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50 reasons to come play in Sydney this summer

Bondi Beach, BondiCredit: Destination NSW

Young people enjoying views from the southern end of Bondi Beach.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

50 reasons to come play in Sydney this summer

Bondi Beach, Bondi Credit: Destination NSW

Young people enjoying views from the southern end of Bondi Beach.

#feelnsw #newsouthwales

Hashtags #feelnsw #newsouthwales

As the weather warms up in Sydney, it’s not just the city’s natural assets that come alive. The city streets, art institutions and dining rooms burst with ideas, festivals and enthusiasm. Visit an iconic stage within a harbour landmark, find innffovative eats across the city, and let loose on dance floors. Throughout spring and beyond you’ll find countless ways to play – here’s a handful of reasons why you should visit Sydney right now…

Visit a world-class venue: The Sydney Opera House

  • Bringing theatre, music, comedy and dance to Sydney since 1973, the Sydney Opera House plays host to many of Sydney’s festival programs and events, as well as providing its own wildly diverse programming throughout the year. Book in to see a classic opera reimagined, introduce your kids to a future interest in the arts, or see up-and-coming locals make the stage their own.
  • Step beyond the Sydney Opera House’s sails with a tour that peeks behind the curtain to reveal secret spaces and histories. Complement your visit with a meal that matches the scenery and book a tour and dine package at Opera Bar or House Canteen.
  • Settle in for a fine-dining experience under the sails at Bennelong, enjoy native produce at Midden by Mark Olive or dine with a view of the icon at Aria Sydney. Stay within an easy walking distance in luxury lodgings at the Park Hyatt or the Pullman Quay Grand.

Explore the city’s creativity

  • The city’s theatres, whether heritage or a more intimate stage, bring in both A-list actors and international musicals, as well as experimental works. Toe-tap along to the Tony Award-winning production of MJ The Musical at the Sydney Lyric Theatre and experience a uniquely ‘Sydney’ event backdropped by the harbour at dusk with Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, where this year the floating stage is set for a production of the Broadway musical Hit Guys & Dolls. For a night of Celine Dion celebration, snatch up tickets to see hit, Titanique.
  • Clear your schedule for six days of mind-blowing ideas and performances as the world’s disruptors, tech visionaries and artists converge in October for SXSW Sydney  celebrating innovation with more than 1,000 speakers, workshops, parties and shows.
  • In Sydney, there’s a festival for every interest. Celebrate on the street and in the club at the historic Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, see the CBD get taken over by music and art during Sydney Festival, find an illuminated cityscape and new ideas at Vivid Sydney, see a colossal firework display before an all-night party at New Year’s Eve, and join the free celebration around Sydney icons at Australia Day Live.
  • Sydney’s dance floors host artists of all genres, on stages of all sizes. See global stars such as Coldplay, Billie Eilish and Childish Gambino light up a Sydney stadium or let your hair down in a Sydney pub or club.
  • Unwind with your tribe at one of Sydney’s many live music venues serving up DJ-spun beats. You’ll find everything from jazz to experimental electronica at old-school theatre The Vanguard, a diverse line-up of acts at The Factory Theatre; local and international musicians at the beloved Enmore; more experimental gigs at Phoenix Central Park; and late-night-to-early-morning revelry at Pleasure Club.
  • Hit the pavement with Local Sauce Tours for a spin around the area’s best street eats and artworks.
  • The Art Gallery of New South Wales and Museum of Contemporary Art are the city’s big-hitting, internationally significant galleries. Fine art appreciators shouldn’t miss the Sydney International Art Series, which showcases some of the world’s most revered artists at these famous galleries.
  • Be moved by millennia-old stories retold through contemporary dance with performances by First Nations troupe Bangarra, and thSydney Dance Company.
  • Sydney's colonial history is revealed through the city skyline on an architecture tour, as you discover how a convict settlement evolved into an avant-garde, bustling city.

The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge Credit: Destination NSW

The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunrise

#feelnew #feelnewsydney

The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge Credit: Destination NSW

The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunrise

#feelnew #feelnewsydney

TItanique Credit: Titanique

he cult musical sensation that has all of New York scrambling for a ticket to take their seat on the ship of dreams. Setting sail for Australia, Titanique will play a limited season, exclusive to Sydney at The Grand Electric, from September.

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TItanique Credit: Titanique

he cult musical sensation that has all of New York scrambling for a ticket to take their seat on the ship of dreams. Setting sail for Australia, Titanique will play a limited season, exclusive to Sydney at The Grand Electric, from September.

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Unearth the best harbour views

Dive in and revive your body and soul

Luna Park Sydney, Milsons Point Credit: Destination NSW

Family walking into Luna Park Sydney, Milsons Point

#feelnewsydney

Luna Park Sydney, Milsons Point Credit: Destination NSW

Family walking into Luna Park Sydney, Milsons Point

#feelnewsydney

Mahon Ocean Pool, Maroubra, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW

A sunrise swim at Mahon Ocean Pool, Maroubra. For media use only in Australian markets to promote NSW.

