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What’s On Newtown - May 2026

  • 11 hours ago
  • 5 min read

Your guide to the best theatre, food, entertainment and live music happening in Newtown, Enmore and other nearby neighbourhoods.



ENGINE by Sydney Dance Company
ENGINE by Sydney Dance Company

🎤 Newtown Open Mic Night

📍 8:52 Hong Kong Restaurant, 503 King St

📅 Thursdays, 6 - 9pm


Register from 5:30 pm for one of 15 performer slots, with the show starting at 6 pm. Bring your own instruments - mic stand and microphone provided, plus Bluetooth connection for backing tracks. Each performer gets five minutes or two songs, and a complimentary drink. All ages welcome with a guardian. 



🍸 Snacky Hour

📍 Bank Hotel, 324 King St

📅 Thursday from 4pm


Thursdays just got an upgrade with iconic snack-and-drink pairings to kick off the weekend early. Choose from Classic Margarita & Empanadas, Martini & Oysters, or Negroni & Arancini - each just $15 from 4 pm. Live music completes the evening, creating the perfect Thursday vibe for food, drinks and fun.



Snacky Hour a The Bank

🎸 Live Band Karaoke

📍 The Duke of Enmore

📅 Fortnightly, Thursday (Till April 20)


Presented by Doom Juice, this isn’t your average karaoke. Born from a decade of chaos and camaraderie, the Duke-a-fied edition brings you Sydney’s finest local musicians together for unhinged energy and unforgettable performances. Hosted by Will Vaughn, with Blake Cateris, Jase Canelas and Pierre Ishak, the night kicks off at 8 pm sharp.




🎭 Stage Kiss

📍 New Theatre, 542 King St

📅 March 17th - April 11th


“When I kissed you just now, did it feel like an actor kissing an actor, or a person kissing a person?” Two former lovers are reunited when cast opposite each other in a forgotten 1930s melodrama. As rehearsals unfold, the lines between performance and real life are blurred. With wit, charm and sparkling dialogue, Sarah Ruhl explores desire, loyalty. The chaos of rekindled love makes this a funny, tender and unpredictable romantic comedy.


 

🍽️ Refugee Chef Dinner Banquet

📍 632 King St, Newtown

📅 April 8th, May 6th, June 3rd


Experience a unique 3‑course banquet at Bohemian Café Parliament on King, sampling dishes from the homelands of asylum seekers and refugees. Each night features a different chef and menu, with stories shared about their journeys to Australia. All proceeds support Parliament on King’s mission to provide work, training and community.



🎓 The Athena School Open Day

📍 28 Oxford St, Newtown

📅 May 20th, 10am - 12pm


You're invited to experience a morning of fun and discovery at the Athena School’s upcoming Open. Kids can enjoy pony rides, meet friendly farm animals and get creative with face painting, while parents explore the school grounds and learn more about the Athena community. Tea, coffee and light snacks will be available. 



🇮🇪 Dancing At Lughnasa

📍 New Theatre, 542 King St

📅 April 21st - May 16th


Set in rural Ireland during the summer of 1936, join young Michael as he remembers a fleeting season with his five spirited aunts. Moments of joy, love and freedom flicker through the household, even as hardship looms. Widely regarded as Brian Friel’s masterpiece, this poignant memory play captures family, resilience and the fragile nature of nostalgia.



Nearby Neighbourhoods



Gatsby at The Green Light

 


🥂 Gatsby at The Green Light

📍 The Studio, Sydney Opera House

📅  Must Close March 29th!


Step inside a sultry, speakeasy-style world where 1920s glamour collides with modern energy in this bold cabaret reimagining of Gatsby. Expect aerial acts, dazzling choreography and an electric soundtrack in an immersive, adults-only night out that’s equal parts seductive, theatrical and wildly entertaining. 



🥁 BABYMETAL

📍 Hordern Pavilion

📅 March 19th & 20th


Metal sensations BABYMETAL are set to tour Australian this March joined by Indian metal behemoths BLOODYWOOD & American rock band MAGNOLIA PARK.



