What’s on in Sydney in August 2026
August is the last month of winter in Sydney. The days are cooler, but there is plenty going on both indoors and outdoors. It is whale watching season, and thousands of runners take on the City2Surf. You can also catch the Cherry Blossom Festival at Auburn, along with National Science Week events happening across the city.
Hotel rates tend to be lower in August, and with fewer visitors around, it is a good time to see popular spots without the crowds.
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Annual Events in Sydney in August
Auburn Botanic- Gardens Cherry Blossom Festival
For 9 days each August, Auburn Botanic Gardens turns Japanese with a stunning display of cherry blossoms.
Follow the Cherry Trail through more than 200 blooming trees in the Japanese Gardens. Pick up authentic dishes at the Japanese Food Village, and catch cultural performances, workshops, and activities for all ages throughout the festival.
Your ticket gives you all-day access, so you can take your time exploring the gardens, food stalls, and entertainment. Capture your photos at the iconic Cherry Arbour and the Mt Fuji Torii Gate.
Tickets, especially for weekend dates, sell fast, so get in quick.
When: Saturday 22 August to Sunday 30 August 2026
Where: Auburn Botanic Gardens, Auburn, NSW
Cost: $16.60 for adults, $8.95 for kids. Free for Cumberland Council area residents. Tickets must be purchased online and will not be available at the event.
Festivals, Fairs and Community Events
TCS Sydney Marathon: Motion Festival
Race week for the TCS Sydney Marathon now comes with a city-wide festival of free events. Motion Festival takes over Customs House at Circular Quay from Thursday to Sunday, with live music, DJs, food, and big screens showing race day coverage.
The opening ceremony, Meet the Stars, is a free event on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Friday 28 August, with arrivals from the world’s top marathon runners, a headline set from Bag Raiders, and fireworks over the harbour.
On race day, Sunday 30 August, two new stages open along the course itself: one at Driver Avenue near the SCG, and one at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. Both are free and all-ages, with a line-up including Tigerlily, The Potbelleez, Nina Las Vegas, Anna Lunoe, and a Daft Punk tribute act called Discovery.
When: Thursday 27 – Sunday 30 August 2026. Motion Festival: Thursday 4pm, Friday–Sunday 7am–9pm.
Where: Customs House, Circular Quay (Motion Festival). Sydney Opera House Forecourt (opening ceremony). Driver Avenue and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair (course stages)
Cost: Free
Sydney Gluten-Free Expo
Australia’s biggest gluten-free event returns to Sydney. This two-day event brings together gluten-free brands, cooking demonstrations, expert talks, and family entertainment under one roof.
Discover new products, taste your way through the best gluten-free food on offer, and shop without having to ask if something is gluten free. Proceeds support people with coeliac disease through Coeliac Australia.
All proceeds support people with coeliac disease through peak body Coeliac Australia.
When: Saturday 15 – Sunday 16 August 2026
Where: Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney
Cost: Tickets available at glutenfreeexpo.com.au
Ferragosto Street Festival
Fivedock is home to some of the best of Italian culture and this festival has it all. Fantastic food, focusing strongly on cooking and over 300 stalls selling everything you could need in an Italian kitchen.
When: 16 August 2026
Where: Great North Road, Five Dock between Lyons and Queens Roads
Cost: Free, details here.
Penrith Show
Entertainment, rides, side show alley, trade stalls, competitions, exhibitions performances and so much more!
When: 29-30 August 2026
Where: 141-147 Station Street, Penrith
Cost: $18 adults, $9 kids l More: Check the website for more info
Dog and Cat Lovers Festivals
Sydney’s biggest celebration of dogs and cats returns to Sydney Showground for a weekend of everything pet-related, with both festivals running side by side.
The Dog Lovers Festival features hundreds of dogs across dozens of breeds, live demonstrations on the VitaPet Arena, and the Kurgo DockDogs pool diving competition. There’s also a Breed Showcase and Adoption Zone, and Pat-A-Pooch sessions if you’re after some puppy cuddles.
The Cat Lovers Festival runs alongside it, with cats from dozens of breeds, talks from breeders and behaviourists, a Breed Showcase and Adoption Zone, and Pat-A-Cat sessions.
Both festivals have shopping, food trucks, and plenty of animals to meet. Best of all, one ticket gets you into both festivals.
When: Saturday 22 – Sunday 23 August 2026, 9:30am–5pm
Where: Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park
Cost: Adult $43.38, concession $37.09, youth (13-17) $21.78, family (2 adults + 2 youth) $30.41, child (12 and under) free. Prices include booking fee, single-day entry.
Tickets: Available at dogloversfestival.com.au or catloversfestival.com.au
Sydney Science Festival
National Science Week (9-17 August 2025) brings an array of scientific adventures to Sydney under the theme “Decoding the Universe.”
