What’s On in Sydney February 2024
February is the last month of summer and with the kids heading back to school, life is getting back to normal after the Christmas/school holiday period. Prices and availability of accommodation usually improve although World Pride this year has pushed prices much higher than normal.
Weatherwise this month is one of the most humid of the summer. The warm temperatures make this a great time to explore some of the 100-plus beaches within the Sydney region.
You may also notice plenty of lanterns in the streets in honour of the Lunar New Year.
Average Temperatures: 26-19 °C ( 79-66°F)
While each year varies the last February saw six days of rain.
New events and updated content are added to these pages as they become available.
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Major February Events in Sydney
February is all about love! With Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras filling the street with happiness.
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival & World Pride
This year Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival is bigger than ever when Sydney hosts World Pride. This year the festival will take place from 17 February to 5 March 2023 with the parade returning to Oxford Street on Sat Feb 25 from 6 pm
Over 16 days and nights, the city will host a variety of events, from talks and exhibitions to parties and, of course, the Parade.
Among the key events:
- Mardi Gras Fair Day – 19 Feb (10am-9pm)
- Out & Loud & Proud Gala Concert – Thu 23 Feb 23 (7pm – 8:40pm)
- Human Rights Conference – ICC 1-3 March
- Black & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert – Thu 2 Mar
- Pride March: across the Sydney Harbour Bridge – Sun Mar 5 (7am-10:00am) – Ballot has closed
Mardi Gras Parade
The last event of the Mardi Gras Festival, the parade features over 8,500 participants in outrageous costumes and an enormous variety of floats. Each float represents a community group, topical theme or political message to help raise wider awareness of issues important to the LGBTI community The after-party is sold out!
Where: Oxford Street
When: 25 February
Check the festival site for more events.
Summer Streets on Darlinghurst Road and Macleay Street
Sydney WorldPride celebrations will feature DJs, Pride-themed cocktails, special offers from local retailers, and kids activities at the El Alamein fountain.
Where: Darlinghurst Road
When: Sun Feb 19, 11 am – 10:00 pm
Festivals, Fairs and Community Events
MOPOKE: 24 Hours Arts and Culture Festival
Start the month with this fun 24hr arts and culture festival that will take place on Macquarie Street East on the first weekend in February.
The main activation sites for the festival are the State Library, Hyde Park Barracks, The Mint, Sydney Hospital and the Domain. Many free events and some ticketed shows are going on sale on 18 January.
Highlight will include:
- Silent DJ party
- Sydney Hospital Artists Plaza
- 24 Hour Cinema
- Street Food Trucks
- Gourmet Bush Food
- Fire in the Domain: Cooking with Charcoal
When: From 6pm, February 4th, 2023, to 6pm February 5th, 2023
Where: The Mint, 10 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000
Hours: Sat 4th Feb 6pm to Midnight | Sunday 5th Feb 8am to 6pm
Cost: Free entry to the pop-up native flora market.
Musicals, Opera, and Theatre in Sydney in JAnuary
The Magic Flute
With a new production in 2024, learn about our history with this whimsical opera since 1956.
When: 1 February–16 March 2024
Where: Sydney Opera House
Tickets here
Idomeneo
Take a glimpse of the costume design sketches of Mozart’s opera grief, love and Human Frailty.
When: 20 February–15 March 2024
Where: Sydney Opera House
Full guide here
Opera Australia – La Boheme, Don Giovani and Turandot
There are three operas on offer this month from Puccini’s Turandot to La Boheme and Don Giovani.
Experience the world’s most famous aria, ‘Nessun Dorma’ at the Sydney Opera House
Puccini’s Turandot is perfect for lovers of Ballet who have yet to cross over to the Opera experience. In this exotic fairytale discover if Will our brave suitor will melt the icy princess’ heart. Turandot is a fantasy of poetry and myth set in a world where love and death go hand in hand.
Photo Credit: Prudence Upton
When: 12 January – 14 March 2022
Where: Sydney Opera House Joan Sutherland Theatre
Cost: from $79
Bangarra’s Dance Clan
Four stories. Four emerging storytellers. For the future. After a ten-year hiatus, Dance Clan returns to Bangarra Dance Theatre in 2023, presented at Bangarra’s own studio in Walsh Bay.
Dance Clan fosters the talents of a new generation of storytellers, designers, dancers, and choreographers – offering the unique opportunity for Bangarra’s artists to share their own stories alongside a brilliant team of Indigenous early career designers with the support of elders and mentors.
