The Activities, Music and Culture to Catch in Sydney This Easter Long Weekend

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The long weekend is just around the corner and, really, it couldn't come sooner. Especially since this upcoming break is brought to you by Easter — a time where eating chocolate eggs and hot cross buns morning, noon and night is completely acceptable. But if you're looking to fill yourself up with something other than sweets, we've tracked down where you can have a bit of competitive fun, get a big ol' dose of culture and catch a live music gig. Also, if you're looking for all of the above in one spot, plus heaps of food and some cute baby animals, then you should set your sights on the Sydney Royal Easter Show. A classic, the Show returns to Sydney complete with heaps of rides (over 100), all sorts of carnival eats (from meat pie doughnuts to fried cheesecake) and a whole menagerie of animals (from puppies competing for the Best Baby Puppy award to prized pigs to a whole indoor paddock full of baby farm animals for you to cuddle). If you call Sydney home and haven't gone to the Sydney Royal Easter Show yet, then this is your time. So plan to hit the Show at least once this year and keep the Easter good fun flowing at one of these joints below.

A BIT OF FUN (AND COMPETITION)

While the joys of Easter egg hunts may have dwindled with the last years of your childhood, the competition that came from finding the most (and best) chocolates has mostly like not. So, we've tracked down where you can enjoy a bit of friendly competition this long weekend.

9 DEGREES ALEXANDRIA

Friday: 9am–10pm; Saturday: 8am–10pm; Sunday, Monday: 9am–10pm

9 DEGREES LANE COVE AND PARRAMATTA

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 9am–10pm

ARCHIE BROTHERS CIRQUE ELECTRIQ

Friday: 12pm—12am, Saturday: 10am—12am, Sunday: 10am—10pm, Monday: 12pm-11pm

BUBBLE SOCCER

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: by appointment

ENDURO

Friday, Saturday: 9am-10pm, Sunday, Monday: 10am-8pm

FLIP OUT CASTLE HILL 

Friday: 10am —10pm, Saturday: 9am—10pm, Monday: 10am-8pm

NOMAD ROCK CLIMBING

Friday: 6.30am—10pm; Saturday, Sunday: 8am—9pm; Monday: 6.30am—10pm

OLYMPIC PARK, SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 8.30am—late, fireworks conclude at 9pm, Showbag Pavilion closes at 9.30pm

SKYPEAK

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 11am—4pm

SKYZONE

Friday, Saturday: 9am—10pm; Sunday: 9am—8pm

ST PETERS CLIMBING GYM

Friday, Saturday: 9.30pm—9pm, Sunday, Monday: 9.30am—7pm

STRIKE BOWLING AND LASER TAG

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 11am—2am; Monday: 11am—10pm

TIMEZONE CENTRAL PARK

Friday, Saturday: 10am—12am, Sunday, Monday: 10am—11pm

A DOSE OF CULTURE

A long weekend is the best time to break free from routine weekend activities. It's the perfect occasion to visit the exhibitions and creative spaces that have fallen prey to "I'll go at some point" that often accompanies Saturday mornings. Whether you're strolling the galleries in the AGNSW or lounging in a vintage theatre watching Dead Poets Society at Golden Age Cinema, this Easter weekend there's plenty on to help you feel like the cultured cosmopolitan you are.

ART GALLERY NSW

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 10am—5pm

ARTSPACE

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 11am—6pm

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 9.30am—5pm

BRETT WHITELY STUDIO

Saturday, Sunday: 10am—4pm

CARRIAGEWORKS

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 10am—6pm (The National: New Australian Art); Saturday: 12pm—6pm (Mark Shorter Performance)

CASULA POWERHOUSE

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 9am —5pm

COOEE ART GALLERY (BONDI AND PADDINGTON)

Friday, Saturday: 10am—5pm

GOLDEN AGE CINEMA

Saturday: 2.30pm—late (Free Solo, The Kindergarten Teacher, Dead Poets Society plus performances by Mimi Gilbert and Reddenhollow)

MCA

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 10am—5pm

MUSEUM OF SYDNEY

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 10am—5pm

POWERHOUSE

Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 10am—5pm

WHITE RABBIT GALLERY

Saturday, Sunday: 10am—5pm

WORK-SHOP

Sunday: 10am (Welding for Beginners); Monday: 6pm (Djembe Drumming for Noobs) and 7.30pm (Ukulele for Noobs)

A NIGHT (OR DAY) OF LIVE MUSIC

Despite recent happenings, Sydney still has a mix of live music venues scattered around town. Hunt down a nearby music hall and to sate your music cravings this weekend. From inner west music festival's tenth anniversary to dancing it out in everyone's favourite late-night pizzeria, Sydney is turning up the volume this Easter for your listening pleasure.

BAD FRIDAY 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Friday: 1pm

CAMELOT LOUNGE

Saturday: 9pm (Malo Malo and The Aretha Franklin Songbook)

ENMORE THEATRE

Saturday: 7.30pm (Parliament Funkadelic featuring George Clinton); Sunday: 8pm (Snarky Puppy)

FRANKIE'S PIZZA

Friday: 12pm—3am; Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 4pm—3am

THE LANSDOWNE

Saturday: 8pm (Philadelphia Grand Jury), Monday: 12pm—3am

METRO THEATRE

Saturday: 8pm (Nahko & Medicine for the People), Sunday: 8pm (Evolve Origin)

OXFORD ART FACTORY

Saturday: 8pm (Gasper Sanz), Sunday: 10.45pm (Twenty Three), Monday: 10pm (LOOSE ENDS Easter Sunday Party)

SODA FACTORY

Friday: 5pm—10pm, Saturday: 6pm—2am, Sunday: 6pm—3am, Monday: 5pm–late

THE IMPERIAL IN ERSKINEVILLE

Friday, Saturday: 11.30am—3am; Sundays: 11.30am—12am, Monday: 4pm—12am

OLD 505 THEATRE

Friday, Saturday: 8pm-late

THE VANGUARD

Saturday: 7pm—1am

VIC ON THE PARK

Friday: 11am—10pm, Saturday: 10am—3am, Sunday: 11am—10pm, Monday: 11am—10pm

WAYWARDS AT THE BANK

Friday: 11am—10pm, Saturday: 11am—late, Sunday: 12pm—12am