Fire Pit Cinema Returns to The Rocks for 10 Magical Nights
For 10 nights only, a lawn in The Rocks becomes a winter cinema with private fire pits, unlimited marshmallows, and Christmas movies under the stars.
Published by Chao-Xing Li
Camden Marks 50 Years of NAIDOC with Free Events
Camden Council celebrates NAIDOC Week 2026 with a free flag raising ceremony, library storytimes and children’s art workshops exploring the boomerang’s cultural significance.
Free Hub Day Out returns to Springwood with chai and folk music
Springwood’s free Hub Day Out on 8 July brings live folk music, free chai, crafts and a chillout space. No booking, all welcome.
Katoomba Culture Dose for Kids Returns: Free Arts Program, Apply by 22 June
Families have just 10 days to apply for the free, evidence-based Culture Dose for Kids arts and wellbeing program returning to Katoomba from July 25.
Low-Visitation Plan Adopted for Lincolns Rock After K-Pop Surge
Blue Mountains City Council adopted a low-visitation plan for Lincolns Rock, extending its closure until at least November 2026 after an Instagram-fuelled overtourism crisis.
Sydney to Host World-First Global Wellness Day
Sydney becomes the first city worldwide to host Global Wellness Day on 13 June with a free, ticketed harbourfront session featuring Barry Du Bois and sound baths on Bennelong Lawn.
Opera House Forecourt to Allow 7,000 Fans and Midnight Music
The NSW Government will allow amplified music until midnight and increase Forecourt capacity to 7,000, ending a “Sydney sport” of noise complaints from nearby residents.
Penrith businesses get rare tour of the new WSI Airport ahead of opening
Penrith tourism and hospitality businesses can get a guided tour of the new airport’s precinct as part of a free council-funded training and mentoring program on 15 June.
Western Sydney’s electric buses start rolling three months before the airport
Five new electric bus routes connect Penrith, Mount Druitt, Liverpool and Campbelltown to Western Sydney International Airport from 5 July, three months before the first flight.
Vivid Sydney spans 6.5km across three waterfront precincts
The Vivid Light Walk stretches 6.5km through three harbour precincts this year, with 43 installations running nightly until 13 June. More than 80% of the program is free.
Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson transforms Maritime Museum into Vivid’s largest Indigenous program
Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson’s Cosmic Chase transforms the Maritime Museum rooftop into an animated Pac-Man battleground for Vivid Sydney’s largest Indigenous program.
Four-level Oriana opens at Circular Quay with seamless harbour dining
The Oriana opened 21 May at Circular Quay, offering four levels of harbour dining from casual beer garden to formal restaurant, all under one roof with seamless venue transitions.
Clare Wright wins NSW Literary Awards double for Yirrkala Bark Petitions history
Professor Clare Wright OAM wins Book of the Year and Douglas Stewart Prize at NSW Literary Awards for her history of the 1963 Yirrkala Bark Petitions, a 640-page work already in its fourth print run.
Vivid Sydney adds daytime magic for first time in 16-year history
Vivid Sydney launches daytime programming for the first time, welcoming families and accessibility-focused visitors with stroller-accessible installations starting 22 May.
Vivid Sydney 2026 adds daytime magic for families
Vivid Sydney 2026 introduces daytime programming for the first time, making the festival accessible to families with young children before the lights switch on at dusk.
Sydney wins Southern Hemisphere’s largest tourism trade event for 2027
NSW secures the Southern Hemisphere’s largest tourism trade event for 2027, with ATE returning to Sydney as Western Sydney Airport opens and the Rugby World Cup begins.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra musicians perform aboard The Jackson superyacht during Vivid
Sydney Symphony Orchestra musicians perform aboard luxury superyacht The Jackson during Vivid 2026, offering exclusive harbour dining with live classical music and Penfolds wine pairings.
Sydney Writers’ Festival defends free speech stance with controversial lineup
Sydney Writers’ Festival takes explicit free speech stance by including controversial Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah, drawing criticism from Jewish community leaders over perceived one-sided programming.
Star-Bound drone show returns with 1,000 lights over Cockle Bay
A thousand drones return to Vivid Sydney with 22 shows across 11 nights at Cockle Bay, relocating from Circular Quay after 2024’s crowd safety concerns.
Fashion Week returns to harbour for 30th anniversary
Australian Fashion Week returns to Sydney Harbour after 14 years, bringing Toni Maticevski back to the runway and opening public access through free Fashion Pass registration.