The best things to do in Sydney this weekend

If you’ve ever heard talk of secret tunnels and winding labyrinths from World War II that lie forgotten beneath Sydney city, you’re not alone. Well, it turns out, the rumours are true. And the best bit? We can see them with our own eyes – illuminated by a wild light show, laser beams and electronic music. Yes. This is real life. After a successful debut last year, Dark Spectrum has taken this historical subterranean network again as part of Vivid Sydney 2024. (Check out our ultimate guide to Vivid 2024 over here.) Running until Saturday, June 15, this wild and immersive light show will take visitors through 1km of the tunnel system, where they will be taken through eight underground rooms that will each be decked out in a vibrant variety of lights, robots, animations and laser shows that have to be seen to be believed.  Curated by Mandylights, Sony Music, Vivid Sydney and Culture Creative, this experience will let you wander through secret passageways lit with pulsing lights, and run your fingers through an interactive LED light show that promises to be "an immersive playground of light and sound". Each of the eight rooms will have a different theme and corresponding colour reflecting a different aspect of the human experience, and you’ll get to sink into a series of light pieces that roll in time with synchronised electronic music beats. How do you get to Dark Spectrum? The entrance to the secret Dark Spectrum tunnels below Wynyard is hidden in plain sight in one of Sydney’

Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer-winning 1949 play has lost none of its potency in the last 75 years. Indeed, in our current terrible moment of economic anxiety, the heaviest weight on Willy Loman’s back – the need to make his mortgage payments even as he’s rendered obsolete – will be familiar to many audience members, although perhaps one step removed. Director Neil Armfield and resident director Therésa Borg anchor this production in the period of the play’s genesis, but the themes remain timeless – beautifully and excruciatingly so. Anthony LaPaglia is our Willy Loman, making his Sydney stage debut at the Theatre Royal in the role that earned him standing ovations when this production debuted in Melbourne. Weighed down by years, responsibilities, and his own bulk, LaPagia’s Loman prowls the stage muttering, half lost in memories, pinning all his hopes on the illusory successes of his adult sons: wastrel womaniser Happy (Ben O’Toole) and former golden boy Biff (Josh Helman), high school football star turned frustrated drifter. Willy’s wife, the long-suffering Linda (Alison Whyte) dutifully dithers around her husband and boys, until she too fractures under the weight of Willy’s unrealised ambitions.  LaPaglia makes for an incredibly obstinate and frustratingly obtuse Willy, his crippling insecurities masked by a thick armour cast from bluster and bravado. Yes, it’s all about the American Dream and the failures thereof – but it’s worth noting that the American Dream has always been A

Winter in Sydney can be pretty darn sparkly, with major thanks to Vivid – the annual multidisciplinary festival that lights up the city for a few weeks every year. One particularly glittery feature of the Vivid Sydney 2024 program is Lightscape – an immersive light show that is illuminating the Royal Botanic Garden until Saturday, June 15. (Lightscape is a paid-entry event, and we reckon the ticket price is well worth it, but if you're looking for free things to do at Vivid, head over here.)Originally created by a group of artists more than a decade ago, Lightscape has transformed spaces around the world into sell-out immersive experiences. And though some Sydneysiders were up in arms about having to pay to access the Botanic Garden (generally a free-to-access public space) during last year's season, once you’ve experienced Lightscape in the flesh, you’ll understand the reasoning. As the sun begins to set over Sydney Harbour, you'll wander under larger-than-life flowers, and tree canopies will come alive with light. Follow the 1.8km illuminated trail as your surroundings morph from one luminous delight into another. Food and drinks are available to purchase along the route, or you can hold out and head to one of the many excellent restaurants that Circular Quay has to offer. Tickets start at $30 for adults ($18 for kids aged 3-12), and the entrance for Lightscape is located at the Queen Elizabeth II Gates, which are right next to the Sydney Opera House forecourt. You can book

