If you’re heading to Sydney in 2017, there are a lot of great events that you can get tickets for. These range from every kind of event you can think of: sports, live music, food, and family celebrations are all in the works.
Take a look at the list below and see if you can fit an event or two into your holiday schedule.
Vivid Sydney – May to June
Taking place once a year, Vivid Sydney is a celebration of light, music, and ideas, with a ‘gallery’ of light, sculpture, and art in an outdoor setting. There’s also a list of contemporary music events, creative forums, and the famous Sydney Opera House sails are illuminated with an artistic pattern.
It’s great for families and single adults alike, and it gets bigger and better every year. If you have a hotel in the Circular Quay area, you may be able to admire the sails right from your window.
Mercedes Benz-Fashion Week – May 14 to 19
If you love fashion, then you’ll know that Sydney Fashion Week is the most important event on the sartorial calendar. It comes twice a year, with the next event happening in mid-May.
Designers showcase their style on catwalks across the city, with main schedule events rubbing shoulders with off-schedule events from indie and up-and-coming designers. If you can grab tickets, you’ll be lucky – but keep an eye out: many off-schedule events are open to whoever shows up.
Sydney Film Festival – June 7 to 18
The Sydney Film Festival is a celebration of film: made in Australia, made by Australians, and with an international flavour. There are plenty of screenings to catch throughout the city, some of them focusing on exclusive new releases and some on old classics. You can also attend talks, seminars, demonstrations, and so on – so long as it’s to do with film, you can find it during this month.
Sculpture By The Sea – October 19 to November 5
This popular annual exhibition is returning again for 2017, along the coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama Beach. Sculpture By The Sea takes more than 100 artists’ work and places it in this beautiful setting, with some weird and wonderful results. More than 400,000 people come every year to see this beautiful sensation, which is free to view.
City2Surf – August 10
If you enjoy watching other people run, or want to do it yourself, the City2Surf is the largest run in the world. It’s definitely one that you will enjoy! The entry list is limited to 75,000 competitors, who will run 9 miles through the city. Starting in Kings Cross, the route stretches to the sea, with Bondi Beach as a finishing point. If you want to take part, sign up quickly, as entries are allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
New Year’s Eve – December 31
Every year, there is a spectacular celebration in Sydney for the end of the year. As we say farewell to 2017, you will want to do it in style. There are a number of vantage points around the city from where you can watch the impressive fireworks display. It will take your breath away, with a stunning view which is best enjoyed from Barangaroo Park. There are actually two shows – one at 9pm for families, and one at midnight.
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – December 18 to TBC
This historic boat race has been held since 1945, and it’s a huge fixture in Sydney culture. It takes between three and four days for the winners to reach the finish line, which is why the end date is not yet known. Some past competitors have even made it in an incredible 2 days. Around 100 yachts tend to take part in the Sydney to Hobart race, and you can watch them set off for free from Sydney’s harbour.
Whenever you come to Sydney, there’s sure to be an event of some kind on. Besides these major events, there are also plenty of theatre productions, live music performances, and other celebrations throughout the year. Don’t forget to look up what is going on in the city before you arrive so that you can book yourself in for tickets.