When: 3rd to 18th February / Tuesday to Friday 7:30 pm, Saturday 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Where: The Studio Theatre at Bangarra, Gadigal Country, 15 Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay
Cost: All tickets are $54 (Community and Under 30s pricing available)
Macbeth – Bell Shakespeare
Bell Shakespeare presents a new production of Macbeth, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First
“Directed by Artistic Director Peter Evans, the production is a terrifying portrayal of moral collapse and an intense and compelling journey into the dark heart of humanity. Shakespeare’s most haunting thriller follows the story of Macbeth, a Scottish general, famed for his exploits on the battlefield.”
Where: Sydney Opera House
When: 25 February – 2 April
Cost: Preview tickets are $45 General admission 75-$110 Youth tickets are available Sunday – Wednesday
More: https://www.bellshakespeare.com.au/macbeth
HairSpray
Where: Lyric Theatre
When: Tickets on sale through to 27 Feb
Cost: from $70
The Rocky Horror Show
Rocky Horror celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and the Aussie cast of the 2023 production will feature starring Australian superstar Jason Donovan as Frank N Furter and Myf Warhurst as the Narrator.
Where: Theatre Royale
When: 14 Feb to 1 April 2023
Cost: from $70 more details here
Twilight at Taronga
Tickets are selling fast for this popular summer series with performances from some of Australia’s much loved artists including Kate Miller Heidke, Daryl Braithwaite, Kasey Chambers and the Living End. This year there is also a fabulous drag show and comedy gala.
When: 10 February to 11 March, 2023
Where: Taronga Zoo
More: https://twilightattaronga.org.au/
Moonlight Cinema
Summer is outdoor cinema season in Sydney but the Moonlight Cinema is one of the classics. A good mix of new releases and golden oldies. BYO drinks make this spot a standout.
Sydney’s Outdoor Cinemas are still on sale and perfect for summer viewing!
When: All February
Where: Bennelong Point Sydney NSW 2000 Australia
MOZART: The Magic Flute
Can a little magic make you see the world differently? Award-winning director Kate Gaul conjures an enchanting and eclectic world for Mozart’s great adventure. The Magic Flute. Performed in English, this bright new production will delight audiences with its big heart, adventurous spirit and memorable music.
When: 1 February–16 March 2024
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $79
Full guide here
Music, Comedy and Dance
Candlelight: Tribute to Taylor Swift at the SMC
65 minutes of joy for Taylor Swift fans and a perfect way to discover the magic of her music at Sydney Masonic Centre under the gentle glow of candlelight. Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations never before used for this purpose in Sydney.
Where: Sydney Masonic Centre
When: 18 Feb 6:30pm and 8:30pm
Cost: $32 more details here
Live at the Great: Bach to Bossa and Beyond
Get the chance to enjoy the whimsical architecture of the Great Synagogue and its velvety acoustics and performances from The Australian Guitar Quartet featuring the Grigoryan Brothers, Andrew Blanch and Vladimir Gorbach.
When: 28 February 2023 – 1 March 2023 @ 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Where: The Great Synagogue, 187A Elizabeth St, Sydney, 2000, 2000
Cost: $50
Bookings: https://feverup.com/m/120800
Domain Dance Party
7 hours of party, Domain Dance Party will be the biggest LGBTQIA+ circuit event Australia has ever seen.
International superstar Kelly Rowland will join the best local and international DJs including DJ Suri, Isis Muretech, Tackthai and DJ Du Jour. As the balmy summer sun sets on the Sydney skyline, party boys, queer lovelies and circuit house machines will dance themselves into the second week of WorldPride.
When: Sun 26th Feb 2023 @ 3.00pm – 10.00pm
Where: Phillip Precinct, The Domain, Art Gallery Road Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
Cost: $129.00
The Man From Snowy River In Concert
One of Australia’s most loved and iconic films of all time. Experience the beloved Australian classic on the big screen, accompanied by the powerful and emotive soundtrack played live by the Southern Cross Symphony.
When: 15-16 February 2024
Where: Concert Hall
Cost: from $119.00
More details here
Art and Exhibitions
The Huxleys: Bloodlines
Will Huxley and Garrett Huxley (Yorta Yorta/Gumbaynggir) are Melbourne-based collaborative performance and visual artists. The Huxleys are a dynamic duo of cataclysmic proportions who present camp commentary and spectacle across the visual art, performance and entertainment sectors.
