The best part is all the shows are free, but the catch is wannabe attendees have to enter a ballot for tickets, so you’ve got to be in it to win it.
Law and Order: CBD
True crime buffs can get their fill of chills as they step back in time to visit Sydney’s seedy historical underbelly at the Justice and Police Museum. This eerie but educational museum in the city is located in what used to be a police station and courts.
The exhibits run the gamut of everything from taxidermied dogs to cases full of weapons to black-and-white mugshots. Even children are invited to take part with a kids trail available where they can get their fingerprints inked or dress up as a gangster.
Check in to Sydney’s kookiest ‘hotel’
The Hijinx Hotel in Alexandria isn’t really to stay at, instead imagine play-cation rather than vacation. While there is a concierge desk, the hotel rooms are actually cleverly designed games rooms where teams work to overcome challenges and score points.
Funlab’s Hijinx Hotel is an immersive experience and a feast for the senses.
And for those wanting to keep the silly shenanigans going just next door is a Holey Moley mini golf centre with incredibly Instagram-friendly courses such as one featuring a giant grinning poop emoji.
Visit Japan without leaving Sydney
If you aren’t one of the millions of Australians planning or currently on holiday in Japan, your own slice of the action is available for a fraction of the price.
The Auburn Botanic Gardens is the home of the annual Cumberland Council Cherry Blossom Festival every August, but still has plenty to offer year-round.
Walk among beautifully manicured gardens, and across traditional ornamental bridges as you explore the 9.2 hectare park that has been stunning visitors since 1977.
Discount clothes have made way for high-class eats at Hay St Market. Credit: Jennifer Soo
Say ‘Hay’ to a culinary adventure
If your only memory of Chinatown’s Paddy’s Markets in Haymarket is knock-off shirts and clip- on koala souvenirs, be aware that they’ve recently levelled up their culinary game with the launch of the very cool Hay St Market.
The dining precinct has more than 25 cuisines on offer with Korean street food, gourmet cheese plates, fresh seafood and dumplings from Luke Nguyen in the mix.
The space has a fun urban vibe with milk crates hanging from the ceiling, but it’s equally welcoming for a family outing with little ones in tow as for after-work drinks.
Do your best Phantom of the Opera impression
While the Sydney Opera House is one of the most instantly recognisable icons of this fair city, the venue’s early morning backstage tour lets attendees venture behind closed doors to spaces not usually accessible by the public – even going so far as to let them eat breakfast in the performers’ green room.
The small tour groups also get to hear stories about what really goes on behind the scenes. And for those who aren’t here for the gossip, the Opera House also has other guided tours centred around architecture and eating.
Celebrate the pride of Sydney
Billed as the world’s largest centre for queer history and culture in the world, Qtopia Sydney opened its doors last year in Darlinghurst.
Inside Qtopia, Sydney’s newest museum dedicated to queer and gay history and culture.Credit: Dean Sewell
Its mission is to share LGBTQIA+ stories with a collection of small, but perfectly formed, exhibits that manage to both commemorate the painful moments while also celebrating the joy and creativity of the queer community.
The space also includes performance areas with a busy program of theatre, drag shows, comedy, cabaret and more to keep audiences entertained as well as educated.
Take a bite out of 65,000 years of history
While the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is beautiful enough to simply wander around, it is possible to dig a bit deeper on what it has to offer.
Their bush tucker tour is led by a First Nations guide through the native plants of the Cadi Jam Ora garden to learn about how the foods were traditionally used and also have been adapted for modern palates.
Attendees can even expect some taste testing on the tour for a multisensory experience.
Descend into a world of underground art
For those still to check out the Art Gallery of New South Wales new building, Naala Badu, which opened in late 2022, the stunning space designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architectural firm SANAA is certainly worth a visit.
The most atmospheric part has to be the Nelson Packer Tank on the very bottom level which was created out of a decommissioned World War II naval fuel bunker.
The cavernous Tank Gallery beneath Naala Badu.Credit: Wolter Peeters
The Tank has since hosted exhibitions from artists including Adrian Villar Rojas, Louise Bourgeois and Angelica Mesiti, as well as gigs from high-profile musicians such as Kim Gordon, Andre 3000 and Solange.
Have a studious sip (with a view)
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This Library bar with picture perfect skyline views opened after the pandemic on the roof of the country’s oldest library, the State Library of New South Wales.
For bookish types it hosts a monthly trivia night, heavy on the literary questions, of course, and also serves up cocktails, craft beer and wine.
It’s also worth popping into the library beforehand to check out the sometimes overlooked Shakespeare Room, which boasts beautiful woodwork and stained glass windows, along with hundreds of books by and about the master playwright.
Relax in the lush garden that’s Sydney’s worst kept secret
No round-up of unusual spots in Sydney would be complete without what is, despite the name, possibly the city’s worst kept secret, Wendy’s Secret Garden.
The gorgeous Wendy’s Secret Garden was created by Wendy Whiteley, former wife of artist Brett Whiteley, in 1992 as she cleared the derelict railway land next to her home in Lavender Bay slowly transforming it into a magical paradise.
Harbour views at the perimeter of Wendy’s Secret Garden.Credit: Louie Douvis.
The lush garden is a firm favourite with all those who come to paint, snack or just soak up the serenity.
Unleash your inner nerd at a gamers’ paradise
Whether you’re an e-sports aficionado, or you take your tabletop gaming too seriously, Fortress Sydney will get your indoor adrenaline pumping.
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Conveniently located steps away from Central Station and above a variety of restaurant options, this inner-city hangout has fun on tap.
From weekly Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering and board game nights, to a fully stocked arcade, PC gaming lounge and folksy Tavern, this location has something for everyone.
Get a return ticket to travel history
The volunteer-run Sydney Bus Museum in Leichhardt is good wholesome fun even for those who don’t consider themselves transport aficionados.
Visitors can mosey around the large collection of old-fashioned vehicles which date all the way from the 1920s to the 1990s and are housed in a century-old tram shed.
Best of all, the entry fee includes a return ride on a vintage double-decker bus across the Anzac Bridge into the city. Open days happen on the first and third Sundays of each month.
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