WHAT'S ON It’s July. You’re cold, I’m cold. Here’s some fun shit to do this month.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to July. It’s the month where it’s officially too cold to function, but also where the events calendar simply does not give a shit.

Yes, your Hello Kitty oodie is calling. Yes, you could spend the entire month horizontal on the couch watching Gilmore Girls for the seventh time. But we’re here to remind you that Sydney still knows how to throw a party, even when our collective serotonin is dragging its feet behind a puffer jacket.

From French festivities at the Bastille Festival, to actual snow and raclette at the Christmas in July markets, to Disco Yum Chas in Bondi, and the most outrageous musicals this side of Broadway (Book of Mormon, anyone?) , all you need to know is that there’s enough fun stuff happening this month to justify putting on pants. Maybe even a coat.

Throw on a scarf, tell your oodie you’ll be back by sundown, and let’s get into it. Here are the best things happening in Sydney this month.

Bastille Festival

Get ready to inhale some carbs and spend four days aggressively romanticising your life, because Bastille Festival is back and taking over Circular Quay once again this month. Think gourmet food, flowing wine, fire pits, cheese, can-can dancers, and everything else you’d expect from a French street party (minus the metro strikes).

• WHEN: Thursday 17 to Sunday 20 July
• WHERE: Circular Quay and The Rocks
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Christmas in July at The Rocks

It’s giving mulled wine, fake snow, and light seasonal delusion, and honestly, we’re here for it. Christmas in July is back at The Rocks, transforming Sydney’s oldest laneways into a Euro-style winter village with twinkling lights, festive markets, and just enough artificial snow to make you question what hemisphere you’re in. Expect oversized nutcrackers, live carols, hot raclette and tartiflette (Google it), and a whole lot of very Instagrammable fairy-lit chaos. Yes, it’s freezing. Yes, it’s completely unnecessary. But that’s why we love it.

• WHEN: Friday 11 to Sunday 20 July
• WHERE: The Rocks
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Fujifilm’s ‘The Moment Club’

A day party with no phones? Kind of wild. But also…we’re into it. Taking over Baptist Street Rec Club this month, The Moment Club is serving up two hours of dance floor energy, retro beats from Alex Hayes (lol), and actual film cameras in place of your usual screen time. You’ll check your phone at the door and capture the chaos on Fujifilm’s new half-frame camera . Think candid shots, mirror selfies, and blurry cocktail pics that somehow look better than anything digital.

• WHEN: Saturday 12 July, 2-4pm
• WHERE: Baptist Street Rec Club, Redfern
• HOW MUCH: Tickets are $25
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Volume Presents: Lightning Song ft. King Stingray

In town for NAIDOC Week, King Stingray are bringing their signature Yolŋu surf rock to the Art Gallery of NSW for a one-night-only gig that’ll be equal parts intimate and electric. It’s part of the gallery’s VOLUME series, a free program of live music and performance art running this winter. It’s also a rare chance to see one of Australia’s most exciting live acts inside a venue usually reserved for oil paintings and awkward school excursions. The best part? Entry is free, but you will need to register, and it will book out fast.

• WHEN: Wednesday 10 July, 7-8pm
• WHERE: Art Gallery of NSW
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Tarot & Tannins at Paddo Inn

The beloved Paddo Inn is teaming up with Il Baretto and Alpha Box & Dice this month for two nights of sipping, snacking and light divination. Introducing Tarot & Tannins, and after already selling out the first event on Tuesday 8 July, they’ve added an encore on Sunday 14 July. Essentially, you’ll get a crash course in tarot from reader Ginny Shearer, alongside a flight of three wines from the Tarot collection and a round of warm, wintery Italian snacks. The vibe is intimate, slightly woo-woo, and very well-fed.

• WHEN: Tuesday 8th and Sunday 14th July, from 7pm
• WHERE: Paddo Inn, Paddington
• HOW MUCH: Tickets are $55
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Disco Yum Cha at NBF

Bondi in winter? Surprisingly elite, especially when dumplings and disco balls are involved. North Bondi Fish is going full send on weekend lunches thanks to their all-new Disco Yum Cha series, a new bottomless-style event running every Saturday and Sunday from 11am–3pm until early August. Think scallop wontons and prawn toast, DJs from midday, and cocktails like the “Marg Yum Cha” with black sesame and mandarin. Set menus start at $65, and yes, there are bottomless drinks packages.

• WHEN: Every Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 3pm
• WHERE: North Bondi Fish, Bondi
• HOW MUCH: From $65
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The Book of Mormon

The Mormons are back, and yes, they’re still wildly inappropriate. After breaking box office records on its last Australian run, the Tony, Olivier, and Grammy Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon returns to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre from Tuesday 15 July. Created by the minds behind South Park, it’s a sharp, chaotic, and surprisingly heartfelt satire that’s been dubbed “the best musical of this century” by The New York Times. Expect door-to-door missionaries, big Broadway numbers, and jokes that will make you laugh, gasp, and maybe question your life choices.

