl Cox and Eric Powell

Carl Cox and Eric Powell are bringing HOT SAUCE to Selina’s for seven hours of disco, funk, soul, house and rare grooves this Friday. UK collective Discoliscious joins them for a sold-out evening exploring the less industrial side of Carl Cox, although acquiring entry now requires some serious fortune.

• WHEN: Friday 16 October, 8pm to 3am
• WHERE: Selina’s, Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee
• HOW MUCH: Sold out; 18+
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

FASHION & CULTURE

Monty Python’s Spamalot

Stephen Curry is making his musical-theatre debut as King Arthur in a three-day Sydney season of Spamalot. The Tony Award-winning production brings together medieval quests, killer rabbits and the kind of sustained silliness currently in short supply. If you’re a Monty Python fan, this one’s an obvious choice.

• WHEN: Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October
• WHERE: Coliseum Theatre, Rooty Hill
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $50
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The Galeries x Provider Store Pop Up

Provider Store has turned Incu, Salomon and Books Kinokuniya into three limited-edition candles. Each hand-poured scent comes in a Japanese ceramic vessel, with blends ranging from cedar and sandalwood to hinoki, amber and frankincense. Spend $300 across The Galeries in a single day and you can choose one for free, which is technically a gift and emotionally a reward for losing control in Incu.

• WHEN: Tuesday 29 September to Sunday 25 October
• WHERE: The Galeries, CBD
• HOW MUCH: Free candle with $300 purchase
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Ai Wei Wei’s Mushrooms

Ai Weiwei has arranged 500 cast-iron replicas of a military helmet across the lawn outside the MCA. Titled Mushrooms, the monumental public work transforms objects associated with conflict into a reflection on peace, protection and the political helplessness experienced by ordinary people.

• WHEN: Running indefinitely
• WHERE: MCA Lawn, The Rocks
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Harbour Heat at Q Station

For all those looking to invest in some downtime this week, Q Station has opened a wood-fired Finnish sauna at the Quarantine Station in Manly. Each 50-minute guided communal session includes breath work, sauna rituals and the option of an ocean plunge, with space for up to 12 people.

• WHEN: Running indefinitely
• WHERE: Q Station Wharf Precinct, Manly
• HOW MUCH: Entry from $25
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

LEIF’s Robotic Showroom

Body care and lifestyle brand LEIF is opening its new Redfern showroom with a live demonstration by Dutch architect and artist Florian Markus. His robotic plotter will create artwork inside the space, while visitors can explore the new collection and collect a complimentary tote while stocks last.

• WHEN: Friday 16 October, 1 to 7pm; live demonstration at 5:30pm
• WHERE: LEIF, Redfern
• HOW MUCH: Free; RSVP recommended
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Pulse Rewards’ Free Harbour Bowling Alley

Priceline’s former Sister Club has become Pulse Rewards, and to celebrate, they’re installing a free bowling alley beside Sydney Harbour. Everyone receives a $5 voucher on entry, with beauty gifts, drinks and additional prizes.

• WHEN: Thursday 15 October, 12 to 5pm; Friday 16 October, 9am to 5pm
• WHERE: Campbell’s Cove Forecourt, The Rocks
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

eXceed Pilates Open Day

eXceed Pilates is offering free reformer, mat and strength classes at its Entertainment Quarter studio this weekend. Complimentary juices, snacks and wellness shots are included, presumably to restore everything lost during said free exercise.

• WHEN: Saturday 17 October, 8am to 12pm
• WHERE: eXceed Pilates, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
• HOW MUCH: Free; bookings required
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Connections: MCA x Tate

The MCA has joined forces with Tate for a major exhibition bringing together works acquired through the two institutions’ international joint collection. Featuring works by 24 Australian artists, the exhibition explores cultural exchange, migration, colonisation and First Nations histories, with several new commissions created specifically for the Sydney exhibition. It’s on now at the MCA until early next year, so you’ve got plenty of time to pretend this is the week you become someone who regularly goes to galleries.

• WHEN: Until Monday 1 March 2027
• WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks
• HOW MUCH: $25 adult tickets
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Definitive Dupain at State Library of NSW

A massive Max Dupain retrospective at the State Library of NSW brings together almost 200 iconic, rare and previously unseen photographs from across his 60-year career. Definitive Dupain spans everything from Sunbaker and experimental photography to unseen images of the Sydney Opera House under construction, fashion, architecture and candid personal work, all pulled from an archive of around 250,000 negatives. Best part: it’s completely free.

• WHEN: Until July 2027
• WHERE: NSW State Library
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Black Myth at White Rabbit Gallery

Drawing from the wildly successful video game, Black Myth explores how ancient mythology can still tell us things about the modern world. Inspired by Journey to the West, the exhibition brings together artists including Sun Xun, Zong Ning and Hou Chun-Ming to explore transformation, transcendence and the darker side of myth through woodcuts, ink painting, photography and plenty of strange, otherworldly figures.

