UPDATED: September 28
- Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening around Sydney this long weekend.
- From major events and exhibitions to live music, theatre, food and drink.
- Use our guide to plan your perfect weekend in the Harbour City.
Sydney is about to enjoy a Labour Day long weekend and switch to daylight saving, bringing longer evenings and even more time to eat, drink and play your way around the city. Here’s what’s on.
A landmark exhibition is heading to the Art Gallery of NSW this weekend, celebrating iconic artist Sidney Nolan’s remarkable creative period from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Included in the exhibition will be Nolan’s famous depiction of 19th-century bushranger Ned Kelly, presented in its entirety in Sydney for the first time in more than 60 years.
It’s a big weekend for NRL fans, particularly those who support the Sydney Roosters, as the Grand Final kicks off on Sunday at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. Expect pubs across the city to be filled to the brim with supporters, as the two teams battle it out for the trophy.
There’s new theatre in store, with A Room With A View debuting at Belvoir St Theatre and Bugsy Malone taking to the stage at Teatro at the Italian Forum. It’s also your last chance to catch Fiddler on the Roof at Theatre Royal, before it wraps up its run.
Music fans should consider grabbing tickets to Carriageworks’ Saturday festival, Move My Way, which will be headlined by Ezra Collective. Noah Kahan will also be in Sydney, performing four highly anticipated shows at Afterpay Arena.
Read on to check out our full list of things to do in Sydney this long weekend.
Things to do in Sydney this long weekend
Our Top Picks
Nolan: Origins at Art Gallery of NSW
This October, the Art Gallery of NSW will showcase around 100 major works by leading 20th-century Australian artist, Sidney Nolan. Featuring his iconic 1946–47 series depicting bushranger Ned Kelly, the exhibition explores how Nolan shaped and questioned ideas of ‘Australia’ through his depictions of St Kilda, the Wimmera, K’gari, Central Australia and north-eastern Victoria.
Where: Art Gallery of NSW, Naala Nura Building, Lower Level 2.
When: October 3, 2026- February 7, 2027.
Price: Tickets from $35.
Mode Festival
Mode Festival is taking over Cockatoo Island this long weekend, bringing a huge celebration of electronic and dance music to the island’s striking industrial structures. With artists like Barry Can’t Swim, Richie Hawtin, Ben UFO and Avalon Emerson leading the lineup, this one-day party is the perfect way to spend your long weekend Sunday,
Where: Cockatoo Island, Balmain, Balmain NSW 2041.
When: October 4, gates open 12:15pm.
Price: Resale tickets: $259.60.
NRL & NRLW Grand Final
The 2026 NRL & NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Final will bring the season to a thrilling close at Accor Stadium, with the competition’s best teams battling it out for the ultimate prize. In the NRLW, the Sydney Roosters will face the Brisbane Broncos, while the Roosters will also feature in the men’s NRL decider, taking on the Newcastle Knights.
Where: Accor Stadium, Edwin Flack Ave, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127.
When: October 4.
Price: Tickets from $229.
Magda Szubanski: I Can’t Tell You, But I Will
Beloved entertainer Magda Szubanski, best known for her role in the iconic Aussie series, Kath and Kim, opens up about love, loss and the remarkable resilience behind her deeply personal new memoir.
Join Magda to celebrate the release of I Can’t Tell You But I Will as she shares her experiences of caring for her ailing mother while becoming one of the leading voices in Australia’s fight for marriage equality. Completely exclusive to Sydney, don’t miss the opportunity to hear from one of Australia’s most cherished storytellers at the Sydney Opera House.
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: October 4 at 11:45am.
Price: From $39.
Paper Daisy Spring Festival
Sydney’s biggest paper daisy display will take centre stage at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan this spring. The six-week celebration of flowers, family fun, live music and food will unfold against a spectacular sea of pink and white, created from approximately one million paper daisy seeds grown each year for the blooming display.
Plenty of food and drink options will be available, from burgers and coffee to ice cream and gozleme, plus lawn games, free crafts, and even a bookable painting experience.