Here are some highlights:
Find the full program of events at ScienceWeek.net.au
Musicals, Opera and Theatre in Sydney in August
Fiddler on the Roof
The Australian premiere of this new production of Fiddler on the Roof comes to Sydney after sold-out seasons in London, where it became the West End’s best-selling musical and picked up three Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival.
Troy Sussman leads the cast as Tevye, a milkman in a small village in 1905, trying to hold onto tradition as his five daughters each choose their own paths. Sigrid Thornton stars as Yente the matchmaker. The score includes well-known songs like If I Were a Rich Man, Matchmaker, and Sunrise, Sunset.
When: From 31 July 2026 (running time approx. 2 hours 40 minutes, including interval)
Where: Theatre Royal Sydney
Tickets: From $89 – direct from the Theatre Royal
Pride and Prejudice (sort of)
This musical comedy retelling of the Jane Austen classic comes to Sydney after a sold-out run in Melbourne, and a West End season where it won an Olivier Award for Best Comedy.
Five performers take on all the roles, including Elizabeth Bennet, Mr Darcy, and the rest of the Bennet family, mixing Austen’s story with pop songs and modern humour. Writer Isobel McArthur’s version plays Austen’s tale of love and class for laughs, with a soundtrack including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, and You’re So Vain.
When: 16 July to 30 August 2026 (Tuesday to Sunday, times vary by week)
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $69, transaction fees apply. Book at sydneyoperahouse.com
The Drover’s Wife (Opera)
Leah Purcell’s adaptation of The Drover’s Wife comes to the stage as a new opera, bringing voice and orchestra to this story of survival and identity, reimagined through a contemporary Aboriginal lens.
With just four performances, this is a limited run for one of the more ambitious new Australian works staged at the Opera House this year.
When: 7–15 August 2026 (four performances only)
Where: Sydney Opera House
Cost: Premium $299, other reserve categories from $269
Top Silk
Ensemble Theatre presents a revival of David Williamson’s Top Silk, a satire set in the world of the legal elite. Rachel Gordon stars as Jane, a legal aid solicitor whose decision to help an old flame threatens both her career and her marriage, while her barrister husband Trevor wrestles with his own ethical dilemma over whether to defend a powerful media mogul.
Directed by Mark Kilmurry, the cast also includes Nicholas Brown, Thomas Campbell, Laurence Coy, Jamie Oxenbould, and Jeremy Waters.
When: 31 July to 12 September 2026 (running through August)
Where: Ensemble Theatre, 78 McDougall Street, Kirribilli
Cost: $46–$114
Great Opera Hits
Enjoy a captivating concert featuring the best of opera. As the sun dips below Sydney Harbour, immerse yourself in the melodic sounds of renowned arias by composers like Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, and Verdi.
Talented singers from Opera Australia will grace the stage, accompanied by piano, delivering a delightful 90-minute performance. Relax and let the music transport you to the enchanting world of opera against the backdrop of Sydney’s stunning skyline.
When: Every Sunday afternoon in August + Friday 29 August
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Tickets: here
Music And Dance
Australian World Orchestra: Stravinsky, Mills & Shostakovich
The Australian World Orchestra marks 15 years with a program bringing together some of Australia’s finest musicians from home and abroad, led by conductor Alexander Briger.
The night includes Stravinsky’s Petrushka, the world premiere of Jonathan Mills’ Songs for the Stranger (featuring tenor Michael Petruccelli), and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.
When: Thursday 20 August 2026
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Cost: sydneyoperahouse.com
VISTA
Stephanie Lake Company brings its Sydney premiere of VISTA to Carriageworks, a two-part contemporary dance work exploring how the same moment can look different depending on who’s watching. The first half plays out in monochrome, precise choreography, before the second half shifts into colour and a looser, more emotional style.
The piece features costuming by Melbourne label Alpha60 and a score by audio-visual artist Robin Fox.
When: 5–8 August 2026 (running time approx. 80 minutes, including a 20 minute interval)
Where: Bay 20, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
Cost: From $44, concessions apply, booking fee applies to all transactions
Gang of Youths
Gang of Youths make their Sydney Opera House debut with two shows, their first Australian dates in four years. The Sydney-born, London-based band will play new material alongside songs from their catalogue, including Go Farther in Lightness and Angel in Realtime.
Led by David Le’aupepe, the band has won four ARIA Awards and built a reputation for emotionally raw songwriting and big live shows.
When: Saturday 8 August (8pm) and Monday 10 August (9pm) 2026
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $99.90, plus booking fee
Velvet Inferno
Velvet Inferno brings cabaret and circus together for a disco-themed show in the Sydney Opera House Studio. Marcia Hines returns as The Diva, alongside Brendan Maclean reprising his role as Country Mike, and singer-songwriter KYE joining the cast as newcomer Gloria.
