What’s on in Sydney in September

September is the start of spring in Sydney, and the events calendar picks up fast after a quiet winter. Swimming season officially starts this month too, though most locals wait until October before getting in the water.

It’s a good value month to visit. Prices for flights and accommodation climb in the last week of September, once the spring school holidays begin.

The Spring school holidays are from Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October 2026

Average temperature: 23.5°C (74.3°F). Rainfall varies year to year — September 2025 was unusually wet, with 178.6mm falling over the month (well above the typical 53mm), including a record-breaking 122mm in 24 hours on 11 September, Sydney’s heaviest September rain day since 1879.

New events and updated content are added to these pages as it becomes available. If you have an event, you think our readers may be interested in, please contact us. 

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Major September Events in Sydney

Festival of the Winds

Festival of the Winds has run at Bondi Beach since 1978 and is now one of Australia’s biggest kite festivals, drawing crowds of up to 50,000. Giant international kites take to the sky alongside local flyers from the Australian Kiteflyers Society, with cultural performances, live music, workshops and food stalls running across the Pavilion, forecourt and park all day.

Worth knowing if you’re driving: Park Drive South closes for the day, and Queen Elizabeth Drive closes south of the Pavilion from 6am to 6pm. Waverley Council recommends public transport, with extra bus services running.

An all-inclusive event for young, old and everyone in between, come along and celebrate Spring in Bondi.

When: 13 September 2026, 11am-4pm
Where: Bondi Pavilion Park and Beach

Sydney Fringe Festival

The Sydney Fringe Festival returns as NSW’s largest independent arts festival, with more than 350 events and over 2,000 artists across 64 venues. It’s grown well beyond its early days, now spanning theatre, comedy, music, dance, circus and cabaret across the city.

The festival opens with Fringe Ignite!, a free street party taking over Darlinghurst’s Stanley Street on 29 August. New this year are three initiatives supporting emerging artists and critics, run in partnership with ArtsHub and Kill The Cat Theatre.

When: 1 – 30 September 2026
Where: Various locations across Sydney, including Inner West, Central, Eastern, and Greater Sydney Precincts
Cost: varies from $12 up More info on the official site

Fool’s Paradise at Sydney Fringe Festival

Fool’s Paradise takes over The Entertainment Quarter for this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, with two venues hosting seven weeks of acrobatics, comedy, cabaret and music.

Headlining the program is Return of the GODZ, fresh from sell-out seasons in London’s West End and Brighton. The five-person cast brings new acts of acrobatics and comedy, fresh off strong reviews from UK critics.

Also on the bill: Radio Variety, a circus and cabaret show set to decades of well-known hits; All-Star Circus, with backflips, handstands and human pyramids; and The Flying Bubble Show, back after selling out in 2025, featuring giant bubbles and immersive theatre.

For one afternoon only, on 29 August, The Big Top Drag Brunch brings some of Sydney’s best-known drag performers to the stage, including Etcetera Etcetera, Hannah Conda, Coco Jumbo, Vybe, Carmen Geddit and Charisma Belle.

When: 26 August to 11 October 2026 (Big Top Drag Brunch: 29 August only)
Where: The Entertainment Quarter, 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park

Evenings in Sydney
Sydney does not shut down after dinner. My guide to things to do in Sydney at night is sorted by what you feel like doing rather than by suburb, and it covers free options as well as paid.

Festivals and Special Events

Sydney Contemporary

Sydney’s premier art fair marks its 10th anniversary this year, with over 100 galleries from Australia and beyond showing work by more than 500 artists. Since it started in 2013, Sydney Contemporary has drawn over 250,000 visitors and racked up more than $154 million in art sales.

The fair spans four sectors: Galleries, Futures, Works on Paper and Photo Sydney, alongside installations, talks and a kids’ art space. This year also sees the MA Art Prize increase to $25,000, awarded to one early-career artist showing at the fair.

Beyond the fair, two free public artworks run alongside it this year: Reko Rennie’s ALWAYS at Sydney Fish Market, and Joan Ross’s video installation at Pier Pavilion, Barangaroo.

Sydney Writers’ Festival Homegrown

Sydney Writers’ Festival brings more than 25 free events to the State Library of NSW this spring, running across two weekends. Expect authors, journalists, poets and playwrights in conversation, plus live podcast recordings and workshops covering everything from Australian fiction to the housing crisis.

Highlights include Charlotte Wood, Tony Birch and Emily Perkins discussing the books that shaped them, and Susan Orlean joining Pip Williams to talk about libraries. Bookings are recommended even though entry is free.

