WHAT'S ON

The So Sydney! Guide to August

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re officially on the countdown to the end of winter. 31 days until we can start celebrating spring being sprung. Until then, the only option is to dive right into everything Sydney has to offer and distract ourselves from the freezing cold.

What’s the good news, you ask? August is slinging the goods, and the list we’ve put together below all falls under the $70 mark.

Special mentions to the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, which is back for its annual provocation (love that for them). On the food front, we’ve got World Oyster Day on our doorstep and Ferragosto to round out the latter half of the month. The time of year also welcomes the good ol’ dinner and show, with PICKLED, Sister Act, and LIMBO The Return all fabulous options to have on your radar.

Anyway, I’ll shut up now. Here’s So Sydney!’s guide to the month of August.

FFWD Festival

If good food, great fashion, and live music are your kinda style, look no further than FFWD Festival this week. Kicking off on Thursday, the 4-day celebration will be hosted by fashion concept store Sorry Thanks I Love You. They’ll also be partnering with Icebergs Dining Head Chef, Maurice Terzini, Mike Bennie from P&V, and Julian Hamilton from The Presets. In other words, it’s going to be one hell of a party. A $25 ticket will score you entry into the fashion market during the day, but it might be worth splurging a little more to nab your spot to the Opening Night celebration.

• When: Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 August
• Where: Machine Hall
• How much: From $25
• Check it out here

World Oyster Day

If I am to be frank, I typically find the dedication of days to random food items completely outrageous. National Bubblegum Day? That’s not a real thing. What I can wrap my head around, however, is World Oyster Day. Now that’s something legitimately worth celebrating. It’s also coming up on August 5, giving you a perfect excuse to suck up some of those revolting little gems. Ugh, I just love them! Good news is that we only recently rounded up the cheapest ones in town. Could be onto something there. And by onto something I mean salmonella poisoning.

• When: Monday 5 August
• Where: Multiple locations
• How much: Depends on how much ya love them
• Check it out here.

Sydney Tattoo Convention

Whether you’re tatted to the nines, looking for inspo, or just plain curious, head over to the Sydney Tattoo Convention in Town Hall this month. The three-day extravaganza will see over 250 local and international tattoo artists come together to showcase their work, host talks, and promote their businesses. Apparently, there are also tattoo competitions, and I’m not quite sure what that means, but consider me curious.

• When: Friday 9 to Sunday 11 August
• Where: Sydney Town Hall
• How much: From $43
• Check it out here.

City2Surf

Every year around the same time, this comes up, and literally every year I forget to train for it. Uh huh, City2Surf is back this month, serving as a reminder that a year of smoking, binge drinking, and counting 10,000 steps as exercise can’t be undone by a week of training. While the race itself is sold out, I suspect the onlookers and post-run partygoers actually have the best gig. What I can recommend, however, are all the parties and pub events that go down after the fact. Might be the one day of the year where surfacing at The Sheaf isn’t social suicide.

• When: Sunday 11 August
• Where: City to Bondi
• How much: Rego closed.
• Check it out here.

LIMBO The Return

There’s nothing quite like a fire-breathing, gravity-defying spectacular to warm up the winter evenings. And thankfully, LIMBO The Return has us covered until mid-August. Combining cabaret, live music, dance, and acrobatics all in one, we just know it’s going to be wildly outrageous. Tickets are also pretty reasonable, starting from $55. The show is running for a strictly limited season, and heads to new Brisbane venue The West End Electric straight after, so consider this your sign.

• When: Until Sunday 18 August
• Where: The Grand Electric, Surry Hills
• How much: From $59
• Check it out here

Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival

If you’re looking for that Instagram final boss spot, head over to Auburn this month for the Cherry Blossom Festival. The winter flower will be in full swing in the traditional Japanese garden, making for a picture-perfect spot. What’s more? The festival goes beyond flowers, as you’ll also be able to celebrate Japanese culture, food, and music, too. If meeting Hello Kitty live was ever on your bucket list, this is your time.

• When: Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 August
• Where: Auburn Botanic Gardens
• How much: Free for Cumberland residents, otherwise $15
• Check it out here

PICKLED ﻛﺑﯾس

No one said dinner and a show had to break the bank, and thank god Belvoir St Theatre gets that. This month, they bring Najee Tannous’ new production PICKLED ﻛﺑﯾس to the stage. The story tracks two brothers, Sammy and Yousif, who both work to navigate their Middle Eastern and queer identities after the death of their mother. The dramedy sold out during its work-in-development season, which is typically a good sign. The show also forms part of Belvoir’s 25A initiative, which supports independent and emerging artists. An honest show, reasonable prices, and a small theatre, what more could you ask for, people.

• When: Tuesday 20 August to Sunday 8 September
• Where: Belvoir St Theatre
• How much: $25
• Check it out here.

Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Australia’s most dangerous festival is back for another year of provocative, uncomfortable, and insightful talks. That’s right, the Festival of Dangerous Ideas is back this month and making TED Talks look PG-rated. You can really choose your own adventure with this one, opting for single tickets or multi-passes. Standout speakers include Jordan van de Berg (aka Purple Pingers), Waleed Aly from The Project, and internet gyno Jen Gunter. Tickets are live and will go fast.

• When: Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 August
• Where: Carriageworks
• How much: Tickets start at $30
• Check it out here

Ferragosto

If cannolis, coffee, and calzone sound like your cup of tea, you’re in luck. Sydney’s very own Ferragosto festival is coming back to Five Dock for its 27th year this month. The grand procession between Lyons and Queens Road will be followed by over 150 stallholders slinging the best Italian food, wine, and merchandise you can get your hands on in town. 10/10 would recommend.

• When: Sunday 18 August
• Where: Great North Road, Five Dock
• How much: Free entry
• Check it out here

Sister Act The Musical

Calling all musical buffs, this one’s for you. Sister Act is officially reaching Australian shores this month and delivering a show that’s bound to get your habit in a twist. Australian Idol star, Casey Donovan, will be appearing as Dolores Van Cartier, alongside Genevieve Lemon as Mother Superior, and Rhonda Burchmore as Sister Mary Lazarus. Tony and 8-time Oscar award winner Alan Menken also did the original soundtrack, so you can expect some seriously good hymns and hallelujahs.

• When: From Wednesday 7 August
• Where: Capitol Theatre
• How much: From $70
• Check it out here