Wondering what to do in Sydney in December? There’s more than just festive fun to be had over the next 31 days, from immersive art exhibitions showcasing ancient Peruvian culture to pedal boats on Darling Harbour and the gorgeous world-building magic of Cirque du Soliel.
Best things to do in Sydney this December
1. Art: Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru
Australian Museum has had a very successful year so far. First, the institution’s Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition set new attendance records for Sydney and now the museum is running another in-depth historical survey.
Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru displays one of the most remarkable gold collections in history, working up as a multi-sensory exhibition completely dedicated to the artefacts and immersive displays that help illustrate the story of Peru.
You can also read our review of the exhibition to get a better idea of what to expect.
Where: 1 William St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
When: November 23, 2024 – February 2025
Price: From $37.50 (for adults)
2. Festive Fun: Sydney’s Christmas lights trail
Nothing screams Christmas around the world like walking residential streets and checking out all the elaborate Christmas lights displays. You’ll surely want to pop by Davidson to see the return off North Sydney’s famous lights at Cambage Court and Ramsgate Beach to see if the Harry Potter Christmas lights make a return.
But there’s so much to get across if you want to stroll the streets of Sydney and show the little ones that Christmas cheer isn’t just confined to commercialism. To find the best Christmas lights in Sydney check out our comprehensive list.
3. Theatre: SIX The Musical
One of the most popular musicals of the past decade is heading on back to Sydney’s Theatre Royal for 80 minutes of pop-powered hilarity. In case you aren’t yet familiar, SIX The Musical follows the fictional lives of the six wives of Henry VIII as they rewrite history and argue over who had the worst marriage as they try and get a pop band off the ground.
The Tony Award-winning musical has been in high demand ever since it debuted in 2017, following a raucous Melbourne season with a bright, playful cast including Kimberley Hodgson, Deirdre Khoo, Loren Hunter, Zelia Rose Kitoko, Chelsea Dawson and Giorgia Kennedy.
Where: Theatre Royal Sydney; 108 King St, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Until December 28, 2024
Price: $99.50
4. Art: Magritte
The current major exhibition for the Art Gallery of New South Wales is now underway. And it’s a big one. The institution has managed to curate over 100 works in a retrospective for surrealist master René Magritte, tracing the famed artist’s career with both well-known and obscure pieces.
Four decades of the artist’s career are detailed in chronological order, presenting a nice, one-stop-shop for anyone with even a fleeting interesting in Magritte’s timeless paintings.
Where: Art Gallery of NSW; Art Gallery Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
When: Until February 9, 2025
Price: $35
5. Festive Fun: Sydney’s best Christmas markets
From Polish Christmas markets to the famous Carriageworks Christmas Market, there are plenty of ways to go direct with Sydney’s best artisans, producers and makers. Whether that’s to help you dress your own Christmas experience at home, or eat festive favourites from our best street food vendors.
Sydney Travel Guide has rounded up a list of the best Christmas markets in Sydney for you to get across so you know exactly where to go when you want to immerse yourselves in the holiday season.
6. Theatre: Cirque du Soleil – Luzia
Sydney’s latest Cirque du Soleil production kicks off towards the end of November and runs through to the new year at Entertainment Quarter’s The Showring. As the show has been chosen to celebrate 25 years of Cirque du Soleil in Australia, you’re guaranteed to get the very best of the show’s usual high-flying, visually spectacular way of storytelling.
In Luzia, director Daniele Finzi Pasca takes audiences to a vibrant Mexico with scenes including an old movie set and a smoky dance hall, taking the production from the ocean to the arid desert as it touches on various Mexican traditions sketched onto showstopping acrobatic performances. And there should be plenty of rain worked into the scenes, which is apparently a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.
Where: The Showring; 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park NSW 2021
When: November 24, 2024 – February 9, 2025
Price: $90
7. Family Fun: Pedal boats on Darling Harbour
Cockle Bay Wharf is worshipping the summer by bringing back its popular pedal boat rental program. For a low cost, anyone can rent a vintage paddle board and take it on the harbour for a nice, relaxed time. It’s a popular thing to do with kids in the school holidays, given it’s a great, novel way to cruise around the harbour while also getting some exercise in.
Where: Cockle Bay Wharf
When: Until January 28, 2025
Price: $45 for 30 minutes (tickets purchased from a booth near the ICC Forecourt)
8. Dine: Sydney Fish Market’s 36-Hour Marathon
While turkey and chicken most definitely have their place at the table at every Sydney household for Christmas Day lunch, what really defines the city’s festive palate is top-shelf seafood. Fresh catches of the day, chunks of lobster and platters of beautiful Sydney Rock oysters adorn picnic tables and dining rooms all across the city, and it’s all thanks to Sydney Fish Market’s epic 36-hour seafood marathon.
Each year, the Sydney Fish Market hosts a 36-hour seafood marathon where its many retailers tirelessly shelf fresh seafood and other goods from 5am on Thursday, December 23 to 5pm on Christmas Eve. The tradition has attracted massive crowds for years now, with a one-stop-shop built from the city’s best produce. It’s not just seafood either, with a butcher, greengrocer, deli and gift shop on site.
Notably, this will be the last 36-hour seafood marathon at the current Sydney Fish Market before the highly touted new iteration opens just metres away in 2025.
Where: Sydney Fish Market; Corner Pyrmont Bridge Rd &, Bank St, Pyrmont NSW 2009
When: Thursday, December 23 – Friday, December 24; 5am – 5pm
9. Live Music: The Killers’ Greatest Hits
Las Vegas rockers The Killers are certainly no strangers to Sydney, having included Australia on numerous world tours in the past. But they’re doing things a bit differently this time around. To celebrate the release of their greatest hits album, Rebel Diamonds, The Killers will perform a special greatest hits show, as well as another one exclusively dedicated to their debut album, Hot Fuss. Tickets are still available for both so pick your set list and make a night of it out at Sydney Olympic Park.
Where: Qudos Bank Arena; 19 Edwin Flack Ave, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127
When: December 6-7
Price: From $150
10. Iconic Sights: Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
After you’re done digesting all that Christmas goodness, join the rest of Sydney in dragging yourself out to some of Sydney’s best viewing spots. Becoming a spectator for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race has become a Sydney Christmas tradition so choose your best vantage point and join the rest of the city in cheering on more than 100 yachts streaming across our iconic waters
11. Party: New Year’s Eve at some of Sydney’s best venues
Sydney Travel Guide has put together a round-up of the best NYE parties in Sydney that you can still buy tickets to. Whether you want to sit down to a show and a lavish Midnight Party at Sydney Opera House, rave the night away at Carousel or have a nice, civil dinner at O Bar & Dining, you’ve got plenty of choices if you want to farewell 2024 in a big way.
Take a read of our best NYE parties in Sydney guide.
Read More
- Where to see Christmas lights in Sydney
- Shop at the best Christmas markets in Sydney
- Where to hear Christmas carols in Sydney
- Sydney Christmas traditions that bring to city to life in December
