The Best Free Things to Do in Sydney This Week
Zero dollar shenanigans await.
Sydney may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but that doesn't mean folks don't put things on for free. If you know where to look (i.e. right here), you'll find free art, free classes. free parties — and sometimes even free wine. So swallow your disdain for crowds and curb your complaints about people who only go to exhibition openings for the complimentary drinks and get amongst these events, which you can attend gloriously cash-free.
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Event
Witty & Whippy Van
Sat, 27 Feb, 2021
North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, North Bondi
You can score a colourful free soft serve at two Sydney beaches this weekend.
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Oxtravaganza 2021
Fri, 19 Feb - Sun, 7 Mar 2021
Oxford Street and surrounding areas, Darlinghurst
Oxford Street businesses are still celebrating the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in a big way.
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Event
Bayram Ali
Tue, 9 Feb - Sun, 18 Apr 2021
Powerhouse Museum, Ultimo
Turkish-Cypriot immigrant Bayram Ali captured the Snowy Mountains' hydroelectric engineering in the 1950s–70s — see his 35 millimetre prints in this photographic exhibition.
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Art After Hours
Wed, 24 Feb, 2021
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Wednesday night's extended opening hours means you can see a film, grab a bite to eat and explore the galleries after dark.
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Culture Up Late at State Library of NSW
Wed, 17 Feb - Thu, 1 Apr 2021
State Library of NSW, Sydney
Swap midweek drinks for a late-night visit to the library.
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World Bartender Day 2021
Wed, 17 Feb - Wed, 31 Mar 2021
Grain, Sydney
Mark the annual celebration by sipping inventive cocktails — or creating your own at home.
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Welcome to Marrakesh at The Grounds
Fri, 5 Feb - Sun, 18 Apr 2021
The Grounds of Alexandria, Alexandria
The Grounds of Alexandria has given its garden a Moroccan-inspired makeover — and it's serving up Moroccan dessert boards, too.
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Assembly Label Choose-What-You-Pay Sale 2021
Mon, 1 Feb - Sun, 28 Feb 2021
Online
Nab some new summer threads at up to 50 percent off.
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Event
Steam Dreams: The Japanese Public Bath
Fri, 12 Feb - Sat, 22 May 2021
The Japan Foundation, Sydney, Chippendale
This exhibition explores Japan's communal bathing culture.
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The Rocks Goes Pop
Sun, 27 Dec 2020 - Sun, 28 Feb 2021
The Rocks
Get your cultural kicks at The Rocks this summer with this series of pop-up events.
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Event
Unfinished Business: The Art of Gordon Bennett
Sat, 7 Nov 2020 - Sun, 21 Mar 2021
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
This QAGOMA exhibition features both familiar and unseen works by the famed Queensland artist.
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Event
Pat Larter
Sat, 14 Nov 2020 - Sun, 21 Mar 2021
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
See the career-spanning first solo exhibition from one of the leading voices in the ‘femail’ art movement.
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Brett Whiteley: Feathers and Flight
Thu, 4 Jun 2020 - Fri, 4 Jun 2021
Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills
Take a stickybeak into the famed Australian artist’s love of feathered creatures.
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Lindy Lee Exhibition Events at MCA
Sat, 31 Oct 2020 - Sun, 28 Feb 2021
MCA, Sydney
Meditate alongside the celebrated artist, join in a sunset sketch session and head on a guided tour of the MCA's blockbuster summer exhibition.
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Japanese Film Festival Classics Program
Tue, 2 Feb - Wed, 3 Mar 2021
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Watch weird, wonderful, surreal and subversive Japanese classics for free.
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Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop
Fri, 2 Oct 2020 - Sun, 28 Feb 2021
MCA, Sydney
The celebrated Australian Chinese artist is taking over Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art with more than 70 ethereal, vibrant and thought-provoking works.
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Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now
Fri, 13 Nov 2020 - Sun, 4 Jul 2021
National Gallery of Australia, Parkes
This summer, catch the NGA's blockbuster exhibition that's bringing women into the spotlight.
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Event
Kings Cross Weekend Markets
Multiple single dates
Kings Cross Organic Food Market, Potts Point
A weekend morning cornucopia of organic veggies, fruit, cheese and international dishes, plus fashion, homewares, books and more.