Prince Alfred Park, Surry HillsCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a walk along the rainbow path in Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills.
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
Get your glow on — Sydney WorldPride 2023 kicks off on 17 February, 2023 and culminates with a historic Pride March across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 5 March. Be inspired by the sparkle of the world-famous Mardi Gras Parade, parties, concerts and events to explore more of this beautiful harbour city. Discover the distinctive personality of each of Sydney’s neighbourhoods, including these four precincts that are the perfect places for a pre-event drink or as the base for your stay. Bronzed and beautiful Bondi hosts WorldPride’s Bondi Beach Party, while the ever-alternative Newtown is home to plenty of events at the Carriageworks arts centre as well as the Mardi Gras Fair Day. The city centre’s arts and nightlife scene forms the backdrop to the Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, and the Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert at the Sydney Opera House. And the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade makes its way through Darlinghurst, with its vibrant LGBTQIA+ community and cutting-edge dining scene.
Sydney city
Eat & drink
Soak up incredible harbour views as you savour top-tier seafood and French flair at Whalebridge at Circular Quay — sit outside on the promenade with a generous tower of the day’s finest catches. While away a memorable evening at recently refurbished Art Deco Shell House: with four venues in one, it’s a bar-hopper’s dream. Grab an old-fashioned at Shell House’s Clocktower; pair the sunset at Sky Bar with a natural wine; relish a wagyu burger and beer at the laidback Menzies Bistro; or sink into a booth for a late-night Mediterranean feast at the Dining Room & Terrace. Or enjoy a looser vibe at veteran chef Dan Hong’s MuMu, which takes southeast Asian street food to new heights alongside yuzu slushies, distinctive durian ice-cream and bright neon signs.
Play
Feel the love at some of Sydney WorldPride’s biggest events in the city centre, then see for yourself how innovative works at the Sydney Opera House by world-renowned companies such as Bangarra Dance Theatre, Bell Shakespeare or Opera Australia are just as awe-inspiring as the sails themselves. Or immerse in the art of fashion with a stylist-guided odyssey through the city’s best boutiques and designer stores with Splendour Tailored Tours.
Find a fresh perspective on the city from the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb — during Sydney WorldPride a daily Pride Climb guided by a drag queen adds even more sparkle to the glistening harbour. Or gain a deeper understanding of the land you look out upon on BridgeClimb’s Burrawa Indigenous Experience, led by a First Nations storyteller who reframes the harbour via 60,000-plus years of the oldest living culture in the world.
Dive into Sydney’s cutting-edge nightlife at Mary’s Underground, an intimate, unpretentious club in Circular Quay where the LGBTQIA+ community turn looks and meet on the dancefloor.
Stay
Take in panoramic Sydney Harbour views at InterContinental Sydney, or base yourself at one of two recently opened five-star boutique hotels, the Art Deco Kimpton Margot Sydney and the heritage Porter House Hotel, both of which are within walking distance of the festivities on Darlinghurst’s Oxford Street.
Tower Bar, Shell House, Sydney Credit: Jonny Valiant,
Tower Bar at Shell House, Sydney
#feelnew #feelnewsydney
Tower Bar, Shell House, Sydney Credit: Jonny Valiant,
Tower Bar at Shell House, Sydney
Aster Bar Credit: InterContinental Sydney
Aster Bar, InterContinental Sydney
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
Aster Bar Credit: InterContinental Sydney
Aster Bar, InterContinental Sydney
Darlinghurst + surrounds
Eat & drink
Indulge your adventurous side with experimental menus and bold decor at eateries across Sydney’s inner east. Get down to earth at natural wine bar Poly in Surry Hills, where head chef Mat Lindsay transforms pies, onion rings and the classic Australian pavlova dessert into unpretentious yet artful bar food. Or celebrate sacrilegious and delicious departures from Italian classics at nearby garage trattoria Pellegrino 2000. Devour barramundi with a Catalan twist at Parlar in Potts Point, and get a feel for Kings Cross’s long-gone cabaret bars at cosy underground cocktail bar Dulcie’s, a drinking den of velvet booths with table service late into the night.
Play
Feel the buzz on Oxford Street, the LGBTQIA+ centre of Sydney and an essential stop during a WorldPride pilgrimage. Work up a sweat on a heaving dancefloor at Stonewall or Universal, which is often packed for mid-week drag competitions. Absorb the energy at the Oxford Hotel’s upstairs drag-cabaret lounge Ginger’s, the welcoming, relaxed ground-floor bar, or the downstairs club Oxford Underground, which hosts everything from bear nights to drag bingo. Mingle with a diverse crowd of all identities and ages drawn to disco, ‘80s hits and ‘90s pop from Thursday to Sunday at Palms on Oxford, a few doors down from the Oxford Hotel. And join an all-inclusive party when POOF DOOF takes over Kinselas on Taylor Square each Saturday night.
Spend an afternoon recovering with hours of retail therapy on Oxford Street, browsing drag costumes at the legendary House of Priscilla and party and parade attire at DailyJocks, before drifting towards Paddington and the flagship stores of Australian labels such as Double Rainbouu, Dion Lee, Nique and more.