Grab the popcorn, Sydney Film Festival (SFF) is back this June, and the program has finally dropped. You’re in for a bumper line-up of films from around the world, an opening night gala and plenty of the filmmakers stopping by as guest speakers, there’s surely something to excite film fans of all candy stripes. Cannes contenders Four features competing to take home the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival this year will also make their Australian debut at SFF. Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos reunites with Emma Stone for Kinds of Kindness, a triptych fable that’s another likely Oscar contender. Meanwhile, All We Imagine as Light, a tale of two connecting relationships from director Payal Kapadia, is also the first Indian film to make it into the competition in three decades. Laugh along during Marcello Mio as the meta comedy pays homage to the great Marcello Mastronianni or catch the latest film from director Miguel Gomes Grand Tour, which chronicles a romantic pursuit across Asia.  Hot Hollywood hits From Hollywood, The Bikeriders is a crime-thriller starring Austin Butler and Tom Hardy that follows a Midwestern motorcycle club as they evolve over the course of a decade. Set in the misty forests of North America, Sasquatch Sunset is a no-dialogue film about a family of sasquatches embarking on an absurd and epic journey, starring an unrecognisable Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough.    The line-up also includes The Outrun starring Saorise Ronan; the fantasy epic Al

What do you get when you combine a neon-lit bar that looks like it’s been plucked straight out of Tokyo with five Japanese master magicians? Enter Maho Magic Bar. Part show, part bar. And 100 per cent awe-inspiring.A dazzling 60-minute immersive experience where you can enjoy a drink and a show (but not as you know it), Maho Magic Bar thrilled Sydneysiders when it popped up last year as a part of Sydney Festival. Now, it's returning to the Emerald City – popping up in a specially decorated neon-lit space at Pyrmont Bay Park with limited sessions until June 16.Created by Broad Encounters, the folks behind the award-winning immersive show A Midnight Visit, Maho Magic Bar features an impressive pop-up bar and entertainment venue, inspired by Japan’s electric nightlife scene. Bring along friends, order some drinks – a fun cocktail; sake from three different regions; whisky or shochu perhaps – and get comfortable as you sit back and watch as Maho’s sleight-of-hand superstars delight and surprise with extraordinary magic shows right in front of you, at your table. Think multi-sensory, interactive and just plain jaw-dropping. So, who will be showing you their tricks at Maho Magic Bar? Well, there’s Shirayuri, whose captivating tricks come with a storytelling twist; Kaori Kitazawa, the princess of illusion who’s carving her own space in the industry that’s traditionally ruled by men; renowned infamous daredevil, Sarito, whose repertoire includes needles and gaffer tape; the graceful

I first saw playwright Grace Chapple’s Never Closer in 2022, as part of the indie program in Belvoir St Theatre's’s tiny 80-seat Downstairs Theatre. That production made a huge impression on me – filled with heavy silence, ragged sobs, soaring laughter, dancing, drinking, and all the wonderful and terrible things that come with knowing and loving a group of friends for most of your life. All of this “acutely emotive” drama is made more profound by the play’s setting, with the violence and political turmoil of Northern Ireland between 1977 and 1987 unfolding in the background. The same ensemble of actors from 2022, directed by Hannah Goodwin, have graduated to the mainstage this year, making their debut in Belvoir’s 372-seat Upstairs Theatre. The result is somewhat less intense than the original production, but it is still a well-written portrait of the importance of connection and care in the face of terror. Chapple writes about a group of friends who’ve grown up together in a tiny town. Deirdre (Emma Diaz) is stubbornly rooted there, and her friends Jimmy (Raj Labade), Niamh (Mabel Li), Mary (Ariadne Sgouros) and Conor (Adam Sollis) are all struggling with living in a place filled with bombings, death and turmoil. We begin at Christmas, 1977, and Niamh is leaving for London. The opening scenes are slightly shorter than the first iteration, but they still do the important work of setting up the sometimes difficult closeness between all of the characters. Then we jump forward