Where: Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, 362 Narellan Rd, Mount Annan NSW 2567.
When: September 4-October 11.
Price: Free.
Moon Festival at Darling Square
Head to Haymarket and take in the colourful lanterns illuminating Darling Square as part of Moon Festival (or Mid-Autumn Festival) celebrations.
Although Moon Festival officially fell on September 25, Darling Square is continuing the festivities for another week, offering free lantern decorating workshops and interactive dance workshops. We’d recommend enjoying one of the 50 dining spots within the precinct (my favourite is the Japanese comfort food at IIKO Mazesoba) before exploring around the lit-up square and the wider Chinatown area.
Where: Darling Square, 35 Tumbalong Bvd, Haymarket NSW 2000.
When: September 19-October 4.
Price: Free.
Gigs and Concerts
Noah Kahan
Two-time Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Noah Kahan will perform four huge shows at Afterpay Arena this weekend, taking to the stage on October 2, 3, 5 and 6. Known for his critically acclaimed 2022 album Stick Season, Kahan has gone from strength to strength over the past few years, thanks to his powerhouse vocals, reflective lyrics and emotionally resonant songs. His Sydney shows promise the perfect mix of swaying, singing and shedding a few tears.
Tickets have sold out, but we’d recommend keeping an eye on Ticketek Marketplace for resale.
Where: Afterpay Arena, 19 Edwin Flack Ave, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127.
When: October 2, 3, 5 and 6.
Price: Tickets vary on Tixel but start at around $200.
Move My Way
Carriageworks is busy providing us with some great events in October, and the day festival Move My Way is here to kick it all off.
The one-day celebration of jazz, soul and hip-hop will include performances from Mercury Award-winning jazz-funk collective Ezra Collective, rapper Freddie Gibbs, Afrobeat seven-piece Kokoroko and Sampa the Great, alongside a curated selection of local and international artists.
Where: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW 2015.
When: October 3, doors open 2:30pm.
Price: Tickets from $189.90.
What’s on in Theatre
LAST CHANCE: Fiddler on the Roof
The beloved 1964 musical is running until October 3 at the Theatre Royal, following its sold-out season in London, where it set the record for the best-selling musical of all time at the Barbican Theatre and won three Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival.
The story is set in the tiny village of Anatevka in 1905, where milkman Tevye (Troy Sussman) lives his life by their proud traditions. For his five daughters, this means a visit from the matchmaker, played by Sigrid Thornton. As each daughter challenges his beliefs, against the backdrop of a changing world, Tevye struggles to embrace the unfamiliar as anti-semitic pressures increase in the region.
You can read our review of the show here.
Where: Theatre Royal, 108 King St, Sydney 2000.
When: Until October 3.
Price: Adult tickets from $89.
The Lion King
The blockbuster musical The Lion King continues its run in the Harbour City. The original Australian production of The Lion King premiered at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney in October 2003, returned for a second run in 2013, and is now back at the iconic venue 13 years later.
You can read our review of the stunning show here.
Where: Capitol Theatre, 13 Campbell St, Haymarket NSW 2000.
When: Until November 1, 2026.
Price: From $165.
A Room With A View
Grace Chapple transforms E.M. Forster’s beloved novel of love and discovery into a passionate stage production filled with romance, yearning and self-discovery. Follow Lucy Honeychurch through sun-drenched Tuscany as she finds herself navigating a life-changing choice between two men.
Where: 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
When: October 3-November 1.
Price: Tickets from $58.
Bugsy Malone
Based on the 1976 Academy Award-winning film, this world-famous musical features unforgettable songs, hilarious gangsters, glamorous showgirls and iconic splurge gun battles. Head to Leichhardt to see Australia’s next generation of musical theatre talent tackle this classic.
Where: Teatro at the Italian Forum, Shop 30A/23 Norton St, Leichhardt NSW 2040.
When: October 2-11.
Price: Tickets from $65.
