Welcome listeners to Things to do in Sydney with your globe‑trotting sports nut mate, Oly Bennett. It’s Friday 9 January 2026, and Sydney is serving up a classic summer combo: hot, bright, beach‑ready weather with that salty harbour breeze that makes you want to call in sick… permanently.
The city’s vibe today? Think laid‑back sandals, post‑work drinks clinking in The Rocks, and a festival buzz humming through the CBD. Sydney Festival is in full swing, with Limelight Arts calling Post‑Orientalist Express at Roslyn Packer Theatre a “joyously provocative” dance‑theatre firecracker running through to 10 January. Opera Australia is turning the drama dial to maximum with Madama Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre, on now through March, according to City Hub. And for culture vultures with kids in tow, the Australian Museum’s RELICS: A New World Rises, created by LEGO Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler and running until 27 January 2026, is basically a nerdy playground of mini LEGO worlds.
Music fans, tonight you’ve got indie darling Paris Paloma playing City Recital Hall, as listed by Live Nation, bringing all the dramatic, poetic energy you need to belt your feelings in the dark with strangers. If theatre is more your sport, there’s a staging of Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind on this very Friday evening, according to a local theatre meetup listing, for those who like their drama intense and emotional rather than on the cricket pitch.
Swinging into local news: the City of Sydney leisure network is pushing its “Float to Survive” water‑safety message this summer, fronted by Bondi lifeguard Bruce “Hoppo” Hopkins. City of Sydney Leisure reports they’ve built this into Learn to Swim classes across their pools, which is your friendly reminder that if you’re hitting Bondi, Coogee, or Manly today, know your limits, float before you panic, and maybe let the pros handle the heroics.
Now, Oly’s playbook for your perfect Sydney day. Warm morning? Hit an early coastal walk from Bondi to Bronte, then reward yourself with a swim and a scandalously large brunch in Bondi. Midday, duck into the Australian Museum for that RELICS LEGO exhibition—excellent air‑con, excellent bricks. Late afternoon, wander Circular Quay, grab gelato, and people‑watch under the Opera House sails before rolling into Madama Butterfly or a Sydney Festival show. Night owls can chase it with cocktails in Newtown or a gig in the Inner West, where new live‑music spots like Elliott’s in Balmain are leaning into the city’s relaxed music laws with regular DJs and soul, funk, and blues weekends, according to Urban List.
Local tip from your honorary Sydney winger: ferries are the city’s secret budget harbour cruise. Tap on with your Opal card, grab a seat outside on the Manly or Taronga Zoo route, and you’ve got million‑dollar views for the price of a regular commute. And if a beach is flagged red and yellow, that’s not interior styling—that’s exactly where you should swim.
Before I sprint off to the next quirky competition, keep an eye on the weekend: Sydney Festival events ramp up, more harbour‑side parties pop off, and family‑friendly fun like kite‑flying festivals at Castle Hill Showground are on the horizon for Sunday, 11 January, promising massive kites, DJs, and food trucks, according to Eventbrite. Tune in tomorrow for more picks, fresh events, and a few more wild Sydney stories.
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