The Sydney year
January
Sydney Festival
Three weeks of music, visual arts, theatre, food and film on Sydney's streets. The festival brings together the best international artists and performers in genres from opera to hip hop.
View the Sydney Festival website (opens an external site).
Australia Day
A national public holiday, Australia Day means summer, beach, barbeque and friends.
Chinese New Year
Home to Australia's largest Chinese community, Sydney celebrates Chinese New Year on a grand scale.
February
Tropfest Film Festival
Attracting more than 70,000 people to its outdoor screenings, Tropfest features the cream of Australian short filmmakers. 2004 winner, Adam Elliot, went on to take the Academy Award for best animated short.
View the Tropfest Film Festival website (opens an external site).
March
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The biggest gay and lesbian festival in the world, the Mardi Gras attracts participants from around the globe and an audience of hundreds of thousands.
View the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras website (opens an external site).
April
Royal Easter Show
For two weeks over Easter the country comes to the city in Australia's largest celebration of rural culture, food, music and tradition.
View the Royal Easter Show website (opens an external site).
May
Australian Fashion Week
Australian and international designers converge in Sydney for a week of runway shows, fashion launches and parties.
View the Australian Fashion Week website (opens an external site).
Sydney Writers' Festival
For one week every May, some of the world's leading public intellectuals, writers, scientists and journalists come together for this great literary event in Sydney. Over 300 events (half of them for free) are offered in venues that stretch from the Festival hub at Walsh Bay to the Blue Mountains.
View the Sydney Writers' Festival website (opens an external site).
June
Sydney Film Festival
The second longest running film festival in the world, the Sydney Film Festival takes over cinemas across Sydney for the month of June.
View the Sydney Film Festival website (opens an external site).
July/August
Biennale of Sydney
Galleries, gardens and landmarks across the city exhibit the latest in contemporary art and performance from around the world.
View the Biennale of Sydney website (opens an external site).
City to Surf
The largest timed fun run in the world, with over 85,000 Sydneysiders following some of the world's finest athletes along the streets from the city centre to Bondi beach.
View the City to Surf website (opens an external site).
September
Football Finals Series
Rugby League, Union, Aussie Rules and Soccer grand finals attract hundreds of thousands of loyal and colourful spectators.
Earthdance Festival
On one Sunday every September Sydney Technology Park, a short bus ride from UTS, hosts the Earthdance Festival, a massive local version of the international dance festival promoting global peace. The popular, free event features live bands and dance music, markets and cultural workshops.
View the Earthdance Festival website (opens an external site).
November
Sculpture by the Sea
Australia's largest annual outdoor exhibition of contemporary sculpture staged along Sydney's spectacular Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk. Each year the exhibition, which attracts over 300,000 visitors, exhibits approximately 100 works by Australian and international artists.
View the Sculpture by the Sea website (opens an external site).
Newtown Festival
The near-by student friendly suburb of Newtown hosts an annual Festival every November to raise money for the community centre. For a small donation, visitors can experience a wide variety of entertainment, including live rock, reggae and dance music, food and clothing markets, seminars with famous writers and art workshops.
December
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
One of the most celebrated Ocean yacht races in the world kicks off each December in spectacular form.
View the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race website (opens an external site).
New Years Eve in Sydney
Sydney explodes with fireworks, street parties and music. The harbour and city centre comes alive with one of the biggest and best fireworks displays in the world.
View the City of Sydney's New Years Eve website (opens an external site).
