July in Sydney brings crisp winter days perfect for exploring the city’s indoor attractions and, when the sun is shining, our beautiful national parks. While temperatures are cooler than most visitors expect, clear blue skies are common, making it an excellent time for both indoor and outdoor activities.
On very special (and rare) occasions we get snow closer to Sydney in the Blue Mountains and Orange. So, if you are visiting at this time of year, please bring a jacket!The first half of the month is the winter school holiday (4-18th July 2025), causing prices of family accommodation and attractions to skyrocket.
It’s also a perfect time to plan a winter getaway for some wine tasting or perhaps to the snow.
Major July Events in Sydney
Plenty of this month’s activities take place indoors so you can stay warm, but the Bastille festival and NAIDOC week events are well worth throwing a jumper on for.
- NAIDOC Week – 6 – 13 July 2025
- Bastille Festival – 11-14 July 2025
- Christmas in July in The Rocks – 11-20 July 2025
NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC week is a celebration of the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by all Australians. Events will be held across the country in the second week of July.
When: 6 – 13 July 2025
Where: Across the country
More: on the official site
Bastille Festival
Food, wine, cheese and the best of French culture with an Olympic twist. The Bastille Festival takes over the waterfront at Circular Quay. The biggest celebration of French Culture in the Asia Pacific to celebrate its 10th birthday, Bastille will be expanding this year to cover much more of Circular Quay.
This year stalls will venture into The Rocks, The Overseas Passenger Terminal, East Circular Quay, Customs House, Quay Quarter Lanes and more. Get ready for the biggest Celebration of French culture in the Asia Pacific.
Tastings, classes, special menus and plenty of stalls to tempt you. Chocolate croissant anyone?
This year’s street festival will offer gourmet French cuisine, art exhibitions, and a 1.4-kilometre wine-tasting tour around the Harbour.
When: 11-14 July 2025
Where: Circular Quay and The Rocks
More: Check the official site for more details.
Christmas in July at The Rocks
Returning after a six-year break, The Rocks transforms into a European-style winter village with authentic wooden chalets, 40 real pine trees, and kilometres of fairy lights. The festival’s centerpiece, Snow Lane, features artificial snow flurries, towering nutcrackers, and light installations.
Over 20 food vendors offer winter comfort dishes including:
- Swiss raclette and fondue
- Austrian schnitzels
- German hot dogs
- Gnocchi in mushroom sauce
- Sweet treats like sugar-dusted waffles and Nutella crêpes
The artisan market showcases handmade ceramics, snow globes, winter wear, and gourmet pantry items. Hot Chocolate Stations serve rich cocoa with all the trimmings, while mulled wine stations offer spiced winter warmers.
Thursday nights feature The Rocks Jazz Sessions with a festive twist, while over 15 live concerts and roving performers entertain throughout the festival. The event coincides with NSW school holidays, making it an ideal family outing.
When: 11-20 July 2025
Where: The Rocks, Sydney
Cost: Free entry
More: Official websitealive with live jazz on Thursday nights and over 15 live concerts and roving performers throughout the event.
Festivals, Fairs and Markets
Bondi Festival
The Bondi Festival is back with a bunch of free family-friendly events along with ticketed comedy, music and drama events. A feature of the festival is the Bondi Festival Local events, which showcase local artists and grass-roots organisations within Bondi.
Paid and ticketed events are on offer, two that will run across the entire festival are:
- Bondi Festival Ice Rink
- Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel
Ticketed events are very affordable and expected to sell out quickly!
When: 4-20 July 2025
Where: Bondi Pavilion, Forecourt
National Indigenous Art Fair
The National Indigenous Art Fair launches NAIDOC Week celebrations, bringing together Indigenous artists from remote regions across Australia. This ethical art market showcases award-winning works, design objects, fashion, jewellery, and handcrafted items using locally sourced materials.
Highlights include:
- Original artworks and limited-edition pieces
- Indigenous fashion runway show
- Live music and dance performances
- Interactive weaving circle
- Bush food tastings and BBQ
- Children’s workshops and demonstrations
Artists from communities spanning from Bathurst Island to the Tanami Desert will be present, offering visitors a rare opportunity to meet makers and purchase directly from Indigenous art centers.
When: July 5-6, 2025, 10am-5pm (4pm Sunday)
Where: Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks
Cost: $2.50 (12 years and over)
FRMEFEST
Sydney’s premier photography and videography convention returns to Carriageworks, celebrating visual creation through exhibitions, workshops, and industry presentations.