Stay
Get into an artistic groove at Surry Hills’s Ace Hotel, which takes the style and polish that has made the boutique hotel brand beloved across the globe and combined it with artist residencies and events with leading creative figures. Join a fashionable crowd just across the road at the boutique Paramount House Hotel, home to the Art Deco Golden Age Cinema, the slick Paramount Coffee Project cafe and the rooftop Paramount Recreation Club. Keep your pulse on Paddington at the new boutique hotel Oxford House, a relaxing oasis with glistening pool right on Oxford Street.
Parlar. Sydney Credit: Parlar
This fine-diner in Potts Point aims to share the cuisine of Catalonia in Spain’s north-east, through the use of Australian ingredients prepared with techniques from the Iberian Peninsula.
#feelnewsydney
Parlar. Sydney Credit: Parlar
This fine-diner in Potts Point aims to share the cuisine of Catalonia in Spain’s north-east, through the use of Australian ingredients prepared with techniques from the Iberian Peninsula.
Ace Hotel, Sydney Credit: Ace Hoteld
The first southern hemisphere hotel from the Ace Hotel Group has now opened in Surry Hills, Sydney
#feelnewsydney
Ace Hotel, Sydney Credit: Ace Hoteld
The first southern hemisphere hotel from the Ace Hotel Group has now opened in Surry Hills, Sydney
Bondi
Eat & drink
Step inside an Instagram post with a cocktail overlooking Bondi Beach and a gorgeous white-stone ocean pool at Icebergs Dining Room before enjoying its simple yet elegant Italian dining and silver service. Indulge in a seafood feast in the dining room or pop in for house-made pita and souvlaki at Topikós (Greek for ‘local’), a welcoming beachside space. Or snack on treats from nearby Frank’s Deli over a craft ale at the Curly Lewis brewery.
Play
Refresh with a dip at Bondi Beach — or blend in with the locals by renting a surfboard and paddling out to the world-famous waves. Then trace the dramatic coastline south of the beach on the 6km Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, strolling along cliffsides, beaches and swimming spots like the rocky shores of Gordon’s Bay. And seek out emerging local fashion designers alongside jewellers, artists and vintage bric-a-brac sellers at the beachside Bondi Markets, each Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Stay
Ease into the ultra-laidback vibe of this beachside suburb at quirky boutique hotel QT Bondi, where the spacious guest suites are decked out in beachy pastels and breezy designer touches (and dressing gowns that feel fantastic after a day of sun and surf).
Bondi Icebergs, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a morning swim at Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach.
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
Bondi Icebergs, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a morning swim at Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach.
Topikós Bar & Dining Room, Sydney Credit: Topikós Bar & Dining Room
Topikós Bar & Dining Room in Bondi, Sydney
#feelnew #feelnewsydney
Topikós Bar & Dining Room, Sydney Credit: Topikós Bar & Dining Room
Topikós Bar & Dining Room in Bondi, Sydney
Newtown + surrounds
Eat & drink
Tap into the bohemian spirit of Newtown as you graze your way through this popular restaurant and bar hub in Sydney’s inner west. Feel your head spin as you survey a kaleidoscope of designer stores, knick-knack shops and cheap-eats restaurants alongside one-of-a-kind dining experiences on King Street. Be spoiled for choice of sake at vinyl bar Ante, which has more than 60 types of the Japanese rice wine on offer alongside 2,500 LP records. Take pleasure in people-watching from the second-floor terrace of the Newtown Hotel on King Street. Or slip behind the rockabilly pink-and-purple salon façade of Bar Louise, a modern Spanish restaurant on Enmore Road from the team behind the nearby Continental Deli, famous for its canned ‘Mar-tinnys’.
Play
Follow in the footsteps of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at Erskineville’s The Imperial, which pays tribute to the iconic film with its Drag ‘N’ Dine shows at the Priscilla bistro — or take in alternative and occasionally outrageous shows in the Imperial’s downstairs club. Spend a fruitful day trawling King Street and Enmore Road’s countless vintage shops, from Newtown Vintage to SWOP, or put yourself in the hands of a Local Sauce guide for a three-hour Newtown Chewtown Food & Street Art tour ending at a craft brewery.
Stay
Bed down in an industrial-chic room in the heart of Enmore Road’s small bar scene at the Urban Newtown, or straddle the inner west and the city centre at Chippendale’s Old Clare Hotel, an elegant yet welcoming boutique hotel filled with character – and a rooftop pool.
Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Newtown Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying food and drink at Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Newtown.
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Newtown Credit: Destination NSW
People enjoying food and drink at Continental Deli Bar Bistro, Newtown.
The Imperial Erskineville Credit: Destination NSW
Drag artists getting ready for Drag n' Dine at The Imperial Erskineville in Sydney's inner west.
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
The Imperial Erskineville Credit: Destination NSW
Drag artists getting ready for Drag n' Dine at The Imperial Erskineville in Sydney's inner west.
More Inspirational Stories
The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
#feelnewsydney
Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
#feelnewsydney
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
#feelnewsydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
#feelnewsydney
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
#feelnsw #newsouthwales
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
#feelnewsydney
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.