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What’s On Sydney CBD

  • 3 hours ago
  • 3 min read

Theatre, festivals, live music and standout events lighting up Sydney this season



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


Tropfest film screening in park

🛏️ Mov’In Bed

📍 Barangaroo Harbour Park
📅 Now - March

This summer, Barangaroo transforms into a city beach with 280 tonnes of sand, complete with luxurious queen and king‑size beds and Australia’s largest outdoor screen. Watch new releases and timeless classics with noise‑cancelling headphones, bedside service, and an immersive cinematic experience like no other. Outdoor cinema, reimagined.


Program and tickets: movinbed.com 


💋 Late Night Vice

📍 The Grand Electric, Surry Hills
📅 Feb 12 - March 15

Just in time for Mardi Gras, Strut & Fret’s Late Night Vice arrives in Sydney after sold-out seasons interstate. This adults-only, X-rated cabaret is a shadowy, cocktail-fuelled fever dream where glamour and chaos collide. Dress in black tie or all black and enter a no-phones, no-filter world of midnight mischief, led by global burlesque icon Jake DuPree and an international cast. A bold after-hours escape showing off Sydney’s wilder side.



🎓 The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin

📍 Downstairs Theatre, Belvoir
📅 Feb 21 - March 29

Half a century on, Steve J. Spears’s The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin is just as shocking and darkly funny as when it premiered in 1976. Simon Burke takes on the towering role made famous by Gordon Chater, playing an elocution teacher whose routine life spirals when a mysterious 12-year-old student arrives. Directed by Declan Greene, this revival is a razor-edged tragicomedy that still mesmerises and unsettles.


🎥 Tropfest 2026

📍 Centennial Park
📅 Feb 22 (From 12pm)

Tropfest returns to Centennial Park with an unforgettable night of bold stories, fresh voices and world-class short films premiering live on the big screen. Grab your friends, find a spot under the stars and immerse yourself in Australia’s most iconic film event.


Details: Tropfest.com  


Sydney Dance Company


🌈 All Day Queer Dance

📍 Red Rattler, Marrickville
📅 Feb 28 (2pm) - March 1 (2am)

You’re invited to the first twirl of the year with All Day Queer Dance — a pop-up gay rave and full-venue takeover. Dance from sun-soaked afternoons into late-night magic with top queer DJs, in a space made for queers and their peers. Come as you are.



🎵 Gloria! (Sydney Philharmonia Choir)

📍 Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
📅 Saturday, March 7 (3pm)

Bringing together virtuoso Chamber Singers and a Baroque Orchestra, this program presents Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s cantata Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, combining radiant brilliance, dramatic intensity and moments of tender, contemplative reflection. Details: sydneyphilharmonia.com.au/events/gloria/ 


🎭 25th Biennale of Sydney

📍 White Bay Power Station
📅 March 14 - June 14

The 25th Biennale of Sydney returns in 2026 as Rememory - a bold and thought-provoking celebration of contemporary art curated by Hoor Al Qasimi. Free to the public, it explores memory, history, and collective storytelling through monumental works, including Nikesha Breeze’s immersive Living Histories installation and Nancy Yukuwal McDinny’s largest mural to date. Enjoy live music, after-dark programs, family workshops, and hands-on activities for all ages.



🎤 Anna Smyrk - Spectacular Denial Tour

📍 Red Rattler, Marrickville
📅 10 April (7:30pm - 10pm)

With a voice Rolling Stone calls “truly astonishing,” Anna Smyrk is an indie-folk powerhouse blending raw, vulnerable lyrics with soaring hooks. Having toured the US, UK and Europe, supported Birds of Tokyo and Tim Rogers, and played major festivals, she now returns with her debut album Spectacular Denial for a fierce, unforgettable night with her full band. 



25th Biennale of Sydney, White Bay Power Station

😂 Sydney Comedy Festival

📍 Various Locations
📅 April 13 - May 17

Get ready for five weeks of non‑stop laughs with International names and Aussie favourites. Highlights include Daniel Sloss’ sharp stand‑up, David O’Doherty’s absurd wit, Josh Thomas’ crowd‑pleasing humour and a mix of showcases, gala nights and festival favourites from established stars to rising comedians. 



🌈 Vivid Sydney

📍 Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour
📅 May 22 - June 13

Returning for its 16th year, get ready to immerse yourself in a bold celebration of Light, Music, Ideas and Food. Across 23 nights, Vivid Sydney dazzles with immersive projections, large-scale installations, live music, interactive experiences, talks and culinary highlights, blending technology, creativity and imagination like never before.


Details: vividsydney.com/ 


🩰 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, fearless dance program. Bonachela premieres The Journey Itself is Home, Lane returns with the vibrant Love Lock, and Diaz’s hypnotic The Mass Ornament explores collective movement in its Australian debut.






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