When: July 19-20, 2025
Where: Carriageworks
Sydney’s Biggest Pre-Loved Book Fair
This event really should come with a warning for any Bibliomaniacs who may be reading. This is Sydney’s biggest second-hand book fair. On display, you will find over 110,000 pre-loved books and other reading materials on sale at irresistible prices. The quality is excellent and the books are well sorted to save you from rummaging through topics of no interest.
I challenge you to leave with less than five books in your bag. My last visit resulted in two boxes!
When: July 20, 2025, from 5pm to 7pm
Where: Knox Grammar School Weeks Senior Academy Pacific Highway, Wahroonga
Musicals, Opera, and Theatre in Sydney in July
Carmen at Sydney Opera House
One of opera’s most iconic works gets a bold reimagining under Melbourne Theatre Company’s Anne-Louise Sarks. This new production explores Carmen’s revolutionary heart through a modern lens, featuring four exceptional performers sharing the title role: Danielle de Niese, Rihab Chaieb, Sian Sharp, and Angela Hogan.
Bizet’s masterpiece comes alive with explosive orchestration, passionate love songs, and spectacular dance numbers against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour.
When: July 10 – September 19, 2025
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $79 (plus booking fee)
Duration: 2 hours 50 minutes, including interval
Language: Performed in French with English and Simplified Chinese surtitles
Grab your tickets before they sell out!
Grief is the Thing with Feathers
Max Porter’s beloved verse novel comes to the stage in a magical exploration of loss and healing. When two young boys and their poet father lose their mother, a mysterious crow arrives – part trickster, part guardian angel. Stars Toby Schmitz in this darkly beautiful adaptation by Simon Phillips.
When: July 26 – August 24, 2025
Where: Belvoir St Theatre (Upstairs), Surry Hills
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
The Tony Award-winning rock musical comes to Carriageworks fresh from its acclaimed Adelaide Festival run. This 85-minute production stars Seann Miley Moore (Miss Saigon) as Hedwig and Adam Noviello as Yitzhak, backed by a live band.
Rolling Stone’s “best rock musical ever” features iconic songs including “The Origin of Love,” “Midnight Radio,” and “Sugar Daddy,” blending sharp humor with a powerful story of identity and self-acceptance.
When: From July 17, 2025
Where: Carriageworks, Sydney
Cost: From $69 check full pricing at hedwig.com.au
Prima Facie
The Olivier Award-winning Best New Play returns to Sydney in a new production directed by Kate Champion. This powerful one-person show starring Sof Forrest follows a defence barrister who becomes a complainant, challenging audiences to consider women’s treatment in the legal system.
Note: Contains themes about justice system and women’s rights
When: July 2-12, 2025
Where: Carriageworks
The Grandparents Club 2
A new stage production featuring some of Australia’s beloved performers returns after last year’s sellout success. This 90-minute show stars Lynne McGranger (Home and Away), Wayne Scott Kermond, Meredith O’Reilly, and Andrew James, under the direction of Helpmann Award winner Luke Joslin.
Written by Richard Tulloch, the show explores the joys and challenges of modern grandparenting through comedy, music, and relatable family situations.
When: 9 July
Where: Castle Hill RSL
Emerald City
David Williamson’s iconic satire of 1980s Sydney returns, starring Guy Edmonds, Rachel Gordon and Matt Minto. Follow screenwriter Colin’s journey from Melbourne to the seductive Emerald City in pursuit of success.
When: July 18 – August 23, 2025
Where: Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli
Music, Comedy and Dance
Kiasmos: Emotional Rave at Sydney Opera House
Icelandic-Faroese electronic innovators Kiasmos make their Sydney Opera House debut, bringing their blend of orchestral sounds and majestic beats to the Concert Hall. The duo, comprised of BAFTA-winning composer Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen, will showcase their new album ‘II’ – their first release in ten years.
Known for merging ambient soundscapes with pulsing techno, this performance promises to transform the Concert Hall into an atmospheric electronic experience.
When: Saturday July 12, 2025, 9pm
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $69.90 + booking fee
James O’Donnell: The Royal Organist
Westminster Abbey’s former Organist brings the Sydney Opera House’s Grand Organ to life in a rare recital. O’Donnell, who presided over music at events from royal weddings to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, will showcase the world’s largest mechanical action pipe organ – featuring 10,244 pipes and standing 15 meters tall.