Circus acts include hula-hooper Craig “Hula Boy” Reid, Ukrainian roller-skating duo Yevhenii and Vlada making their Australian debut, and aerialists Oleg Tatarynov and Zoe Marshall. The soundtrack includes disco-era hits like It’s Raining Men and If You Could Read My Mind.
When: 24 July to 13 September 2026 (running throughout August)
Where: Studio, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $69, plus booking fee
Weddings & Parties Over Coffee
Bach Akademie Australia presents an evening of Bach family works, featuring soprano Miriam Allan and her father, baritone Christopher Allan, performing together.
The program includes Bach’s Wedding Cantata, two arias from Selig ist der Mann, and his Coffee Cantata, a comic piece about a coffee-obsessed daughter and her disapproving father, narrated by Dan Walker. The concert closes with a Sinfonia by Bach’s son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach.
When: Sunday 9 August 2026, 5pm
Where: St James’ King Street, Sydney
Cost: Tickets from $40 for under 30s l Book at bachakademieaustralia.com.au
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra – Vivaldi’s Legacy
Paris-based violinist Augusta McKay Lodge makes her Australian debut with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, in a program built around Anna Maria della Pietà, a virtuoso violinist who studied under Vivaldi and inspired some of his best-known works.
The concert features solo and chamber pieces by Pisendel, Vivaldi, and Tartini, performed on period instruments and woven together with narration about Anna Maria’s life.
When: Wednesday 12, Friday 14, Saturday 15 (2pm and 7pm), and Tuesday 18 August 2026, 7pm
Where: City Recital Hall, Sydney
Cost: $ more: brandenburg.com.au
Hear My Eyes: Memento
For one night only, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard drummer Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh performs a brand new live score for Christopher Nolan’s Memento, playing across three percussion stations as the film screens.
Memento stars Guy Pearce as a man with severe memory loss searching for whoever killed his wife, told in reverse order. It’s one of Nolan’s most acclaimed early films. Past Hear My Eyes screenings in Sydney have included Terminator 2, Hellraiser, and Chopper.
When: Saturday 29 August 2026
Where: City Recital Hall, Sydney
Cost: From $69, book at cityrecitalhall.com
Art and Exhibitions
Voyage to Freedom
This exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum tells the story of Tự do, the boat that carried Vietnamese refugees to Australia in 1977. It uses oral histories, personal objects, and memories to trace the journey, including a compass, navigation maps, and other items carried on board.
The exhibition sits within the wider story of Vietnamese “boat people” who made similar journeys through the 1970s and 80s, and reflects on themes of resilience, displacement, and belonging in Australia’s migration history.
When: Now running until 11 October 2026
Where: Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour
Cost: Free
Hany Armanious: The Planets
This exhibition at the MCA brings together sculptures by Sydney-based artist Hany Armanious, who recreates everyday objects like coat hangers and polystyrene cups using cast resin, making them look familiar but slightly off. It includes 19 new works made for the show, alongside earlier pieces from the MCA Collection.
Armanious represented Australia at the 2011 Venice Biennale, and this exhibition is part of the MCA’s ongoing series spotlighting individual artists from its collection.
When: Now running until 26 October 2026
Where: Macgregor Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art, 140 George Street, The Rocks
Cost: from $20
Film Festivals
Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA)
The 2025 Korean Film Festival returns with ten Australian premieres, featuring everything from romantic dramas to high-stakes thrillers. Opening with Hear Me: Our Summer, a touching romance about a delivery worker who falls for a deaf swimmer, the festival showcases the diversity of contemporary Korean cinema.
When: 20-25 August 2026
Where: Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney
Cost: Tickets available at koffia.com.au
Food and Drink Events
See our list of Sydney’s best winter food events here
Sport and Outdoor events
Sydney International Boat Show
The Sydney Boat Show is a family-friendly event with a range of exciting highlights.
When: 30 July to 2 August 2026
Where: Sydney Showground
City2Surf
City2Surf Run, the city’s favourite fun run draws more than 80,000 people. Runners and walkers make their way along a 14-km route from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach.
When: 9 August 2026
Where: Hyde Park to Bondi Beach
Cost: $65, check the website for training schedules and more
Yoga in the Park
Get fit and flexible every Sunday morning with FREE Yoga in The Park! The focus on breathing, the concentration required to find balance in certain poses, the flow of the movements – it’s all an active meditation that can help clear the mind, quieten anxieties and strengthen your body.
When: 9:30 am, every Sunday (All Year)
Where: Corner of Lower Fort St and George St at Dawes Point Park, right under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Tickets: Free, more info here
Regional Events
New events and updated content are added to these pages as it becomes available. If you would like to add your event to Sydney Expert, please email us.
Plan Ahead
- What’s on in Sydney in September
- What’s on in Sydney in October
- What’s on in Sydney in November
- School holidays in Sydney
Feature image credit: Destination NSW