The Elevator
Sharp, funny and fearless new Australian comedy The Elevator made its world premiere in September, and will continue to entertain audiences through to mid-October. This no-fluff office satire is a whirlwind of laughs and truth bombs as CEO Margot returns from mat leave, ready to face the fallout from her company’s PR nightmare.
Where: Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli NSW 2061.
When: September 18-October 18.
Price: Tickets from $90.
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia is celebrating 70 years of My Fair Lady since its glorious Broadway debut. Catch the beloved story of Eliza Doolittle’s transformation from Cockney flower girl to society lady, featuring charming classics including ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?’ and ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’.
You can read our review of the show here.
Where: Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: September 10-October 31.
Price: Tickets from $89.
Art Exhibitions and Events
Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste at NAS
Celebrating one of their own alum, the National Art School (NAS) is currently presenting Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste, presenting an intimate look at one of Australia’s most beloved painters. Through the lens of the European artistic tradition of intimisme, the exhibition pays homage to the quiet poetry of domestic life, with a focus on Olley’s six-decade career.
Drawing from significant public and private collections, the exhibition traces Olley’s preoccupations from early interiors to her later richly textured compositions featuring floral arrangements, antiques, and domestic objects.
Where: 156 Forbes St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010.
When: July 31-October 24, Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm.
Price: Free.
Brett Whiteley: Coming Home
The Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills recently underwent a two-year renovation and has now opened to the public with an incredible new exhibition, titled Brett Whiteley: Coming Home.
Upstairs, Whiteley’s studio remains an intimate time capsule, a look into his workspace, his famous graffitied walls and his extensive collection of books and trinkets. Downstairs, the new opening exhibition brings together some of his most celebrated works, from the 1976 Self-portrait in the Studio to the monumental 16-metre-wide Alchemy.
Where: Brett Whiteley Studio, 2 Raper Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
When: Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am-4pm.
Price: Free.
Black Myth at White Rabbit Gallery
White Rabbit Gallery’s latest free exhibition, Black Myth, opened to the public on June 25, marking the 33rd exhibition in the gallery’s history. The exhibition draws on the viral Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong, which is a contemporary retelling of the classic novel Journey to the West.
The Assistant Curator at White Rabbit Gallery, Meng-Yu, tells us that the exhibition “poses the question: what role does myth still play in an age driven by technology and rapid urban development?”
Where: White Rabbit Gallery, 30 Balfour St, Chippendale NSW 2008.
When: June 25-November 15, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm.
Price: Free.
Near at Hand: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial 2026
Featuring 11 contemporary artists from across Australia, the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial is the country’s leading exhibition dedicated to contemporary drawing.
Titled Near at Hand, the exhibition explores drawing as an intimate art form, showcasing personal mark-making, inner imaginings and up-close observations of the everyday. Artists make use of a range of materials, from pastel and pencil to watercolour, light and thread, showcasing the evolving possibilities of one of the world’s oldest art forms.
Where: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Naala Nura, Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: September 12-March 7.
Price: Free.
Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness
Want to discover the fascinating facts behind the human body? This globally acclaimed exhibition explores how the body works, bringing real specimens and interactive displays to Sydney for an educational experience that’s as fascinating as it is fun.
Seen in more than 175 cities by over 58 million visitors, it’s finally Sydney’s turn to get up close with the human body at Body World: The Anatomy of Happiness.
Where: 155 George St, The Rocks NSW 2000.
When: September 17-April 4.
Price: Tickets from $37.
Definitive Dupain at State Library of NSW
This exhibition at the State Library of NSW is the first major retrospective of Australia’s most famous photographer, Max Dupain. Drawing from his complete body of work, visitors can discover 200 images and original prints on display, from his most iconic photographs (including Sunbaker) through to unseen works and experimental gems.
The images will be shown alongside Dupain’s own words, offering a rare insight into the man behind the lens and his creative philosophy.
Where: Galleries, State Library, 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: August 24, 2026-July 18, 2027.
Lorrie Graham: Photojournalist at State Library of NSW
Another impressive photography exhibition at the State Library displays five decades of photography by Lorrie Graham, the pioneering and influential photojournalist.
