Your A to Z guide to the very best things to do in Sydney this winter

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Your A to Z guide to the very best things to do in Sydney this winter

By Lenny Ann Low

Glowing nights are the heart of Vivid, with the Light Walk stretching eight kilometres from the Sydney Opera House to Central Station.Credit: Anna Kucera

Pull on a woolly beanie for glowing lights, cherry blossoms and ice-skating, plus plays, music, films and festivals for every Sydney culture-lover in winter.

A is for art

The prized pinnacle of Australian portraiture, the Archibald, alongside the equally cherished Wynne and Sulman prizes (Art Gallery of NSW, until August 28), offers works by 115 artists in various mediums. Ogle likenesses of artist Patricia Piccinini, journalist Laura Tingle, drag performer Courtney Act, Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott and Packing Room prize-winner, filmmaker Taika Waititi (NZ-born, yes, yes) and works by artists including Wendy Sharpe, Yvette Coppersmith, Anh Do, Blak Douglas, Vincent Namatjira and Kathrin Longhurst. Don’t miss S.H. Ervin Gallery’s alternative selection, Salon de Refuses (until July 24).

Clockwise, from main: Kim Leutwyler ‘Courtney and Shane’, oil on canvas, 102 x 76.3 cm © the artist; Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival; Supanova Comic Con and Gaming is one for Marvel fans.

Clockwise, from main: Kim Leutwyler ‘Courtney and Shane’, oil on canvas, 102 x 76.3 cm © the artist; Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival; Supanova Comic Con and Gaming is one for Marvel fans.Credit: AGNSW/Mim Stirling, Supplied, Marvel Studios

B is for blooms

Flowers? In winter? Go forth petal-lovers to Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival (Auburn Botanic Gardens, August 20-28), NSW’s largest flower festival, featuring thousands of flourishing buds, Japanese music, pop culture and fusion food, with on-site Izakaya bar.

C is for comic books

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Grab Thor’s hammer, slip on a Spider-Man suit and charter your invisible plane to Supanova Comic Con and Gaming (Sydney Showground, June 18-19), a two-day pop culture fan fiesta of fan-clubs and exhibitors celebrating comics, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and gaming.

D is for dinner

Nosh up at the inaugural Vivid Sydney Dinner (the Ivy Ballroom, June 4), with a table menu created by Mr. Wong’s Dan Hong and Totti’s Mike Eggert, talks by journalist Julia Baird and artist Ken Done and music from trumpeter James Morrison and actor, writer and singer Virginia Gay.

Clockwise from main: Dan Hong has created the menu for Vivid Sydney Dinner; Bangarra’s SandSong plays at the Opera House; Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (starring Austin Butler in the title role) is coming to the Sydney Film Festival.

Clockwise from main: Dan Hong has created the menu for Vivid Sydney Dinner; Bangarra’s SandSong plays at the Opera House; Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (starring Austin Butler in the title role) is coming to the Sydney Film Festival.Credit: Louie Douvis, Daniel Boud, Hugh Stewart/Warner Bros

E is for Eora Nation

Bangarra Dance Theatre traverses the desert homelands of the Walmajarri in SandSong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert (Sydney Opera House, June 30 to July 23). Gather with artists, designers and makers from community-owned art centres around Australia at the third annual National Indigenous Art Fair (Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, July 2-3).

F is for films

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Fill up the soup flask for the 69th Sydney Film Festival (June 8-19, multiple venues) for acclaimed Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton’s feature debut Blaze, Baz Luhrmann’s high-octane portrait of the King, Elvis, and multi-award-winning Geelong theatre company Back to Back theatre’s film debut, Shadow. Don’t miss the German Film Festival (Palace Norton and Central, the Chauvel, until June 19) or the Children’s International Film Festival (Ritz Cinemas, until June 13) for kids aged 3-16.

G is for guitar licks

Trailblazing Sydney punks the Hard-Ons (The Factory, June 2), with new lead singer Tim Rogers, dig into 40 years of thrash before New York City art-punk indie rockers, the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs (The Hordern, July 24), led by vocalist, pianist and style maven Karen O, arrive, and lo-fi garage rockers the Strokes (Hordern Pavilion, July 28, 29).

Clockwise from main: Albert Hammond jnr of The Strokes; Haiku Hands; Disney on Ice features characters from the animated hit Frozen.

