Sydney’s cultural scene blooms with creativity this spring, with the South by Southwest Sydney and Sydney Fringe festival programs just some of the many blockbuster cultural events taking place across the city from September to November. Discover how AI is shaping cutting-edge contemporary art, encounter astonishing Indigenous art and catch a musical as you enjoy a wave of warm days during this magical season in the harbour city.
Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible
Contemplate your passage through space and time as you wander among the large-scale light sculptures of Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible, which runs until 19 October 2025.
Feel your perception subtly shift as you engage with major works by Welsh conceptual artist Cerith Wyn Evans, most of which have never been seen before in Australia. Stroll through a metaphorical Japanese garden as you take in astonishing works like the Neon Forms (After Noh), a set of large-scale pieces that draw inspiration from the choreography of Japan’s Noh theatre and use neon light to create “drawings in space”. Move around F=O=U=N=T=A=I=N, a wall of white neon that’s three metres tall and 10 metres wide, and breathe in and out in time with the 37 glass pipes of Composition for 37 Flutes as they exhale sound into the gallery space.
Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala
Trace the evolution of the Northern Territory’s Yirrkala school of Indigenous art from the 1940s to the present day in the extraordinary exhibition Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala, presented by Art Gallery of New South Wales in partnership with the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre, until 6 October 2025.
You’re bound to lose track of time as you take in this incredible collection of bark paintings, sculptures, drawings on paper, prints and time-based artworks, curated to showcase and contextualise the long history of the exceptional artworks created in the community of Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land.
Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible Credit: Destination NSW
The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible Credit: Destination NSW
The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala Credit: Destination NSW
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will showcase the extraordinary artists of Yirrkala and the power of their art from the 1940s to the present in our major exhibition, Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala.
Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala Credit: Destination NSW
The Art Gallery of New South Wales will showcase the extraordinary artists of Yirrkala and the power of their art from the 1940s to the present in our major exhibition, Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala.
The Book of Mormon
The critically acclaimed, award-winning musical The Book of Mormon continues its run at the city centre’s Capitol Theatre until 26 October 2025. A collaboration between the creators of South Park and multiple EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) award-winner Robert Lopez, this irreverent show tells the story of a mismatched pair of Mormon missionaries as they stumble from one hilarious misadventure to another while they attempt to complete a church mission in Uganda.
Relics: A New World Rises
Delight your Lego-mad kids, or indulge your own passion for the modular bricks, at the immersive art experience Relics: A New World Rises, opening on 16 August 2025 at the Australian Museum. You’ll step into a magical world created by Lego Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler, who have imagined a world in which humans have departed Earth in favour of a more hospitable environment.
Marvel at the fantastical designs Lego minifigures have constructed for themselves in abandoned relics like an old book cabinet, an upright piano and even the bonnet of an original VW Beetle. You’ll be rewarded for taking a long, searching look at each installation as you spot a cascade of clever details amid the intricate designs, which include a grandfather clock that’s been transformed into a time machine and an old fridge that’s been repurposed as a cryonics facility.
Sydney Fringe Festival
New South Wales’s largest independent arts festival, Sydney Fringe returns with more than 460 events across the city from 1–30 September 2025. Draw energy from the passion of the 2,900-odd artists performing at 10 festival hubs and throughout four precincts – central Sydney, the Inner West, the Eastern Suburbs and Greater Sydney.
Celebrate the start of the festival at the free street party in The Rocks on 4 September, and snap up tickets to highlight shows such as When Night Comes, an immersive performance blending theatre and cocktails, and three acclaimed works by England’s storytelling masters Wright & Grainger: Orpheus, Helios and the family-friendly Grandpa Poseidon.
Thrill to innovative theatre, music, contemporary dance and cabaret at the Off Broadway Hub at Darlinghurst’s heritage-listed Eternity Playhouse. And seek out Fringe events across the city, from Hurstville in the city’s south to Lane Cove in the north and Western Sydney’s Parramatta.
Sydney Fringe Festival 2025 Credit: Destination NSW
Leave the city behind and step into the magical world of Dorothy in Oz: The Immersive Cocktail adventure, where you become part of the action!
Sydney Fringe Festival 2025 Credit: Destination NSW
Leave the city behind and step into the magical world of Dorothy in Oz: The Immersive Cocktail adventure, where you become part of the action!
Back to the Future: The Musical
Lightning struck on London’s West End and New York’s Broadway: now it’s Sydney’s turn as Back to the Future: The Musical throws sparks at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Pyrmont from 26 September 2025. With Tony Award-winning veteran actor Roger Bart playing Doc Brown and rising Australian theatre performer Axel Duffy taking on the role of Marty McFly, this acclaimed musical adaptation features original show tunes alongside the rock staples showcased in the 1985 film, including Huey Lewis and The News’s The Power of Love and Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode.
South by Southwest Sydney
See who’s shaping the future of all kinds of creativity at South by Southwest Sydney events across the city from 13–19 October 2025. Tap into the next wave of innovation at some of the 400-plus interactive sessions, workshops and talks on emerging technologies, marketing, sustainability, business leadership and more during the SXSW Sydney Conference at ICC Sydney.
Meet visionary creators and get matched with a mentor from the Australian film and TV industry at the SXSW screen festival, be moved by musicians from across the Asia-Pacific in 300-plus performances ranging from experimental electronic or metalcore during the music festival, and catch hands-on demonstrations and gaming product launches at the games showcase.
Data Dreams: Being Human in the Age of AI
Gain fascinating insights into how artificial intelligence is shaping the world at large, and contemporary art in particular, through the arresting works gathered together in the groundbreaking show Data Dreams: Contemporary Art in the Age of AI, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from 21 November 2025 to 26 April 2026.
