Spring is firmly in the air and summer is just around the corner, so pack away the Snuggie and switch off the TV, because November 2022 has a lot to offer.
From incredible art installations (free ones!) to theatre productions of treasured novels from your youth, there is something for everyone in this list. One of the best months for outdoor activities, there is plenty to do in the sunshine (or under the stars), so grab some pals, your S.O or the best option — take yourself out on a date night.
If you’ve never headed down to Circular Quay to see the Sydney Opera House sails lit up with art, you’re missing out. November is the perfect month for a first visit, with a new projection that will celebrate the work and stories of six female First Nations artists, created in collaboration with the Art Gallery of New South Wales to mark its 150th anniversary. Art will be displayed from sunset every day through November.
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Bennelong Point Sydney, from 1 November.
Loved the book in high school? Adored the film in the 2000s? Now, Melina Marchetta’s timeless coming-of-age story takes the stage as a new play by Vidya Rajan. It’s already getting rave reviews, but given it’s on for a limited time it’s worth buying tickets asap.
Belvoir St Theatre Surry Hills, 1 October - 6 November
Bondi’s famous sculpture walk is back for 2022, and makes for the perfect sunset date, weekend stroll or family-friendly outing. It really does it all. Cruise the Bondi-Bronte walk and you’ll find sculptures from the subtle and thought-provoking through to full installations that are often interactive. Want to beat the crowds? Head down early or at dusk, and pick a mid-week day.
Bondi to Tamarama from St Marks Park, 21 October - 7 November.
Visiting the Australian Museum is great at any age (even if you remember it from your teen years as a school excursion), but visiting and getting a proper guided tour is something else. On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, you can take an affordable tour of the museum’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander exhibitions led by a First Nations guide, who will explain the knowledge systems and sustainable practices behind items in the collections.
Australian Museum, Sydney, all of November
This dramatic opera is dark and emotional, making it a fantastic entry show for those not so versed in the opera scene. A revenge story, it follows Attila the Hun as he and his army sweep destruction across the country, until a warrior woman turns his head and reveals his weakness.
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Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney, 29 October - 5 November.
This has to be one of the most underrated events in Sydney. Across one weekend, you can gain access to some of the most historic and unique buildings in the city, from the Parliament of NSW to St James Church. Sunday city passes will let you into a wealth of architecturally meaningful buildings, but Saturday is the real win here – buy tickets to focus tours that money would not usually buy, like an evening tour of the historic Lindesay mansion and Woodlands, where Ethel Turner wrote the classic Seven Little Australians.
Across Sydney, 5 and 6 November.
The acclaimed book and film is now a play, and this modern horror story with a twist sounds like a real experience. Not across the story? The play follows Oskar, a lonely teenager who lives with his mother in a bleak apartment building on the edge of town. When he befriends Eli, who lives next door and never leaves her home, a series of grisly unexplained murders plague the neighbourhood and their friendship is seriously tested.
Darlinghurst Theatre, 12 October - 20 November
The newest library on the block, we know visiting a place of study isn’t usually considered a fun day out… but wait until you see this building. Spread across two floors of the newly-build Exchange building (designed by Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates), Darling Square Library has more than just books – there’s a huge collection of vintage video game consoles you can borrow, and the Ideas Lab holds free workshops.
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Darling Exchange Building Levels 1 - 2, Haymarket, all November
The latest musical to start performances in Sydney, Cinderella is taking over the Lyric Theatre from October, and the Tony Award-winning Rogers & Hammerstein show sounds right up any musical-lovers alley. Shubshri Kandiah (recently Princess Jasmine in Aladdin) takes on the role of Ella (Cinderella) with Ainsley Melham as Prince Topher and Silvie Paladino as the Fairy Godmother.
Lyric Theatre, Haymarket, from 25 October.
Now, check out all the best things to do in Sydney this December!
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