This is it, we have found the yassification of Shakespeare. Fuelled by a playlist of certified pop hits, this jukebox romp billed as “the greatest love story ever remixed” poses a simple but provocative question: What if, instead of joining Romeo in eternal slumber, Juliet decided to live? A contagiously joyous musical spectacular, & Juliet has finally landed at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre after being met with critical acclaim on Broadway and the West End, not to mention the rapturously received Australian debut in Melbourne.  Filled with sing-a-long-able chart-topping bangers made famous by the likes of Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry and more from the songbook of Grammy-winning Swedish songwriter/producer Max Martin, the Aussie cast is overflowing with talent in this feel-good, flashy production. & Juliet is Shakespeare remixed for the girls, the gays and the theys... [but does it] really cut it as the feminist reclamation that we are promised? Will you be entertained? Absolutely. Does & Juliet set a new standard for jukebox musicals? Yes. Will you see one of the most diverse and charismatic casts of triple-threats ever assembled on an Australian stage? Heck yeah. Does the story deliver on the feminist retribution we are promised? Not quite. “What if Juliet didn’t kill herself?” Anne Hathaway (played by the enthralling Amy Lehpamer) posits to her husband, William Shakespeare (the ever-charming Rob Mills). “She’s only ever had one boyfriend, and frankly, the endi

More than ten years since its premiere, this spectacularly saucy cabaret show – from the talented people who brought us the brilliantly outrageous Blanc de Blanc – is back on the Sydney stage. Popping up at The Grand Electric, Limbo The Return will feature a seductive mix of cabaret, circus and acrobatics, performed with a heart-pounding soundtrack and reality-altering lighting. The international cast features Bulgarian aerialist Maria Moncheva (Harry Potter – Germany), slack rope daredevil David Marco and fire-eating singer Clara Fable.The creators of the show originally put together an internationally renowned show Strut & Fret, which gained fans across the world (including Madonna, who went to see it twice during its London season). The follow up show – Limbo Unhinged – played at the Sydney Opera House back in 2018, and Sydney-based fans will finally be able to reconnect with the spellbinding cabaret-style performance. With the same creative team at the helm, audiences can expect a similar calibre at Limbo The Return: with wildly-impressive acrobatics, titillating circus performances and an ecstatic soundtrack. Composed by New York’s Jank maestro Sxip Shirey, the live music – described by Creative Director Scott Maidment as “a New Orleans brass bands meets the Beastie Boys on the way through Berlin, looking for a house party,” – is one of the main drawcards of this year’s show.  Set in an imaginary space between heaven and hell (hence the name), Limbo The Return has been e

It’s imperative that you do not eat before you visit the Carriageworks Farmers Markets. You’ll want to save maximum belly space for your personal version of The Bachelorette where you decide who gets your dollars and what delicious produce gets to come home with you. Maybe you like something soupy and savoury first thing? In that case head to Bar Pho for a traditional Vietnamese start to the day. On the veggie train? Hit up Keppos St Kitchen for a falafel breakfast, or head to Food Farm for a classic bacon and egg roll.Once the hounds of your hunger have been quieted it’s time to prepare for your next meal, or seven. Stock up on artisan cheese from Leaning Oak, smoked salmon from Brilliant Foods and Sydney’s favourite sourdough from AP Bakery and brunch is sorted. You can spend a whole lot of money if you want to here, but equally you could just grab a kombucha on tap from Herbs of Life and find a chair for some of the best dog-watching in the city.   Hungry for more? Look at our list of the best markets in Sydney – produce or otherwise. 

Experimental in form, intimate in emotion, and often oblique, re:group performance collective’s theatre productions stretch the possibilities of the artform to strange new places while telling small, personal stories. This is the fifth production from the collective to “mash theatre and moving-making together” and it’s the third that I’ve reviewed – and, as long as they keep doing what they’re doing, it won’t be the last. You couldn’t keep me away. Coil was a kind of riff on what Sydney Theatre Company’s departing Artistic Director Kip Williams calls “cine-theatre”, utilising a combination of video and live performance to tell the tale of a dying video store. A live film element was also deployed in UFO, which utilised a set comprised of detailed miniatures to explore the gig economy during an alien first contact scenario. Now, there’s POV, which has taken over Belvoir’s Downstairs Theatre. A three-hander with a cast of 36 unrehearsed actors (keep reading, it will make sense) this new show again utilises video, this time to look at the impact of mental illness on a modern family. But there’s an added twist – one that means the performance reviewed here is not the performance audiences will see on any other night, and not just in the regular live theatre sense. Two thirds of POV’s cast are fresh and unrehearsed for every performance – going in only lightly prepared and guided through the story, much as the audience is, by our, uh, point of view character, Bub. Bub, played by M