Be challenged by artworks encouraging you to reflect deeply on what it means to be human when computers can simulate human thinking, form memories and even dream. Immerse in interactive installations, and wander through experiential gallery spaces brimming with thought-provoking works by leading contemporary artists from around the globe.
Keep up to date with events in Sydney and New South Wales by visiting the Media Centre Events page here.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical Credit: Destination NSW
BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical is coming to the Sydney Lyric from September for its Australian Premiere.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical Credit: Destination NSW
BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical is coming to the Sydney Lyric from September for its Australian Premiere.
South by Southwest Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
SXSW Sydney is an annual gathering of visionaries, thought leaders and emerging talents from the Asia-Pacific region.
South by Southwest Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
SXSW Sydney is an annual gathering of visionaries, thought leaders and emerging talents from the Asia-Pacific region.
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Wallabies fans, Allianz Stadium, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Wallabies fans enjoy the game at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. DESTINATION NSW USAGE ONLY
Sydney’s sporting scene heats up this spring, with the NRL and NRWL grand finals at Sydney Olympic Park, the Wallabies in action in a Rugby Championship Test match, high-octane, high-stakes motor racing and the BMX national championship. Here’s when and where to see some world-class sporting events across the city over the spring months.
World Time Attack Challenge Sydney | 5–6 September
The Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge takes over Sydney Motorsport Park in Western Sydney’s Eastern Creek for a two-day celebration of unbridled speed racing. Unlike other motorsports categories such as Formula One, the Time Attack Challenge rules and regulations allow almost unlimited modifications to race cars. In fact, the safety of the drivers, support teams and spectators are the only practical restrictions to what competitors can do to modify their cars.
So, get ready for some seriously spectacular driving as competitors race against the clock to record the fastest single lap across four classes: Clubsprint, Open, Pro Am and Pro. The fastest five drivers in each class get another shot at registering the fastest lap in the Superlap Shootout bonus round at the end of the second day.
Your ticket to the World Time Attack Challenge includes access to the Garrett International Drifting Cup, where local and international ‘drifters’ take over Sydney Motorsport Park each evening and battle one-on-one to advance from their pool to the elimination finals.
Wallabies versus Argentina Test Match | 13 September
The Australian men’s rugby team will be out to avenge last year’s devastating 67–27 loss to Argentina and capture vital 2025 Rugby Championship points as the South American team’s Australian tour concludes with the Wallabies versus Argentina Test Match at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park.
After conceding 50 points in the second half of the Test match against Los Pumas in Argentina’s Santa Fe last September, the Wallabies will be looking to put on a vastly improved defensive performance. Expect a much more potent attack as well, and a lively crowd taking advantage of their last chance to barrack for the Wallabies in Sydney this year.
World Time Attack Challenge Credit: Destination NSW
World Time Attack Challenge Sydney is a two-day motorsport festival with record-breaking cars, heart-stopping stunts, international stars and non-stop action on and off the track.
World Time Attack Challenge Credit: Destination NSW
World Time Attack Challenge Sydney is a two-day motorsport festival with record-breaking cars, heart-stopping stunts, international stars and non-stop action on and off the track.
NRL & NRLW Grand Final | 5 October
The 2025 NRL and NRLW seasons culminate with premiership-deciding matches played out in front of packed crowds at Sydney Olympic Park’s Accor Stadium on the first Sunday in October. Will the Penrith Panthers come from last place on the ladder mid-season to win the men’s grand final for an incredible fifth time in a row? Can the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs maintain their momentum to make it to the decider on at their home stadium? Or can the Canberra Raiders make the most of an expected top-four finish to go all the way?
While it’s yet to be determined which teams make their way through the preliminary finals to have their shot at the big prize, what’s certain is that the matches will be hard-fought and impossible to look away from.
Grand final day kicks off with the NRL State Championship Grand Final, pitting the winners of the reserve-grade New South Wales Cup and the Queensland Cup against each other. Watch some of best female rugby league players in the country put on big shots and dazzling plays in the NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Final. Then draw energy from the buzz that grows ever louder as the pre-game entertainers strut their stuff, the teams enter the arena to sing along to the national anthem, and the referee blows his whistle to signal the start of 80 minutes of frenzied action that will decide the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership.
BMX Racing National Championships| 9–12 October
The country’s most talented BMX riders gather in the Western Sydney town of Camden for a week of thrills and spills as they compete in AusCycling’s 2025 GWM BMX Racing National Championships.
Official practice sessions for competitors in the 20-inch, Cruiser, Elite, Juniors, Masters and Adaptive (Para) categories get underway at Camden’s Macarthur BMX Club on Monday, 6 October, before the racing beings in earnest on Thursday afternoon.
After the dust settles and this year’s champions celebrate their wins on the weekend, stick around to watch riders compress and extend their bodies, rather than pedal, to propel their bikes around the track in the 2025 AusCycling Pump Track National Championships on Sunday, 12 October.
Australian Supercross Championship | 15 November
Settle into your seats for a Saturday night to remember as round three of the 2025 Boost Mobile Australian Supercross Championshipis hotly contested. Thrill to the roar and crackle of finely tuned motocross bikes as the country’s best supercross riders compete against international stars on a challenging track purpose-built for the event.
In between the races, look on in awe as daring riders perform freestyle motocross stunts, and enjoy family-friendly entertainment, live music, giveaways and games during the action-packed evening.
Keep up to date with events in Sydney and New South Wales by visiting the Media Centre Events page here.
