ISSUE 36. What’s on in Sydney this week: contemporary art, free pizza, and several reasons to call your father

Spring has officially arrived, which in Sydney means one lukewarm afternoon triggers a sudden collective insistence on having plans again.

This week, Sydney Contemporary is turning Carriageworks into the centre of the art world, the Rabbitohs and Roosters are reopening old wounds at Allianz Stadium, and Sydney Fringe is unleashing a month of theatre, comedy and increasingly difficult-to-explain performance art. Elsewhere, Father’s Day is consuming every available Sunday lunch booking and Hayden James is playing a free set from the counter of a Pizza Hut.

This week truly is a balanced cultural diet. So clear the calendar, call your dad and prepare to look thoughtfully at something you don’t entirely understand. Here are the best things to do in Sydney this week.

HIGHLIGHTS

Sydney Contemporary

Sydney Contemporary is taking over Carriageworks for four days of art, talks, performances and several opportunities to intellectually flex. Celebrating its tenth edition, the fair brings together over 100 galleries and 500 artists, with everything from major installations to works you could conceivably take home.

• WHEN: Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 September
• WHERE: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $36
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Pizza Hut Unboxed: Free Live Set from Hayden James

Pizza Hut Waterloo is being wrapped inside a giant pizza box before Hayden James performs a free live set from the restaurant counter (as one does). It’s a first come, first serve basis, and with both free pizza and drinks you can expect this secret concert to fill out asap.

• WHEN: Saturday 5 September, 6-9pm
• WHERE: Pizza Hut Waterloo
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Father’s Day

Father’s Day returns this Sunday, bringing with it the annual challenge of finding something more inspired than yet another pair of socks. Sydney’s restaurants and pubs have responded with everything from a $75 roast platter and bottle of red at Penny’s Hotel to free beers, Sunday roasts, live jazz and barbecue across Bistro Grenier, The Old Fitz and The Duke of Enmore. Best bet is to not do what you did last year and leave it to Saturday night to make plans.

• WHEN: Sunday 6 September
• WHERE: Across Sydney
• HOW MUCH: Varies

Sydney Fringe Festival

Sydney Fringe is back for a month of comedy, cabaret, theatre, music, dance and performances that become increasingly difficult to explain to your colleagues the next morning. Over 350 shows are taking over theatres, pubs, warehouses and unexpected corners across the city, making September the ideal time to take a chance on something (or someone) you’ve never heard of.

• WHEN: All of September
• WHERE: Across Sydney
• HOW MUCH: Varies
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Rabbitohs v Roosters

The Rabbitohs and Roosters are closing out the regular season with another instalment of one of rugby league’s least emotionally regulated rivalries. Allianz Stadium will host the Friday-night clash, with over a century of inter-club resentment condensed into 80 minutes and several thousand strongly worded opinions.

• WHEN: Friday 4 September, from 8pm
• WHERE: Allianz Stadium, Moore Park
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $50
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

FASHION & CULTURE

FBi.Radio Presents: Unscripted

FBi Radio is taking over The Rocks Discovery Museum for a new Friday-night series pairing DJs with live storytelling and unscripted conversations about the city. Opening night brings together Taleih Lizak, All The Best radio and Gabriella Accaria (plus the rare opportunity to visit a museum after dark).

• WHEN: Every Friday in September, 6-8pm
• WHERE: The Rocks Discovery Museum
• HOW MUCH: Free
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

MCA Late

Thursday night culture is sorted, with the MCA staying open until 9pm for an after-dark mix of contemporary art, drinks, harbour views and rotating talks, performances and creative experiences. This week’s admission also covers Primavera 2026, Connections: MCA x Tate and the major Tony Albert exhibition. Even better is that tickets are two-for-one.

• WHEN: Every Thursday, 5-9pm
• WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks
• HOW MUCH: 2-for-1 tickets from $20
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool Reopens

Spring has officially arrived, which means the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool is reopening and Sydney can resume pretending a 6am swim is an entirely normal thing to do. The iconic harbourside venue returns with its heated 50-metre saltwater pool, sun lounges and one of the city’s least offensive exercise views.

• WHEN: From Tuesday 1 September
• WHERE: Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool, CBD
• HOW MUCH: $8 adult entry
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The Next Bit at Sydney Fringe

Seven emerging comedians are squeezing dating disasters, medical mishaps, chaotic storytelling and some appropriately unfiltered opinions into one 50-minute gala for Sydney Fringe this weekend. Several have already survived the RAW Comedy heats, so catch them now before one gets famous and starts charging considerably more than $19.50.

