Events
From spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour to Vivid Sydney’s festival of light, music and ideas, Sydney stages wonderful events all year. Enjoy art festivals, musicals, sports, and celebrations of Australia’s heritage and diverse cultures. Beyond Sydney is a calendar full of events and festivals, including Surfest, the largest surfing festival in the Southern Hemisphere, held in Newcastle, north of Sydney.
Enjoy fantastic events in Sydney and NSW
Sydney stages spectacular events throughout the year. With fireworks and arts festivals, musicals and outdoor concerts, the beautiful harbour city enchants visitors. Beyond Sydney you’ll discover more enticing, even quirky, events.
Start your year with the dazzling New Year’s Eve fireworks display on Sydney Harbour. The Sydney Festival takes place in January with hundreds of local and international performances. Enjoy the spell-binding Handa Opera, staged on the harbour. Blockbuster musicals and concerts take place all year.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, a celebration of all things agricultural, attracts about 900,000 visitors each year. You can admire the livestock, taste NSW’s best fresh produce, admire country crafts and enjoy the thrills and spills of the rodeo in the main ring.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in February and March culminates with a glittering parade near the city centre. In May and June, Vivid Sydney illuminates the night sky with impressive light shows and the white sails of the Sydney Opera House provide a perfect canvas.
Beyond Sydney you’ll find festivals throughout the year. Two of the most popular are the Tamworth Country Music Festival in Tamworth and the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Byron Bay. You can even join a trainload of Elvis Presley impersonators and head for the Parkes Elvis Festival in country NSW.
Fans of sports will be enthralled by various football codes and international cricket. There’s also car racing, the Australian Open of Surfing, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and Sydney Running Festival, as well as tennis and golf tournaments.
Events and holidays that are important to Australia’s history, including Australia Day and ANZAC Day, are solemn yet joyful times, with parades and other public events on offer.