Clockwise from main: Albert Hammond jnr of The Strokes; Haiku Hands; Disney on Ice features characters from the animated hit Frozen.Credit: Amy Harris/Invision/AP, Supplied, Disney

H is for harmony

Melodies abound at Tumbalong Nights (Tumbalong Park, until June 18), Vivid’s curated music program featuring Hot Potato Band, Haiku Hands, Jezabels frontwoman Hayley Mary, The More Please Orchestra and more.

I is for ice-skating

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Polish your lutz jump at the Bondi Festival (Bondi Beach, July 1-17), a 17-day seaside theatre, comedy and music festival with an all-ages ice rink, 32-metre high Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel and art and theatre pop-ups. Keep skating at Chill Fest Campbelltown (Koshigaya Park, July 1-17), or watch icy extravaganza Disney on Ice: Into the Magic (Sydney Olympic Park, July 13-17) with characters from Frozen, Moana, Coco, Tangled and Beauty and the Beast singing and dancing on skates.

J is for jousting

Battle for glory and honour at Winterfest Sydney Medieval Fair (Hawkesbury Showground, July 2,3) amid lance-bearing knights, archery contests, Vikings combat, 14th-century medicine and medieval banquets.

Clockwise from main: the Winterfest Sydney Medieval Fair; The Twits; Celeste Barber.

Clockwise from main: the Winterfest Sydney Medieval Fair; The Twits; Celeste Barber.Credit: Wolter Peeters, Supplied, Simon Schluter

K is for kids

Enter the smelly, mean, dirty trick universe of Road Dahl’s The Twits (Sydney Opera House, July 2-17) or pratfall with the best at Let’s Make A Circus Show (SOH, July 10-16), a Flying Fruit Fly Circus’ workshop.

L is for laughs

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The temperature’s no joke, so crack funnies with these homegrown gag-meisters: Celia Pacquola and Luke McGregor lead mini-comedy festival Let’s Laugh (Sydney Opera House, June 1-2); invincible Instagram parody star Celeste Barber scorches pretension in Fine, Thanks (State Theatre, June 2); Sam Simmons bends carefully in The Knees Show (Sydney Opera House, June 2-3); Geraldine Hickey presents Now I’ve Got A Boat (Sydney Opera House, June 3); and Dan Ilic’s satirical podcast celebrates 10 Years of a Rational Fear! (Sydney Opera House, June 4). Award-winner Rhys Nicholson returns with Rhys! Rhys! (Comedy Store, July 7-8); Lano and Woodley debut Moby Dick (Enmore Theatre, July 8-9; Concourse, July 15-16) and Judith Lucy and Denise Scott are Still Here (Enmore June 10 and July 10; Concourse, June 11-12).

M is for musicals

Take a spoonful of theatre magic at Mary Poppins (Lyric Theatre, until July 17), swoon with star-crossed lovers Christian and Satine in Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Capitol Theatre, until September 25), croon Britney, *NSYNC and Goo Goo Dolls at Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical (State Theatre, June 30 to July 10) or sit ringside as Dubbo Championship Wrestling moves to Parramatta (Riverside Theatre, June 16-25). Still time to catch An American in Paris (Theatre Royal, until July 2).

Clockwise from main: Des Flanagan and Alinta Chidzey star in Moulin Rouge! The Musical; James Valentine and HG Nelson; Stacey Alleaume stars in La Traviata.

Clockwise from main: Des Flanagan and Alinta Chidzey star in Moulin Rouge! The Musical; James Valentine and HG Nelson; Stacey Alleaume stars in La Traviata.Credit: Daniel Boud, Supplied, Opera Australia

N is for neighbourhood

The Even Greater Sydney Planning Committee (NSW Parliament House, June 8-9), helmed by writer and comedian HG Nelson and broadcaster James Valentine, join Vivid to reinforce our city’s future: Plan. Build. Demolish. Repeat.

O is for opera

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Tragedy, large wigs, blisteringly impossible love – Opera Australia’s winter season delivers Graeme Murphy’s production of Madama Butterfly (Sydney Opera House, June 29 to July 30); Stacey Alleaume as Violetta in La Traviata (SOH, July 5 to November 4); Il Trovatore (SOH, July 15-30); Great Opera Hits (SOH, July 17-October 30) and Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera (SOH, August 19 to October 16).