• WHEN: Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September
• WHERE: The Improv Theatre, Redfern
• HOW MUCH: $19.50 tickets
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Connections: MCA x Tate

The MCA has joined forces with Tate for a major new 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 major new 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.

Cedar & Salt Sauna at Barangaroo

Barangaroo has somehow found a way to make sweating in public feel chic. Cedar & Salt has brought its Nordic-style sauna back to Marrinawi Cove for winter, meaning you can spend an hour moving between a steaming timber sauna and an extremely character-building dip in Sydney Harbour. Sessions run in communal groups of up to 12, with harbour views included and the recommended routine being heat, cold plunge, repeat until you’ve convinced yourself you’re basically Scandinavian.

• WHEN: Until end of September
• WHERE: Marrinawi Cove, Barangaroo
• HOW MUCH: From $30 per single session
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Black Myth at White Rabbit Gallery

Our favourite Sydney art gallery is officially back in action with its newest exhibition, Black Myth. Drawing from the wildly successful video game, the exhibition explores how ancient mythology can still tell us things about the modern world. Inspired by Journey to the West, Black Myth 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

Timmy Regisford at Civic Underground

New York house legend Timmy Regisford is heading to Civic Underground for a seven-hour set steeped in soulful and Afro house. As a founder of the legendary Shelter parties and a former Motown and Atlantic Records executive, he’s spent decades shaping dance music. In other words, that should be more than enough to stop complaints about Sydney nightlife this weekend.

• WHEN: Friday 4 September, from 10pm
• WHERE: Civic Underground, CBD
• HOW MUCH: $55 third release ticketst
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Pure Space: Decade Deep

Sydney independent music platform Pure Space is marking ten years of records, radio and dancefloors with two very different nights in the Inner West. Friday settles into immersive deep listening with live music, DJs, poetry and spatial lighting. On the other hand, Saturday opens the dance floor for an atmospheric techno-and-bass warehouse party running until sunrise. It’s a choose your own adventure kind of situation (or both).

• WHEN: Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September
• WHERE: Secret Inner West venue revealed to ticket holders
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $20
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Jazz Sessions in The Rocks

Jazz Sessions are back again for August, transforming 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

Johnnie Walker B-Sides Sessions

This Thursday, Johnnie Walker’s B-Sides Sessions continues at Rekōdo with four hours of vinyl-led sets from Edseven. The night is built around deep cuts, cult classics and the kind of tracks you actually want to hear on a good sound system, rather than whatever the algorithm has decided for you. Entry is free, so if your Thursday needs a better soundtrack, this is an easy one.

• WHEN: Thursday 3 September, 6-10pm
• WHERE: Rekōdo at Barangaroo House, Barangaroo
• HOW MUCH: Varies
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Quips x Cabana Thursdays

Thursday knock-offs just got dangerously affordable thanks to Quips x Cabana Thursdays. Come 4pm each night, you’ll be able to score a margherita pizza and four Tommy’s Margarita pouches for just $50. Alternatively, you can also nab four cocktail pouches for $40 until 7pm.

• WHEN: Every Thursday, 4-7pm
• WHERE: Cabana Bar, Martin Place
• HOW MUCH: $10 per marg
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Suntory House Takeover

Suntory House is returning to Sydney for its third rendition, taking over Sakura House in the CBD until early October. Inspired by Japan’s nomikai tradition of post-work drinking, the limited-time residency will serve highballs, sours, beer on tap and bespoke cocktails like the ‘Mazda Zoom Zoom’ melon float. Of course, it comes alongside all the elevated izakaya snacks Sakura House has become well-known for.

• WHEN: Friday 31 July to Saturday 3 October
• WHERE: Sakura House, Martin Place
• 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.

Winter Arbour at RAFI

RAFI’s Winter Arbour is back by popular demand for its second season, turning its North Sydney entrance into a moody winter dining space with botanical installations, immersive lighting and a menu built around Westholme Wagyu. The $128pp banquet includes Wagyu tartare, toothfish with koji, crispy eggplant, slow-braised Wagyu cheek and several other very serious sides.

• WHEN: Until Sunday 6 September
• WHERE: RAFI, North Sydney
• HOW MUCH: $128 per person
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Oyster Happy Hour at Morrison’s

I see no reason why the cost of living should get in the way of good taste, and neither does Morrison’s. If you didn’t already know, they’re 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.