• WHEN: From Tuesday 15 July to Sunday 28 September
• WHERE: Sydney Capitol Theatre
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $99
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Bondi Festival

Bondi’s leaning into its off-season era this July, trading spritzes and activewear for something a little more cultural. That’s right, the Bondi Festival is back to take over the Pavilion, beach and surrounds with three weeks of comedy, art, ice skating and general chaos. Highlights include the Comedy Gala, Gladdy Drawing club and the return of the iconic ice rink by the sea and ferris wheel. Expect markets, live gigs, theatre, and just enough fringe weirdness to make you feel like you’re in Melbourne. Kind of. Not really.

• WHEN: Friday 4 to Sunday 20 July
• WHERE: Bondi
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Hunter Valley Beer & Wine Festival

Okay, not exactly in Sydney, but I just know that every woman approaching 30 has this on her radar. Yes, yes, the Hunter Valley Wine & Beer Festival is back for its 13th year, showcasing over 45 wineries, breweries and distillers from the region. There’ll be tastings from local legends like Pepper Tree, Leogate Estate, Sydney Brewery and Phoenix Distilling Co., plus food trucks, artisan bites, live music and a Masterclass Stage led by Miguel Maestre himself. Consider this the perfect excuse for a weekend out of town.

• WHEN: Friday 11 to Saturday 12 July
• WHERE: Rydges Resort, Hunter Valley
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $34
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Red Bull Dance Your Style Final

Okay, this one’s a little unhinged, a little unpredictable, and that’s exactly what we want really. Red Bull Dance Your Style, the world’s biggest one-on-one street dance comp, is taking over Hordern Pavilion this month for the Australian National Final. There’s no judges, no planned routines, and absolutely no chill, just dancers vibing to surprise tracks and the crowd voting on who moves to the next round. The winner scores a spot at the World Final in LA this October, so you’ll want to say you saw it before it broke the internet.

• WHEN: Saturday 26 July, from 6pm
• WHERE: Hordern Pavillion, Moore Park
• HOW MUCH: Tickets are $10
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

CATS The Musical

You either love it, hate it, or pretend you get it. Either way, CATS has returned to Sydney and it’s purring its way into the Theatre Royal all week. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s feline fever dream is back in all its musical glory, complete with spandex bodysuits, haunting ballads, and yes, that one song you low-key know all the lyrics to (Memory, duh). Whether you grew up watching the VHS, got traumatised by the 2019 film, or are just here for the theatre kid chaos, this one’s a must-see. 

• WHEN: From Friday 20 June
• WHERE: Theatre Royal, CBD
• HOW MUCH: From $69
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Greenwood Snow Festival

North Sydney is getting a frosty makeover this week now that the Greenwood Hotel has kicked off its annual (and legendary) 10-day Snow Festival. The venue has transformed into a winter wonderland complete with 50 tonnes of real snow, a 20-metre toboggan slide and far too many Fireball shots. There’ll also be live music up to your snow boots, with highlights including Wongo, Jack Burton and live saxophones running throughout the week.

• WHEN: Friday 27 to Sunday 6 July
• WHERE: Greenwood Hotel, North Sydney
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Bubble Planet

So this one’s random, but when are we not into that? Bubble Planet – an immersive, bubbly, ball pit playground – is launching this month at Sydney Olympic Park. And while it might sound oriented towards children (who are, sadly, allowed), that doesn’t necessarily mean that grown ups aren’t encouraged to join in. The multi-sensory experience features over ten whimsical rooms, including a giant bubble bath ball pit, an underwater LED wonderland, and a fully immersive VR room. Talk about igniting the inner child.

• WHEN: From Friday 6 June
• WHERE: Paddington Pavilion, Sydney Olympic Park
• HOW MUCH: Adult tickets from $35
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Titanic: The Human Story

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could walk through a 3rd-class cabin without the risk of an iceberg,” this exhibition is for you. Recently, we checked out the new exhibition Titanic: The Human Story that’s just docked in Walsh Bay. And while I’m not personally the biggest of Titanic fans, boy did I score some serious brownie points with my mother. The showcase displays over 200 artefacts which bring the ship’s passengers and crew back to life, and delves into the social and political context of the time. Honestly, it was pretty bloody cool, and I’d be lying if I said the audio guide and period music didn’t coerce me to shed a tear or two.

• WHEN: From Thursday 29 May
• WHERE: Pier 2/3, Walsh Bay
• HOW MUCH: Adult tickets from $46
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes

It’s known as “the face that stops the nation”, and for good reason. That’s right, the Archibald Prize 2025 exhibition is back alongside their less coveted but equally impressive siblings, the Wynne and Sulman Prizes. For over a century, the prizes have captured some of Australia and New Zealand’s best portrait and landscape paintings, and is highly regarded as the single most important “must see” exhibition in town. The gallery will be displaying the winners and finalists of each category until August, but it’s worth checking out on the early side while the conversation’s still happening.

• WHEN: Until Sunday 17 August
• WHERE: Art Gallery of NSW
• HOW MUCH: Adult entry tickets are $25
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.