• WHEN: Until Sunday 15 November
• WHERE: White Rabbit Gallery, Chippendale
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

KiNK Live at Carousel

Bulgarian producer KiNK is returning to Sydney with a live set constructed from synths, sequencers and drum machines. Expect spontaneous detours through house and techno from a man required to perform considerably more physical labour than the average DJ.

• WHEN: Friday 16 October, 10pm to 4am
• WHERE: Carousel Bar & Ballroom, Darlinghurst
• HOW MUCH: $45 tickets
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The Whitlams at Metro Theatre

The Whitlams are returning to the Metro Theatre for an old-fashioned pub-rock show built around Love This City and Torch the Moon. William Crighton joins the full band, while the audience prepares to discover exactly how many lyrics from 1997 remain permanently stored in the brain.

• WHEN: Saturday 17 October, from 7pm
• WHERE: Metro Theatre, CBD
• HOW MUCH: $90 tickets
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

DJ Fett Burger b2b Telephones

Norwegian selectors DJ Fett Burger and Telephones are playing an open-air six-hour set spanning Chicago house, New York disco, Detroit techno and Balearic music. Mazzacles opens the courtyard session, allowing Sunday afternoon drinks to become unexpectedly delicious.

• WHEN: Sunday 18 October, 2 to 10pm
• WHERE: Poor Toms Oltra, Marrickville
• HOW MUCH: $30; free entry for First Nations attendees
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Jazz Sessions in The Rocks

Jazz Sessions are continuing to transform The Rocks Square into a free open-air jazz spot every Thursday night. Curated in collaboration with the Sydney Improvised Music Association, the lineup remains mixed, the pizza remains $10, and the pop-up bar remains pouring mulled wine. Consider this your new go-to date night idea.

• WHEN: Every Thursday night, 6:30-8:30pm
• WHERE: The Rocks Square
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

FOOD & DRINK

Sanchez Social at Maybe Sundays

El Primo Sanchez is taking over the InterContinental Coogee pool bar this weekend with margaritas, barramundi tacos and tuna ceviche. The ticket includes an arrival drink and DJs, although non-hotel guests are expressly prohibited from entering the pool. It is there purely to improve the atmosphere.

• WHEN: Sunday 18 October, 2 to 6pm
• WHERE: InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, Coogee
• HOW MUCH: $30, including an arrival cocktail
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

O’Donuts Haymarket Opening Weekend

Sydney’s enthusiasm for Japanese nama doughnuts has produced a second O’Donuts store directly opposite Paddy’s Markets. The soft, pumpkin-based dough is fermented for 16 hours before being filled with flavours including matcha, brûlée custard and ube, which helps explain why the shop sold out hours after opening.

• WHEN: Now open
• WHERE: Shop 6, 78-86 Harbour Street, Haymarket
• HOW MUCH: Doughnuts from approximately $5
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Ockerfest at CBH

Coogee Bay Hotel is spending an entire month replacing Oktoberfest’s steins, lederhosen and German sausages with cold tinnies, hot snags and several aggressively Australian uses for a beer garden. Ockerfest launched across the long weekend and continues through to November, with bogan BBQs, Aussie DJs, backyard games, Bundy drinks, mullet competitions and giveaways. 

• WHEN: Thursday 1 October to Sunday 1 November
• WHERE: Coogee Bay Hotel, Coogee
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Island Radio Bottomless Yum Cha

As Sydneysiders, we’re almost all well-versed by now in the weekend bottomless brunch session. But bottomless yum cha, however, is something that we hadn’t tried until now. Introducing Island Radio’s bottomless Dim Sum Saturdays, which serves up the likes of dumplings, steamed buns, wagyu nigiri and other yum cha classics alongside 90 minutes of bottomless booze for $90 a head. Honestly, after trying it for ourselves recently this one has instantly shot up to the top of our list.

• WHEN: Every Saturday and Sunday
• WHERE: Island Radio, Redfern
• HOW MUCH: $90 per person
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Oyster Happy Hour at Morrison’s

If you didn’t already know, Morrison’s is kind of the go-to place for happy hour oysters in town. In fact, they sell a minimum of 6,000 oysters every week. Every Wednesday from 6-7pm, you’ll be able to snag those little gems for $2 each, which is kind of insane. Or if you want to check out the other oyster happy hours currently happening around town, head over here.

• WHEN: Every Wednesday, 6pm to 7pm
• WHERE: Morrison’s Oyster Bar & Grill, CBD
• HOW MUCH: $2 per oyster
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.