Babymetal

👗 The Prom

📍 Teatro Italian Forum

📅 March 24th - 26th


Get ready to dance at the Australian premier of Broadway smash hit, The Prom. Follow four eccentric Broadway stars as they shake up a small-town prom, celebrate love, and bring their whole community together.



👸 Anastasia

📍 Sydney Lyric Theatre

📅 April 7th - July 19th (Various Showtimes) 


Sydney audiences are in for a theatrical treat as Anastasia takes over the Lyric Theatre. With dazzling costumes, a powerhouse cast including Georgina Hopson and Nancye Hayes, and a heart-stirring score, this modern fairytale is full of adventure, romance and spectacle - magic for theatre lovers of all ages.



💿 Bennetts Grove: “Out In The Cold” Single Launch

📍 Mary’s Underground, Cirqular Quay

📅 April 11th, 7:30pm


Hailing from Eora, Bennetts Grove return with their abrasive, hard-hitting new single, “Out in the Cold”. The confronting track marks the first release from their forthcoming EP, further cementing the band’s raw and uncompromising presence within the post-punk scene. Audiences can experience Bennetts Grove live as they celebrate the launch of the single at Mary’s Underground.



🎵 Amplified: The Rock & Rage of Chrissy Amphlett

📍The Seymour Centre

📅 April 15th - 25th


Following a sold-out season at Belvoir Theatre, Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett returns. Sheridan Harbridge leads an electrifying band, channeling Chrissy’s raw energy, audacious spirit, and chart-topping hits. Co-created with Sarah Goodes, the show blends stories and songs, offering an intimate, kaleidoscopic portrait of a rock’n’roll icon.



🛍️ Finders Keepers Market

📍 Carriageworks, Eveleigh

📅 May 1st - 3rd


Showcasing more than 150 independent designers, makers and foodies, the Finders Keepers Sydney Design Market returns to Carriageworks 1-3 May. Explore unique, thoughtfully made homewares, fashion and small-batch food and drink in this festival-style celebration of contemporary craft - perfect for design lovers and last-minute Mother’s Day finds



🎤 HighSchool

📍 The Landsdowne Hotel, Sydney

📅 May 7th, 8pm


Hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut LP, HighSchool, AKAThe Rory Trobbiani and Luke Scott, bring their much-vaunted live show to home shores. Augmented by live members Lily Trobbiani and Lucy Lamb, HighSchool’s hazy and evocative live show is a portal to the sweat-drenched, American Apparel-clad heyday of the late 2000s, bringing a full-bodied dimension to their spectral, cinematic strain of indie rock.



Sydney Sticker Expo

🎟️ Sydney Sticker Expo

📍 Sydney Street Gallery, Marrickville

📅 May 23rd - 25th


TV favourites Lisa McCune, Belinda Giblin and Debra Lawrance lead a sparkling ensemble in this heartwarming play, set inside a lively beauty salon. Full of laughs, tears and unforgettable friendship, it’s a witty, feel-good treat celebrating resilience, love and the bonds that carry us through all of life’s highs and lows.



🌸 Steel Magnolias

📍 Theatre Royal, Sydney

📅 May 13th - 31st (Various Showtimes) 


TV favourites Lisa McCune, Belinda Giblin and Debra Lawrance lead a sparkling ensemble in this heartwarming play, set inside a lively beauty salon. Full of laughs, tears, and unforgettable friendship, it’s a witty, feel-good treat celebrating resilience, love, and the bonds that carry us through all of life’s highs and lows.



🩰 Engine (Sydney Dance Company)

📍 Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House

📅 June 24 - July 12


Bringing together three visionary choreographers, Rafael Bonachela, Melanie Lane and Fran Diaz, Engine is a bold and fearless dance program. Bonachela premieres The Journey Itself Is Home, Lane returns with the vibrant Love Lock, and Diaz presents the hypnotic The Mass Ornament, exploring collective movement in its Australian debut.



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