Their photography and performance art traverses the classifications of costume, film and recording. A visual assault of sparkle, surrealism and the absurd, The Huxleys saturate their practice and projects with a glamorous, androgynous freedom which sets out to bring some escapism and magic to everyday life.
When: 5 January – 5 March 2023 – Guided tour: Sun 19 Feb Stitch and Bitch session on 25 Feb (10am-1pm)
Where: Carriageworks
More: carriageworks.com.au
Paul Yore: Word Made Flesh
Paul Yore (born 1987 in Naarm/Melbourne) is a multidisciplinary artist from Gunaikurnai Country in Gippsland, Victoria. He studied painting, archaeology and anthropology at Monash University in 2010. Yore’s work explores religious art, queer identity, pop-culture, and neo-liberal capitalism, creating politically-charged assemblages that celebrate hybrid and fluid identities.
When: 5 January – 26 February 2023
Where: Carriageworks
More: carriageworks.com.au
The Weaving Room
The Museum of Sydney celebrates NSW’s First Nations weaving traditions in the Weaving Room. Drop-in to join workshops where you can hear from Elders and artists, create a piece to take home, and make a special connection to First Nations culture.
Where: Museum of Sydney
When: 3 Dec -19 February 23
Cost: Free but bookings required
More: Museum of Sydney website
White Rabbit Gallery – SHUO SHU 说书
Since opening in 2009, the White Rabbit Gallery has bought us some of the most significant exhibitions of Chinese contemporary art on offer. The current show is no exception.
“The artists in ‘Shuo Shu’ map the evolution of the story from timeless myths and literary romances to political propaganda and modern-day censorship. Artists become shapeshifters, and their stories twist and turn to fit within codes and secret messages. Whilst a closed mind is like a closed book, stories reveal themselves to those who are open.”
Where: 30 Balfour Street, Chippendale NSW
When: to 14 May 2023
Cost: Free
Sport and Outdoors
KPMG Australia Sail Grand Priz
SailGP returns to Sydney Harbour in February for its fourth visit. Watch the world’s top sailors battle it out at the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix. Cheer on the Australia Team, helmed by Olympic sailor Tom Slingsby, as they defend their championship title in their homeland.
Key events:
- SailGP F50 ‘fly by’ parade
- Display of the SailGP race boats at Waterman’s Cove
- Daily craning of F50s in and out of the water
- Q&A and interactive programming with SailGP athletes
- Pop-up bar
- DJ, entertainment and exciting fan engagement activities
- SailGP fan shop and ticket box office
Barangaroo is the hub of SailGP Village, where you will find plenty of off water action. Join in the free activities and entertainment. You will also find the team bases and view the world’s fastest racing boats. Tours will run from 16 February book tickets asap as they are expected to sell out.
Where: Sydney Harbour – Barangaroo is the base
When: 18-19 February
Cost: Many activities are free although there are some ticketed spectator cruises
American Superbowl
Keen to catch all the Superbowl action in real time? Head to Watsons at EQ. A mega screen in the courtyard, fried chicken and loaded hot dogs and even Budweiser beer. Doors open at 10am and the game starts at 10:30am. Table bookings recommended.
Where: Watson’s EQ
When: 13 February
Cost: Meal and beer deals from $20
More: For further info and to book a table on the deck visit www.watsonseq.com.au
Walks & Tours
Archie Rose Spirits Tasting and Garden Walk – Sydney WorldPride
This Archie Rose experience will be accompanied by a 90-minute walk through the Royal Botanic Garden where our expert guides will share the history of our gardens, along with insights on plant evolution, reproduction and the kaleidoscope of plant-love happening around you all the time. Rejoice in love during World Pride, and join us for this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
Where: Rose Garden & Pavilion, The Royal Botanic Garden
When: 24 Feb 2023 – 5 March 2023
Cost: $100
More: Further info and bookings
Regional Events in NSW January 2024
About the author: Paula Morgan, a born-and-bred Sydney resident, has been sharing this city and its secret spots for over 15 years. She’s not just about the iconic landmarks; she’s all about the hidden alleys adorned with street art, and the joy of discovering a new café or a fabulous restaurant tucked away in a corner you never knew existed.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned local, her articles have that special touch that can only come from someone who truly knows and loves their city. She’s your go-to source for all things Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
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