Sail through the cold winds of winter on the gentle swell of culture. We've got music to swoon to, art to decipher, incredible theatre and impossible science.

Set your course for Sydney. August ahoy. 

Free  

Image: Julie Rrap, Un-Becoming Monuments 

Until 12 August – A great shock of brilliant hairs thrilled the sky at City of Sydney Creative Studios. The spectacle of the firework celebrates and commemorates; this dazzling work by Emily Parsons-Lord lingers on the experience of witnessing an extraordinary event.

13 August – Daniel Joinbee: Indigenous aerospace trailblazer talk at University of NSW. From Far North Queensland to the lawns of the White House, proud Gunggandji man Daniel Joinbee has packed a lot into 35 years. 

Until 15 August – Julie Rapp: Un-Becoming Monuments at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery. The multimedia work of Julie Rrap is considered to have contributed to the foundations of contemporary feminist art in Australia.

15 August – Skate of Mind at Carriageworks. Free skateboarding workshops, skate JAM sessions and demonstrations, all guided by a team of pro skaters. Open to ages six and up.

16 August – Ancient Treasure – Contemporary Makers at Australian National Maritime Museum. A gathering and market of contemporary makers alongside Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard. Meet artists, hear their stories and explore the dialogue between ancient artefacts and contemporary practice.

18 August – Under Southern Skies Stargazing Evening at University of NSW. Spend an evening discovering the sky through telescopes, talks and a community of enthusiasts. 

19 August – Miles Nautu at Metro Social. Enjoy the smooth rnb/hiphop of this Aboriginal and Fijian producer and rapper from Melbourne. One to watch.

All month – Cherine Fahd: The Captains at Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. The MCA’s inaugural Art Commission brings the 12 leaders of the 2026 National Women’s Rugby League teams off the field and into the gallery. 

All month – Live music at Phoenix Central Park. Enter the ballot and enjoy the musical lucky dip, with performances from Rafet, Huda the Goddess x Ruben Lewis, Mouseatouille and Mara. 

All month – Brett Whitely: Coming Home at Brett Whitely Studios. The newly renovated Brett Whiteley Studio has just re-opened with Brett Whiteley: Coming Home, an exhibition showcasing ambitious works produced by Whiteley during the 1970s. 

Music 

Image: Dire Straits

8 August – Grace Cummings at the Metro Theatre. Touring her powerful new album Bloodhorse, this Melbourne singer-songwriter commands the stage like no other. 

9 August – Massive Attack at Afterpay Arena. Bristol trip-hop heroes bring out their best. 

12 August – Parkway Drive at The Enmore. Beloved theatrical thrashers return to rock the f**k out for the anniversary of their album Horizons. 

12-15 August – Orchestral Dances with Håkan Hardenberger at Sydney Opera House. Explore the world of dance in this expressive and engaging concert featuring enigmatic trumpet soloist Håkan Hardenberger.

14 August – 1tbsp at Liberty Hall. This Meanjin producer creates glossy, hyper-coloured landscapes where reggaeton drums collide with toy-box synths, club music sparkles with pop and every release feels like a portal to somewhere new.

15 August – 3-WAY at Leichardt venues. DIY Punk Festival across three Leichardt venues: Crowbar, Gifts of Mercy and Jura Books.

15 August – Second Idol at Botany View Hotel. Informed by feminism, queerness and postcolonialism, stridently determined rock outfit Second Idol is a band for outsiders.

21 August – Jeff Lang and Dom Turner at Camelot Lounge. Two giants of the Australian roots scene join forces for an electrifying on-stage jam. Let the guitars fly. 

25 August – The Dire Straits Experience at Sydney Opera House. Band member Chris White gathers an all-star internation ensemble to play the greatest hits. 

27-29 August – The Cat Empire supported by Sydney Symphony Orchestra at Sydney Opera House. A joyous and uplifting party soudntracked by the Cat Empire's finest tunes reimagined with the might of an orchestra. 

28-29 August – Octave One at Oxford Art Factory. Time to dance. Detroit techno royalty lands at the factory. 

Theatre, Cabaret & Opera

Image: Rigoletto

13-15 August – Dita Von Teese: Nocturnel at the State Theatre. The ever-reigning Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, returns to Australia and New Zealand with her most opulent show yet.

Until 15 August – Griffin Theatre's Lacuna at Belvoir Downstairs. An epic underworld dive into family, forgetting and the dire consequences of commodifying the divine.

Until 16 August – Bennelong in London at Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre. Guy Simon (The Tempest, The Visitors) and Googoorewon Knox (Hamilton, Big Name, No Blankets) star in this time-bending drama from Sydney Theatre Company. 

Until 18 August – The Merry Widow at Sydney Opera House. Opera Australia presents a “shimmering all-singing, all-dancing Broadway-style show” (The Sydney Morning Herald), packed with familiar waltzes and tuneful melodies.

Until 21 August – Rigoletto at Sydney Opera House. Glamorous, sensational, cinematic. This Verde blockbuster has everything you want in an opera. 

From 22 August – The Book of Everything at Belvoir St Theatre. A beloved family production and book-adaptation returns, directed by Neil Armfield. 

Until 29 August – Late Night Vice at the Grand Electric. From the creators of Blanc de Blanc, Encore and Limbo, comes Late Night Vice: an unhinged and wickedly funny cocktail-drenched fever dream.