When: 18–19 September (second weekend 9–11 October)
Where: State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street
Cost: Free, bookings recommended

Unlock The Rocks: Art and Culture Month

The Rocks turns creative for the whole of September, with a month of live music, comedy, art trails and hands-on workshops filling its laneways and public spaces. Daytime brings plein-air painting sessions, weaving workshops and weekend markets, while evenings bring jazz nights, comedy and after-dark museum access.

The month builds to Unbound: Street Performance Festival on the last weekend, when George Street closes to traffic for giant puppets, aerial acrobats, a DIY disco and a conga line parade through the historic streets.

When: 1–30 September (Unbound: 26–27 September)
Where: The Rocks, Sydney l Cost: Free

Live Well at South Eveleigh

A month of mostly free wellness events across the South Eveleigh precinct, including body composition scans, a weekly guided run club and a free pop-up pickleball court. Clinical nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo joins as ambassador for the month, running public talks and a book signing.

A handful of paid extras round out the program, including skin checks and workshops like terrarium building and bonsai.

When: 1–28 September
Where: South Eveleigh
Cost: Mostly free; some ticketed workshops from $40

Markets & Fairs

Glebe Artisan Market

Artisans Market Glebe features over 60 stalls offering original handmade products. Nothing is mass-produced.

You will find everything from fashion and ceramics to jewellery and homewares. This quarterly market is in its fourth year, and it’s a great chance to find some original Christmas gifts or souvenirs. As well as checking out the goods and talking to the stallholders, you can relax and listen to live music.

When: 5 September 2026
Where: TRAMSHEDS, Upper Level & Lower Level 1 Dalgal Way, Forest Lodge

The Big Design Market Sydney

Australia’s ultimate shopping destination is back – bigger, bolder and brighter than ever where there will be over 200 stallholders & delicious food & drink experiences. Expect a fresh lineup of boutique homewares, handmade ceramics, limited-edition art prints, Australian-made fashion, unique jewellery, stationery and much more.

Plus, for the first time, there’ll be a fashion parade showcasing gorgeous pieces from our apparel brands which you definitely won’t want to miss!

When: 19-21 September 2026
Where: Carriageworks, Wilson St, Eveleigh
Cost: Adults: $6, Kids (0-12 yrs) free tickets online here or at the door.  

Watson’s Bay Spring Market

This annual spring market held at one of the city’s most beautiful harbour locations features over 100 stalls selling handmade homewares, art, and clothing for the whole family, even your pets!

Plenty of Christmas gift ideas including candles, skincare products, gifts, wrapping paper and gourmet food.

When: 13 September 2026
Where: Robinson Park, Watson’s Bay (right next to the ferry wharf)

While you are there take a walk out to the lighthouse for some of the finest views in the city.

Have questions about things to see and do in Sydney?
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Theatre: Musicals, Opera, and Drama

My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady comes to the Sydney Opera House for a 70th anniversary season, based on Julie Andrews’ 2016 Australian production. It’s the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower seller taken on by phonetics professor Henry Higgins, who bets he can pass her off as a duchess by teaching her to speak “properly”. The score includes “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “I Could Have Danced All Night”.

Olivier Award winner Nathaniel Parker plays Professor Henry Higgins opposite Australian soprano Claire Lyon as Eliza. Reg Livermore returns as Alfred P. Doolittle, Robyn Nevin as Mrs Higgins and Tony Llewellyn-Jones as Colonel Pickering, with Anne Wood as Mrs Pearce and Freddy Hellier making his mainstage debut as Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

When: 12 September 2026 (season continues through September)
Where: Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $149

Heathers

Heathers the Musical is a dark comedy with a killer soundtrack, based on the 1989 film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. It follows Veronica Sawyer, a nobody who gets pulled into the orbit of the school’s three most powerful (and cruellest) girls, all named Heather. When new student J.D. arrives, what starts as a fantasy of fitting in turns into something much darker.

The show mixes sharp, funny writing with genuinely dark subject matter. It’s rated for ages 14 and up, and touches on murder, suicide and eating disorders, so it’s not one for younger family members.

When: Roslyn Packer Theatre, 1–19 Sept. & Coliseum Theatre, 26–29 August 2026
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay
Cost: Ticket prices and on-sale details via heathersthemusical.com

Lion King

Disney’s flagship musical continues at the Capitol Theatre with a strong local cast. Daniel Frederiksen plays Scar, Buyi Zama returns as Rafiki for the third time in Australia, and Nick Afoa, who debuted on the Sydney stage as Simba twelve years ago, comes back as Mufasa. Aphiwe Nyezi takes on Simba, with Emily Nkomo as Nala and Jamie McGregor and Rutene Spooner as Timon and Pumbaa.