When: Tuesday July 29, 2025, 8pm
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $79.90 + booking fee
Art and Exhibitions
Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes
The Archibald Prize is awarded to the best portrait, the Wynne Prize goes to the best Australian Landscape or figure sculpture, and the Sulman is awarded to the best mural project, genre, or subject painting.
Along with the official prize, the team in the packing room vote for their favourite as do the public. If you can visit on a week day it’s usually a much more relaxed experience.
When: May to Sept 2025
Where: Art Gallery of NSW
The Neighbour at the Gate
A groundbreaking exhibition exploring connections between First Nations and Asian Australian experiences, featuring new commissions from six contemporary artists including Dennis Golding, Jenna Lee and James Tylor. Curated by Clothilde Bullen, Micheal Do and Zali Morgan.
When: July 11 – October 18, 2025
Where: NAS Galleries, National Art School, 156 Forbes St, Darlinghurst
Cost: Free
Food and Drink Events
Sydney Spirits Festival
Australia’s premier celebration of spirits returns to Circular Quay this winter. Following its award-nominated debut in 2024, the festival showcases hundreds of Australian and international spirits against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour.
Highlights include:
- Single Malt Whisky Masterclasses with Bill Lark and Tasmanian cheese pairings
- Oyster Shell Gin Masterclass featuring fresh oysters
- Free Taste Theatre sessions on mixology and expert tastings
- International food pairings including vodka and caviar, fresh Italian pasta, and tacos
- Unlimited tastings included in ticket price
The festival offers five sessions across three days, with experiences suitable for both connoisseurs and curious newcomers.
When: 11-13 July 2025
Where: Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay
Cost: From $55 (early bird), general admission $90, masterclasses from $180
More: Official website
Mould
Presented by REVEL, the team behind cult wine event Pinot Palooza in collaboration with Nick Haddow of Bruny Island Cheese Co. and Dairy Australia, MOULD will see Australia’s best cheese makers and more come together for tastings, conversations, demonstrations, and plenty of drinks.
Mould – A Cheese Festival celebrates the crumbly cheddar, gooey Camembert, and bitey blue by the best artisan producers from across the country. There is a great range of hand-picked wine, beer, cider, sake, and nibbles for you to enjoy between cheese tastes and to take home.
When: TCB
Where: Carriageworks, Bay 22-24
Tickets: $40.
Sports and Outdoors
Tuff Nutterz Sydney
Australia’s largest inflatable obstacle course promises a fun-filled event suitable for all ages. No need to worry about age restrictions – all are welcome to join in the excitement. Parents with children under 5 receive a complimentary accompanying ticket.
Navigate through climbing walls, slides, and more, as you race to the finish line with family and friends.
When: 10-20 July 2025
Where: Centennial Park
Tickets: $40 l More information
NSW Regional Events in July
Yulefest in the Blue Mountains
We may not get a nice traditional white Christmas in December in Oz but that just means we get two Christmases. Since 1980, the villages of the Blue Mountains have spread yuletide cheer across the region.
Check out the following hotels who offer Christmas in July dinners and packages:
- The Fairmont
- The Carrington Hotel
- Hotel Mountain Heritage
- Hydro Majestic Hotel
- Victoria and Albert Guesthouse
Where: Various hotels across the Blue Mountains
When: Throughout July
Bundanoon Winterfest
Picture a lovely little village in the Southern Highlands brimming with charm, throw in an array of fun with workshops and a street party, and you’ve got a colourful weekend the whole family will enjoy. That’s Winterfest in Bundanoon and it’s just two hours from Sydney, making it a great escape from the big smoke.
When: 4-6 July 2025
Where: Cnr Church St & Railway Ave, Bundanoon
Illawarra Caravan Camping Lifestyle Expo
Explore the latest in caravanning and camping at the Illawarra Caravan Lifestyle Expo. Discover a wide range of caravans, motorhomes, campervans, camper trailers, tents, and camping gear, plus touring accessories and information on holiday parks.
When: 11-13 July 2025
Where: Kembla Grange Racecourse
More: on the official site
Berry Camellia and Floral Show
The Berry School of Arts hosts the annual Camellia and Floral Show, a magnificent display of winter blooms, including camellias and cut flowers. Camellias will be available for purchase.
When: 26 July, 12pm-4pm & 27 July, 10am-2pm, 2025
Where: Berry School of Arts in Alexandra Street Berry
More: on the festival website
Get a head start on fun for August and September
Have you got questions about any of these things to do in Sydney in July? Pop over to our Facebook group and we would be happy to help.