Curated by Graham herself, this major retrospective brings together significant events, remarkable people and everyday moments, alongside intimate interviews in which Graham shares personal reflections on her career and the stories behind her photographs.
Where: Photography Gallery, State Library, 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: September 14, 2026-October 31, 2027.
Price: Free.
Where to Eat and Sip
Check out The Heritage Room
A sleek new wine bar and private dining room has opened in Martin Place this week, bringing old-world elegance, rare Tuscan wines and plenty of Italian flair to the CBD. Just a stone’s throw from their first city venue, the opulent Rovollo, The Heritage Room is serving rare Tuscan wines alongside cured meats, cheeses and its signature short rib and fondue schiacciata, from lunch through to late.
Behind the bar is one of Australia’s top sommeliers (ex-LuMi, The International, Fratelli Paradiso), while a purpose-built private dining room offers a polished setting for corporate lunches, celebrations and group dining. Be among the first to experience this chic new addition to the city this weekend.
Where: 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 12 pm- midnight; Sunday- Monday: Closed.
Smoothies and sandos at Super Mercato
There’s a new superfood grocer in Double Bay, promising smoothies that are worthy of your ‘gram, plus premium fresh produce, seasonal fruit and vegetables, a fresh deli, prepared meals and boutique pantry goods.
The grocer brings a Mediterranean way of eating to Sydney’s east, meaning healthy, fresh produce that’s already been vetted by its founders. One of the best parts of the grocer is that it has digital displays that let shoppers tap their phone to a product to instantly see its calorie count, nutrition panel and the story behind the brand, making it perfect for health-conscious shoppers.
We’d recommend the Hvar Panino (ham, beetroot and pickles) and the Sofia Mango Protein Smoothie for the ultimate lunch.
Where: Shop G9, 2/22 Knox Street, Double Bay NSW 2028 (Cosmo Shopping Centre).
When: Open Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:30pm.
Price: Varies per item.
The White Horse Lunch Special
Surry Hills icon The White Horse has launched a new lunch menu that packs six dishes into an impressively good-value $55 feast. With W.A. rock lobster-stuffed pappardelle, mushroom choux, chive pancake and Brie ice cream on the menu, the food is seriously impressive without the eye-watering price tag.
Available from Friday to Sunday between 12pm and 3pm, it’s the perfect excuse to round up your friends and settle in for a leisurely weekend lunch.
Where: 381 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
When: Available from Friday to Sunday between 12pm and 3pm.
Price: $55 per person.
Potion at Cantina OK!
Cantina OK! continues to elevate our idea of what a cocktail can be with their new three-drink menu, Potion. Jeremy Blackmore, the Creative Director at MUCHO Group, says the new menu is “dedicated to the everyday magic waiting at the bottom of a glass”, stating that these new cocktails share the “gentle alchemy” of a cocktail.
The menu features Keepsake OK!, with tequila, watermelon, crema, salted cucumber and basil seed; Shindig OK!, with tequila, coconut, cherry and prosecco; and Redwing OK!, a smoky, spicy mix of tequila, mezcal, rum, lime, macadamia and amari. We’ll take all three, thanks.
Where: Council Pl, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: Open Sunday-Tuesday, 4 pm- 12 am; Wednesday- Saturday, 4pm-2am.
Price: Cocktails cost $25 each.
ABODE Bistro. Bar X with Vic’s, The Chef’s Butcher
ABODE Bistro. Bar, the award-winning eatery by PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, is partnering with Vic’s — The Chef’s Butcher this October for a four-week culinary journey revolving around Australian farmers, producers and premium meats.
This month-long menu residency will feature a new premium dish each week, with a signature cocktail crafted to complement the flavours. Menu highlights include Paroo Kangaroo, White Rocks Veal Osso Bucco, Maremma Duck Leg Confit and Kurobuta Pork Chop, making this a menu tailor-made for meat lovers.
Where: ABODE Bistro. Bar, Sydney CBD – 150 Day St, Sydney NSW 2000.
When: October 5-November 1.
Price: Price varies based on dish.