When: From 18 April 2026 (ongoing through May and beyond)
Where: Capitol Theatre, Sydney
Cost: $60 Tickets via the show website or Ticketek

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

This razor-sharp musical comedy follows J. Pierrepont Finch as he climbs the corporate ladder from window washer to executive, using a self-help guide as his playbook. It won seven Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize when it first opened on Broadway in 1961.

Home and Away alumnus Jake Speer leads the cast as Finch, opposite Simon Burke as company president J.B. Biggley, under direction from Cameron Mitchell.

When: 28 August–27 September
Where: Hayes Theatre Co, Potts Point
Cost: From $75 (previews), $84 adult / $75 concession in season

The Elevator

A new Australian comedy about a CEO who returns from maternity leave to find her company mid-meltdown, then gets stuck in the office lift on her first day back. What starts as an awkward ride turns into a real-time fight over office politics, greenwashing and who’s really running the show.

Leeanna Walsman makes her Ensemble debut in the lead role, joined by Di Adams and Shirong Wu, in a world premiere directed by Anthea Williams.

When: 18 September–18 October
Where: Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli
Cost: $46–$95

Cirque Alice

A circus reimagining of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, from the producers behind The Illusionists and Now You See Me Live. Expect acrobats, aerialists, contortionists and puppetry built around Lewis Carroll’s characters.

The show runs two hours and is pitched as suitable for all ages, with a contemporary orchestral soundtrack reworking classical pieces.

When: 25 September–11 October
Where: Sydney Lyric Theatre
Cost: From $69

Tutti Frutti: Full Access

A circus, cabaret, drag and burlesque show performed entirely by disabled artists, mixing sharp comedy with genuine skill. It’s part of this year’s Sydney Fringe program.

Expect a fast-moving night of acrobatics, glamour and humour from a cast redefining what circus performers look like.

When: 18–20 September, 6.50pm
Where: The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park
Cost: $24–$30

All Religions Explained: The Cabaret Musical

A one-man piano cabaret that takes on the world’s belief systems through comic original songs, performed by pianist Antony “DrH” Hubmayer. It’s pitched as playful rather than mocking, aiming for laughs without punching down.

The show runs 55 minutes and draws comparisons to Monty Python and Tim Minchin.

When: 22–25 September
Where: Marrickville Town Hall
Cost: $35

Music and Dance

Night at the Barracks

Find yourself captivated once more by some of the biggest names in music set against this mesmerising backdrop steeped in history and natural beauty, perched high above Sydney Harbour in Manly. A premium open-air experience like no other!

When: 11 September – 3 October 2026
Where: The Barracks Precinct, North Head Sanctuary, Manly
Cost: from $89. More details here.

Current – Sydney Dance Company

Sydney Dance Company presents four new contemporary dance works in its intimate Neilson Studio, including three world premieres from Raghav Handa, Jenni Large and Azzam Mohamed. The season also marks the Australian premiere of Rafael Bonachela’s acclaimed duet E2 7SD, created in London in 2004 and never performed here before.

The season forms the centrepiece of the company’s wider 40 Years at the Wharf celebrations.

When: 3–20 September
Where: Neilson Studio, Sydney Dance Company, Walsh Bay
Cost: $77–$95

40 Years at The Wharf

Sydney Dance Company marks four decades at its Walsh Bay home with a program of free historical displays, archival photography and newly recorded oral histories from dancers, staff and long-time class participants. It runs alongside the Current season and includes a display developed with the Museums of History NSW.

The celebrations kicked off with an Open Day on 22 August, featuring free classes and family activities, though the ongoing exhibition content runs right through September.

When: 22 August–16 October
Where: Sydney Dance Company, Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: Free

State Library of NSW 200th Anniversary Festival

The State Library of NSW turns 200 this year, marking the milestone with a six-week program of performances and free live music running through September and October. Four headline works make up the core of the program, each inspired by the Library’s collection.

• RECLAIM: A Contemporary Ceremony, from director and choreographer Stephen Page, reawakens stories of First Nations resistance and leadership held in the Library’s collection.
• Earth Flow: from yidaki player and composer William Barton, is a large-scale musical work on the theme of passing down knowledge, featuring family, friends and some of Sydney’s best musicians and choristers.
• The Scott Sisters: Pioneers of Science and Art blends animation, live classical music and readings, inspired by 19th-century illustrators and naturalists Harriet and Helena Scott.
• A Night at the Library: from Bell Shakespeare, is written for younger audiences and follows a student who gets stuck overnight in the Library.

