27 of the best · Sydney, Australia
The Art Gallery of New South Wales, the MCA, the White Rabbit Gallery, the Sydney Symphony under the sails, the theatres of Walsh Bay and Surry Hills, the cinemas and the festivals.
Our 27 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated November 2026
Browse by type
Three Sydney moments we keep going back to: the Manly ferry out of Circular Quay, the cliff walk from Bondi to Bronte in the early morning, and a tour inside the Opera House.
Naala Nura and Naala Badu
The state’s great collection in two buildings in the Domain; open late on Wednesdays.
Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
On Circular Quay
Contemporary art in an art deco building on the western side of Circular Quay.
140 George Street, The Rocks NSW 2000Explore View on map
Chinese contemporary art
Judith Neilson’s collection of 21st-century Chinese art, at 30 Balfour Street.
30 Balfour Street, Chippendale NSW 2008Explore View on map
The galleries, the Opera House and the stages.
The back story
The Art Gallery of New South Wales and its new building, the MCA at Circular Quay, Chinese contemporary art in Chippendale, the Sydney Symphony under the sails and the theatres of Walsh Bay: the arts in Sydney.
Visual arts
The state’s collections, from the Domain to the university and Parramatta.
Naala Nura and Naala Badu
The state’s great collection in two buildings in the Domain; open late on Wednesdays.
Art Gallery Road, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
Australia’s first museum
Wildlife, dinosaurs, First Nations and Pasifika cultures, opposite Hyde Park.
1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010Explore View on map
Ships at the wharf
Australia’s museum of the sea, with ships to board at Darling Harbour.
At the University of Sydney
The University of Sydney’s public museum of art, antiquities and natural history.
First Government House
A museum built over the remains of Sydney’s first Government House.
Opens 7 November 2026
The Powerhouse’s new museum on the Parramatta River, opening 7 November 2026.
Contemporary art at the Quay, in Chippendale and in the old railway workshops.
The painter’s workplace
The Surry Hills studio and home of the painter Brett Whiteley.
2 Raper Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010Explore View on map
The railway workshops
A creative hub in the 1880s Eveleigh railway workshops; farmers market on Saturdays.
On Circular Quay
Contemporary art in an art deco building on the western side of Circular Quay.
140 George Street, The Rocks NSW 2000Explore View on map
Chinese contemporary art
Judith Neilson’s collection of 21st-century Chinese art, at 30 Balfour Street.
30 Balfour Street, Chippendale NSW 2008Explore View on map
Utzon’s sails, the convict barracks, the Bridge and the QVB.
UNESCO convict site
The convict barracks of 1819 on Macquarie Street, now an immersive museum.
Queens Square, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
The galleries on George Street
Three levels of galleries under a glass roof and domes on George Street.
455 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
Opened 1932
The great steel arch over the harbour, opened on 19 March 1932; climb it with BridgeClimb.
UNESCO World Heritage
Utzon’s sails on Bennelong Point: guided tours in seven languages, backstage and architectural tours.
Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000Explore View on map
Performing arts
The Sydney Symphony under the sails, and chamber music in Angel Place.
In the Concert Hall
The city’s orchestra, in the Concert Hall of the Opera House, with Simone Young.
Walsh Bay’s wharf, the Roslyn Packer and Belvoir in Surry Hills.
Upstairs and Downstairs
One of Australia’s celebrated theatre companies, in Surry Hills.
The Wharf and the Roslyn Packer
The city’s theatre company, at the Wharf in Walsh Bay, the Drama Theatre and the Roslyn Packer Theatre.
The national opera company, in the Opera House.
A film bar in Surry Hills and a 1930s picture palace in Randwick; see also Sydney on film.
In the old screening room
A small cinema and bar in the Paramount House building, with seasons and repertory films.
The 1930s picture palace
The art deco picture palace at 45 St Pauls Street, Randwick.
45 St Pauls Street, Randwick NSW 2031Explore View on map
The great reading room on Macquarie Street.
The Mitchell reading room
The state library on Macquarie Street, with the great reading room of the Mitchell wing.
Folk & cultural traditions
Resin from Sydney, felt hats from Kempsey.
Resin and colour
The Sydney design house of resin homewares and jewellery, in the Strand Arcade and Paddington.
Light in winter, sculpture in spring, the arts in summer.
On the coastal walk
Sculptures along the coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama each spring.
Every January
The city’s summer festival of theatre, music, dance and art, first held in 1977.
28 May–19 June 2027
The festival of light, music and ideas that lights the Opera House sails each winter.