P is for politics

Watch Aaron Sorkin, master of gripping political dramas (The West Wing, A Few Good Men), chat with ABC 7:30 presenter Leigh Sales about mirroring real life on screen (State Theatre, June 1) before exploring Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s home suburb, Marrickville, on the Inner West Ale Trail, a celebration of 11 independent craft breweries (daily, innerwestaletrail.com.au).

Clockwise from main: Leigh Sales; Porcelain Alice; indulge in French cheese at the Bastille Festival.

Clockwise from main: Leigh Sales; Porcelain Alice; indulge in French cheese at the Bastille Festival.Credit: Peter Brew Bevan, Louie Douvis, Getty Images/iStockphoto

Q is for queer

Celebrate Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ history at Queer Sydney: Powerhouse Late x Vivid Ideas (Powerhouse Museum, June 16), a sequinned cavalcade of queer talks, short films, archival footage and photos, disco hoofing and a fashion parade featuring Cindy Pastel, Tacky Onassis, Porcelain Alice, Sexy Galexy and more.

R is for réjouissance

French for revelry and the basis of the 8th Bastille Festival (The Rocks, Circular Quay, July 14-17), four days of fine cheese, wine, bread, pastries and meats alongside live music, art and markets. Très grand.

S is for stage

Escape the cold with fiery, warming, heated and sultry theatre works for every palette. Catch Merlynn Tong’s Singapore money and gangster drama Golden Blood (Griffin, June 24 to July 30); MTC’s Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Belvoir, June 2 to July 10), Kunst’s Horses (25A, Belvoir Downstairs, June 15-25); bonnet-drama The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Roslyn Packer Theatre, June 21 to July 16), Ewen Leslie in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde (Roslyn Packer Theatre, August 3 to September 3), Bell Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors (SOH, August 17 to September 17) and schoolteacher black comedy Chalkface (Drama Theatre, September 15 to October 29).

Clockwise from main: Merlynn Tong stars in Golden Blood; the NSW National Indigenous Tennis Carnival includes coaching and match play; Lauren Brincat’s Tutti Presto fff.

Clockwise from main: Merlynn Tong stars in Golden Blood; the NSW National Indigenous Tennis Carnival includes coaching and match play; Lauren Brincat’s Tutti Presto fff.

T is for tennis

A celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, through tennis, the NSW National Indigenous Tennis Carnival (Sydney Olympic Park, June 4, 5) is a free event featuring coaching, match play and cultural actives. Open to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders people who play tennis at local or competitive level.

U is for undulating

Artist Lauren Brincat releases 190-square-metres of flowing, floating, pulsingly colourful silk fabric in Tutti Presto fff (Sydney Opera House steps, June 3-4), a mammoth moving sculpture accompanied by drummers, for Vivid.

V is for Vivid

The heart of the wintry festival is glowing nights. Stroll the Light Walk (Sydney Foreshore, until June 18) the longest continuous illumination trail in Vivid’s history, stretching eight kilometres from the Sydney Opera House to Central Station. Guidance comes from more than 200 LED sculptural birds, part of artist Chris Daniel’s Future Natives installation.

Clockwise from main: Chris Daniel’s Future Natives installation; Tinseltown; GLOW at Sydney Zoo.

Clockwise from main: Chris Daniel’s Future Natives installation; Tinseltown; GLOW at Sydney Zoo.

W is for winter solstice

The shortest day, the longest night, time for nature and rejuvenation at the Winter Solstice Festival (Camperdown Commons, June 18), a free get-together featuring lawn sack races, a produce market, compost and growing greens workshops and a tour of the Pocket City farm.

X is for X-mas

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It’s cold! Play Christmas games, sing Yuletide tunes and sip mulled wine at Tinseltown (Entertainment Quarter, July 6-31), a Christmas-themed pop-up bar with family-friendly sessions. Prizes abound for ugliest Christmas jumper.

Y is for yarn

Revel in cable stitch and loosely twisted skeins at the Craft & Quilt Fair Sydney (Sydney Olympic Park, June 29 to July 3), a woollen wonderland of knitters, quilters and embroiderers.

Z is for zoo

Pining for more nighttime illumination? Sydney Zoo’s Glow (Bungarribee, until June 18) twinkles with giant glimmering animal sculptures, kinetic light swings, a glowing golf course, a 12-metre light tunnel, a shimmering ferris wheel and a UV light safari.

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