#feelnewsydney

Mahon Ocean Pool, Maroubra, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW

A sunrise swim at Mahon Ocean Pool, Maroubra. For media use only in Australian markets to promote NSW.

#feelnewsydney

Cruise and chill out

  • Get on deck for a journey through Sydney’s saltwater centre, witnessing harbour vignettes that’ve inspired a myriad of artists. Learn the ropes with EastSail, appreciate the wisdom and custodianship of First Nations people on an Aboriginal cultural cruise, set sail on a classic Sydney Tallship or get the party well and truly afloat on a party boat.
  • Discover your own patch of harbour paradise on a secret island with a picnic cruise.
  • Spike as your adrenaline as a jetboat kicks into gear, reaching top-speed as it passes harbour highlights of Clark and Shark Islands, and Watsons Bay.
  • See Sydney gently awaken in stillness and serenity on a sunrise kayak tour, or paddle yourself into a core workout aboard a stand-up paddleboard in Rose Bay.

Fine dining, street food and all the cuisines of the world

  • Take your place at an acclaimed harbourside table at award-winners Quay, Margaret, or Café Sydney, or find an equally delicious, more casual feast at the city-centre dining hubs of Chinatown and Sydney Place.
  • In Inner Sydney, the Kensington Street and South Eveleigh precincts offer a banquet of cuisines and styles. Or settle in for a fine-dining feast at the innovative tables of SixpennyFiredoorEster or Porteno.
  • Western Sydney’s multicultural neighbourhoods plate up a world of flavours. Taste the aromatic banquets of Afghani cuisine, the street food in Little India, and one of the most vibrant hubs outside of Vietnam in Cabramatta. Let a local guide you with a foodie tour where you’ll sample a buffet of diverse flavours or book into a cooking school to get equipped with the culinary skills to replicate them at home.
  • Sip a well-made cocktail at the speakeasy-inspired bars of YCK Laneways, and frock up to match the elegant surrounds at Shell House and Employees Only.
  • Hit the Inner West ale trail for the highest concentration of breweries in the country, including some of best independent craft breweries in Australia.
  • Load up your market basket with local produce and hand-crafted delicacies at the city’s many vibrant farmers’ and food markets. Tuck in at BondiPyrmontEveleigh, Kings Cross and many more.

Find your people

  • From Darlinghurst to Newtown and beyond, join a welcoming queer social scene at a host of LGBTQIA+-friendly bars, clubs and experiences across the city – including tours with drag queens.
  • Share the agony, glory and euphoria with thousands of others at a grandstand sporting event such as the Summer of Cricket or the Sydney Everest racing carnival.
  • Get your game on at Fortress Sydney, one of the largest gaming centres in the Southern Hemisphere. Book a private booth or battle it out in arcades, watch e-sports or try a new (or classic) boardgame.

Pittwater Kayak Tours, Palm Beach Credit: Destination NSW

Friends enjoying a sunrise kayaking experience in Pittwater with Pittwater Kayak Tours, Palm Beach.

#feelnewsydney

Pittwater Kayak Tours, Palm Beach Credit: Destination NSW

Friends enjoying a sunrise kayaking experience in Pittwater with Pittwater Kayak Tours, Palm Beach.

#feelnewsydney

Streetscapes, Cabramatta Credit: Destination NSW

Entrance to Freedom Plaza off Arthur St, Cabramatta in Sydney's south west.

#feelnewsydney

Streetscapes, Cabramatta Credit: Destination NSW

Entrance to Freedom Plaza off Arthur St, Cabramatta in Sydney's south west.

#feelnewsydney

Dress with the best of Sydney design

Outdoor adventure is around the corner

Wildlife encounters to fill your heart

  • Enjoy harbour vistas as you greet the animals of Taronga Zoo, just a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. Check the schedule to hear the keeper talks or even jump in the enclosure to feed your favourite creature. Extend your visit with a night at Taronga’s Wildlife Retreat or settle in for a Roar and Snore glamping adventure.
  • Meet 4,000 animals at Sydney Zoo (take a peek from above with the park’s giant Ferris wheel). At nearby Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, 260 different species are on standby to greet you. Book an encounter experience to meet them in the pen.
  • See some of the largest and smartest animals to ever live up close on a whale-watching cruise around the waters of Sydney.
  • Feel your heart melt when you meet Australia’s Big Five – koalas, platypus, wombats, kangaroos and crocs – at WILD LIFE Sydney and pocket some memorable encounters with ocean-dwellers, such as sharks and penguins, at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

Raging Waters Sydney, Prospect Credit: Destination NSW

Visitors enjoying a day out at The Beach located at Raging Waters Sydney, Prospect.

#feelnewsydney

Raging Waters Sydney, Prospect Credit: Destination NSW

Visitors enjoying a day out at The Beach located at Raging Waters Sydney, Prospect.

#feelnewsydney

Taronga Zoo, Mosman Credit: Destination NSW

Family enjoying a giraffe encounter at Taronga Zoo, Mosman in Sydney

#feelnewsydney

Taronga Zoo, Mosman Credit: Destination NSW

Family enjoying a giraffe encounter at Taronga Zoo, Mosman in Sydney

#feelnewsydney

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