When: 11 September and 29 September – 1 October
Where: State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street
Cost: Tickets on sale from July

Rinse & Triptych: Homecoming Dance Season

Two Australian choreographers who’ve built international reputations are bringing their work home to the Sydney Opera House this September.

Rinse is a solo dance-theatre piece by Bundjalung and Ngāpuhi artist Amrita Hepi, blending physical dance with spoken text to explore endings and new beginnings. It’s toured Europe, the UK and Canada since debuting as the first Australian work performed at Festival d’Avignon.

Triptych is a triple-bill of short works by Bungandidj and Ngarrindjeri choreographer Lewis Major, performed by four dancers and built around lighting and sound as much as movement. It’s picked up awards at both the Adelaide and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. You can book them separately or as a package.

When: Rinse, 10–12 September 2026 (Playhouse) / Triptych, 16–19 September 2026 (Studio)
Where: Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $59 + booking fee, concessions available (or $95 for both shows as a package)

Burn The Floor: LUMINOUS Charity Gala

A one-off gala performance of Burn The Floor’s ballroom and Latin dance production LUMINOUS, hosted by Tristan MacManus and Kym Johnson. Ten dollars from every ticket goes to NextSense, which supports people with hearing and vision loss.

The show blends ballroom and Latin dance with theatrical storytelling, performed by an international cast under choreographer Jason Gilkison.

When: 26 September, 7.30pm
Where: Coliseum Theatre, Rooty Hill
Cost: From $59

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet Film in Concert

Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film gets a live orchestral treatment for its 30th anniversary, with a 12-piece ensemble performing the soundtrack in sync with the film on a big screen. Expect the full movie, dialogue intact, alongside live versions of tracks like “Kissing You” and “Lovefool.”

It’s a one-night-only screening, so worth booking ahead if you’re a fan of the film.

When: 29 September, 8pm
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Cost: From $79.90

Oz Comic-Con

Oz Comic-Con caters to all, whether you identify as a Muggle, a Marshmallow, an Earper, a Jedi, a Whovian, or even if you’re completely unfamiliar with these terms. As long as you have a love for popular culture and enjoy a fun-filled day out, we have something exciting waiting for you!

When: 12-13 September 2026
Where: Sydney Showground

Exhibitions

BODY WORLDS: The Anatomy of Happiness

An exhibition of real human specimens preserved through plastination, exploring how emotions, lifestyle and stress show up in the body. It’s the Sydney debut for BODY WORLDS, which has drawn more than 58 million visitors worldwide.

Highlights include an interactive Anatomical Mirror showing the position of your own organs, and side-by-side displays comparing healthy and diseased organs.

When: Opens 17 September
Where: The Rocks, Sydney
Cost: From $35 adult, $20 child

Margaret Olley: Australian Intimiste

A major exhibition of more than sixty works by Margaret Olley, one of Australia’s best-loved painters, alongside pieces by her National Art School friends and teachers. It includes Sir William Dobell’s famous 1948 Archibald Prize-winning portrait of Olley.

The show traces her six-decade career and her lifelong focus on interiors, still lifes and domestic scenes.

When: 31 July–24 October
Where: National Art School Gallery, Darlinghurst l Cost: Free

Connections: MCA x Tate

A landmark exhibition bringing together works jointly acquired by the MCA and Tate Modern between 2015 and 2022, viewed through a First Nations lens. It includes new commissions from artists including Gail Mabo and Helen Ganalmirriwuy Garrawurra, alongside major works by First Nations and non-Indigenous Australian artists.

The exhibition explores cultural exchange, colonisation and migration, and runs well past September into early 2027.

When: 15 August 2026–1 March 2027
Where: MCA Australia, The Rocks l Cost: Free

Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard

More than 90 rare Viking-age artefacts, buried around AD 900 and unearthed in Scotland in 2014, make their first Sydney appearance at the Maritime Museum. A one-off jewellery workshop, Amulets and Adornment, lets visitors make their own metal pendant inspired by the Hoard’s designs.

The exhibition itself runs daily through September and into October.

When: Exhibition runs until 11 October; Amulets and Adornment workshop on 12 September, 10am–4pm
Where: Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour
Cost: Exhibition included with museum entry; workshop $125

Film

Sydney Underground Film Festival

The Sydney Underground Film Festival turns 20 this year, moving to a new home at The Factory Theatre in Marrickville.

Expect four days of independent and experimental film, from documentaries to full-blown cult cinema, put together by people who’ve spent two decades hunting down the strange and the brilliant. Full program drops 15 August, with earlybird passes on sale now.

