ISSUE 35. What’s on in Sydney this week: the city is getting hot, and so is your calendar

It’s a big week in Sydney. The temperature has risen by approximately two degrees and right on cue, we’re all collectively becoming interesting again.

Between the Sydney Marathon taking over the city, the Festival of Dangerous Ideas asking the difficult questions, Sultry & Sample bringing the live music, the launch of Johnnie Walker’s B-Sides series and the return of the Korean Film Festival, staying home suddenly feels a little indefensible.

So what’s the hold up? Scroll down for our guide to the best things to do in Sydney this week.

HIGHLIGHTS

Sultry & Sample at City Recital Hall

Sultry & Sample is celebrating its third birthday this Friday by taking over City Recital Hall for its biggest show yet. The concept is simple yet fairly terrifying: no setlist, no rehearsal, and a room full of musicians creating the entire thing live, with the audience surrounding the action on the floor. It runs from 7pm to midnight, and after 13 sold-out shows, this feels like a pretty major next step for the homegrown series. Tickets are sold out, but with just the right amount of luck you’ll score a secondhand one floating around.

• WHEN: Friday 28 August, from 7pm
• WHERE: City Recital Hall, CBD
• HOW MUCH: Resale only
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Sydney Marathon

Straight of the back of the City2Surf, the Sydney Marathon is taking over the city this Sunday. Over 40,000 runners will hit the 42km course and finish at the Sydney Opera House. Once that’s done, the post-race plans are almost as organised as the race itself: Jackson’s on George, Jimmy’s Rooftop and The Clock are all throwing afterparties. Expect discounted pints and martinis at Jackson’s, all-day rooftop DJs at Jimmy’s, and $3 oysters, $15 margaritas and roaming massages at The Clock.

• WHEN: Sunday 30 August, from midday
• WHERE: Sydney Opera House finish line
• HOW MUCH: Varies
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Festival of Dangerous Ideas

The Festival of Dangerous Ideas is wrapping up this week, and with almost everything sold out, now is the time to move. A couple of our picks still have spots left, including live gig Meltdown at Heaps Normal Health Club, featuring Mac the Knife and Porcelain Alice. There’s also a Sunday screening of the original 1954 Gojira (Godzilla) at Dendy Newtown worth booking a ticket to, so consider this your sign to lock something in before the rest disappears.

• WHEN: Until Sunday 30 August
• WHERE: Across Sydney
• HOW MUCH: Varies
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Johnnie Walker B-Sides Sessions

This Thursday, Johnnie Walker’s B-Sides Sessions kicks off at Rekōdo with four hours of vinyl-led sets from DJ D, Edseven and MK-1. 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 27 August, 6-10pm
• WHERE: Rekōdo at Barangaroo House, Barangaroo
• HOW MUCH: Varies
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Korean Film Festival

We all want to live out a K-drama romance at some point, but if your actual Korean cinema knowledge starts and ends with Netflix, consider this your cue. The Korean Film Festival is back in Sydney for one week only, taking over Event Cinemas George Street with 10 films spanning romance, drama, comedy and everything in between. Whether you’re upgrading date night or dragging the group chat somewhere slightly more cultured, this is an easy excuse to spend a night at the movies.

• WHEN: From Thursday 20 to Tuesday 25 August
• WHERE: Event Cinemas George Street, CBD
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $16
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

FASHION & CULTURE

THE UPSIDE Manly Store Launch

THE UPSIDE is opening a brand new boutique in Manly this Friday, with doors opening to the public from 11am on Pittwater Road. The Australian activewear label is bringing its latest collections to the Northern Beaches, and frankly, a new activewear store in Manly feels about as culturally inevitable as a morning run followed by an oat flat white. If your spring wardrobe needs a reset, consider this your sign.

• WHEN: Friday 28 August, from 11am
• WHERE: 3/199 205 Pittwater Road, Manly
• HOW MUCH: Varies
• 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

Club Angel at UNSW Roundhouse

Club Angel is back in Sydney this Saturday, bringing his Til Death Australian headline tour to the Roundhouse. Fresh off EDC Las Vegas and Extrema Outdoor in Belgium, the Sydney DJ and producer is returning with the UKG, bassline and late-’90s/early-2000s club sound that’s taken him from sold-out Australian shows to sets across North America, Seoul and beyond. This one is a guaranteed good night.

• WHEN: Saturday 29 August, from 8:30pm
• WHERE: UNSW Roundhouse, Kensington
• HOW MUCH: $70 tickets
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The Dire Straits Experience at Sydney Opera House

If good music and a healthy dose of nostalgia sound like your Tuesday night, The Dire Straits Experience is taking over the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Tuesday night. Led by Dire Straits veteran Chris White, the seven-piece ensemble is bringing the Long Highway World Tour to Sydney with a two-hour run through classics like Sultans of Swing, Money for Nothing, Walk of Life, Brothers in Arms and plenty more. Basically, a very good excuse to spend the night pretending it’s 1985. 

• WHEN: Tuesday 25 August, from 7:30pm
• WHERE: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
• HOW MUCH: Tickets from $79
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Plate It Forward’s One Million Meals Laneway Party

Plate It Forward has officially hit one million meals donated, and they’re celebrating with a free laneway party at Kyiv Social in Chippendale this Sunday. Chefs including Mitch Orr, Darryl Martin, Brendan King, NipCooks, Serwan Roman and Andrew Vu will all be on the food, with Kabul Social firing up the BBQ. It’s a pretty good way to celebrate a genuinely massive milestone, and entry is completely free.

• WHEN: Sunday 30 August, from 12pm
• WHERE: Kyiv Social, Chippendale
• HOW MUCH: Free entry
• 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

Chargrill Charlie Birthday Feast Giveaway

Chargrill Charlie’s is celebrating its 37th birthday this Saturday, and instead of asking for presents, it’s giving away over 1,400 Birthday Feasts nationwide. From 10:30am, the first 50 customers at each participating store can score a whole chargrilled chicken, regular chips and a 1.25L Coke for free. Once those are gone, each store will have another 100 whole chickens going for just $10. Not a bad birthday party, especially considering you don’t have to bring anything.

• WHEN: Saturday 29 August, from 10:30am
• WHERE: Participating Chargrill Charlie’s across Australia
• HOW MUCH: Free for first 50 customers
• 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.

The Palomar x Rumi Collab

Melbourne institution Rumi is crossing the border for one night only, joining The Palomar for the first instalment of its new At the Table series. The $150 four-course feast brings together Middle Eastern and Mediterranean favourites including Rumi’s quail and advieh-spiced lamb shoulder, plus The Palomar’s wagyu tongue skewers. They’re running one seating only, so perhaps don’t leave this one to Thursday afternoon.

• WHEN: Thursday 27 August, from 6:30pm
• WHERE: The Palomar, Paddington
• HOW MUCH: $150 per person
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Entrecôte Rolls at Will’s

In news that feels suspiciously generous for the eastern suburbs, Will’s are serving up $10 entrecôte rolls every Thursday throughout August. Head to the Euro-inspired cocktail bar adjacent to Mimi’s for steak frites-filled rolls drenched in that iconic green sauce that no one still really understands. They’re also available all day, ideally with a drink in hand.

• WHEN: Every Thursday in August
• WHERE: Will’s, Coogee
• HOW MUCH: $10
• CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Friends of The Clock

There’s nothing quite like sitting on The Clock’s terrace, drink in hand on a sunny winter afternoon. This August, the Surry Hills pub is making the case even stronger with Friends of The Clock, a limited-edition menu created with local favourites Tonton Bread, Bourke Street Bakery and Veneziano Coffee Roasters. Expect popcorn chicken with Bourke Street Bakery hot sauce, a meatball focaccia pocket, tiramisu and several very winter-appropriate cocktails, available all month from $16.

• WHEN: Throughout August
• WHERE: The Clock, Surry Hills
• HOW MUCH: Dishes from $16
• 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.