When: 10–13 September 2026
Where: The Factory Theatre, Marrickville
Cost: Earlybird passes available now (limited numbers) via suff.com.au

Dead Poets Society: Introduced by Peter Weir

As part of Australian Poetry Month, the Opera House screens the classic Dead Poets Society with a special introduction from the film’s director, Peter Weir, alongside Red Room Poetry Artistic Director David Stavanger.

Robin Williams plays an unconventional English teacher at a strict boys’ school, encouraging his students to think for themselves and, famously, seize the day. It’s a coming-of-age story that’s stayed popular since it came out in 1989, and this screening is a rare chance to hear from the director himself beforehand.

When: 5 September 2026
Where: Playhouse, Sydney Opera House
Cost: $30 Ticket via sydneyoperahouse.com

Food and Drinks

Australian Native Food Festival

A two-day celebration of native Australian ingredients at Carriageworks, led by Indigiearth founder Sharon Winsor. Indigenous and non-Indigenous chefs, including Kylie Kwong, Adam Liaw and Colin Fassnidge, run cooking demonstrations using native produce.

The festival also features 30 First Nations-run businesses selling native spices, bush foods and handcrafted goods, plus weaving workshops and traditional healing sessions.

When: 26–27 September
Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Cost: Free general admission; chef demonstrations and workshops ticketed separately

Five Dock “Little Italy” Food Tour

Discover one of Sydney’s original Italian Communities on this walking tour of Five Dock and discover their passion and taste their delicious products!

This is a great experience for locals or visitors to Sydney wanting to see a slice of everyday life.

When: September dates not yet released
Where: Meet in front of Fred Kelly Place, just back off Great North Road Five Dock
Tickets: $75 per person (includes one coffee and 4 tastings Book here

Regional Events

Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)

An Olivier Award-winning comic retelling of Jane Austen’s novel from the servants’ perspective, packed with pop songs, karaoke and ruthless matchmaking. It flips the story so the overlooked women running the household get to tell it their way.

The show features an all-star cast of five and has been running in the West End for eight years since it first opened.

When: 2–13 September
Where: IMB Theatre, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong
Cost: $84–$119, family and group rates available

New Annual

Newcastle’s flagship arts festival returns for its sixth year, turning the city’s beaches, ocean baths and laneways into stages for art, music and performance. This year’s program includes 402 artists across 40 events, with seven new commissions responding directly to Newcastle’s coastline and communities.

Highlights include the free SOAK live music series at Newcastle Ocean Baths, Damien Frost’s Night Flowers exhibition, and the festival opener at Newcastle Art Gallery featuring Angela Tiatia’s major new show, Muse.

When: 25 September–4 October
Where: Locations across Newcastle
Cost: Mostly free, with some ticketed events.

Coastal Forage

Taste, walk and discover the Shoalhaven coast on this progressive dining event. Coastal Forage takes you along 5–6km of Jervis Bay coastline, stopping at ten food stations for a 10-course meal paired with local wines and spirits. Long-term partners on the food and drink side include Bangalay Dining, Cupitt’s Winery, Paperbark Camp, Old Salt Distillery and John Harley Seafood.

The walk starts at Moona Moona Creek Reserve, in groups of 20–25 leaving every 10–15 minutes, and finishes at Orion’s Beach, where a van takes you back to the start. It’s flat and easy underfoot, so it suits most fitness levels. This is an 18+ event and dietary requirements can’t be catered for.

When: Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September 2026
Where: Starts at Moona Moona Creek Reserve, Jervis Bay
Cost: $225pp, includes the 10-course degustation with matched drinks at 8 stations

Dapto Country Show 

Experience a day of agricultural fun at the Dapto Country Show. Get up close with farmyard favorites at the animal petting zoo, witness the skills of sheep shearers and whip crackers, and learn about reptiles at the live shows. Meet Charlie the Braham Steer and Hephner the Alpaca.

When: TBC
Where: The Groundz Precinct “Dapto Showground” 89 Princes Highway, Dapto

Tulip Time

Experience a burst of colours and floral enchantment at the Tulip Time Festival in the Southern Highlands. The focus of Tulip Time is the spectacular display of 80,000 mass-planted tulips. The breathtaking display of colours and designs is based on a bright spring theme.

Tulip Time will feature daily entertainment, popular food and market stalls, along with the Country Women’s Association (CWA) homemade scones and sandwiches to raise funds for their wonderful community organisation.

When: TBC
Where: Corbett Gardens, Bendooley Street, Bowral

Main image credit: Festival of the Winds Bondi Beach – Supplied Destination NSW