November 29, 2022
26 mins Read
With such a breadth of things going on around the country during December, it can sometimes get a little overwhelming to separate the champs from the chumps. To help you out, we have collated a guide of the best-goings-on for the month of December (and the best ways to spend your New Year’s Eve), helping you plan your calendar accordingly. Enjoy.
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Bringing back the chuckles with a spectacular line-up of international and local stars, the Just for Laughs festival is taking over the Sydney Opera House, Enmore Theatre, Factory Theatre, and more for a tenth-anniversary shindig that is set to be the most hilarious yet.
With the return of international comedians to Australian stages, Eric Idle, Alan Carr, Sandi Toksvig, Rob Beckett, Vir Das, Nish Kumar, Nurse Blake, Urzila Carlson, Melanie Bracewell, Jay Pharoah, and Rhys James will be joining in on the fun. Wait no more and grab your tickets now for a night of pure laughter.
From Pittwater to Cronulla, Christmas markets will be the places to shop this year when Cambridge Markets brings three major events to Sydney this festive season in beautiful locations from Sydney’s north to south.
Shoppers will find beautiful festive goods ranging from wrapping paper and Christmas cards to puddings, Christmas cakes, trees, ornaments, wreaths, ribbons, decorations, table settings, crackers, and plenty more.
The three mega markets are Glebe Christmas Market in Bi-Centennial Park, Glebe on Saturday 3 December, the Ultimate Christmas Market EQ in Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park on Sunday 4 December, and the Pittwater Christmas Market in Winnererremy Bay, Mona Vale on Saturday 17 December.
A nod to Japanese listening rooms, Rekōdo Restaurant & Vinyl Bar blurs the lines between food, drink, and music, creating an immersive and unique culinary experience. This December, local dance-pop outfit Lazywax will curate all sounds of summer.
From old-school 70’s disco and funk to contemporary house classics, Lazywax will draw on their broad knowledge of dance music to curate a lunch, dinner, and after’s playlist guaranteed to get the dance floor moving. This exclusive playlist will be played between live vinyl DJs performing from Thursday to Sunday.
Hit play and secure your booking for a fusion of cultural and sonic experiences at Rekōdo this summer.
Madagascar is breaking out of the zoo and onto the stage for the Australian Premiere at Sydney Coliseum Theatre during these December school holidays!
Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar The Musical follows all those favourite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.
This brand-new musical from DreamWorks will leave audiences with no choice but to ‘move it, move it’. Tickets are on sale here.
Experience Sydney’s new action-packed summer opera with famous tunes, spectacular dances, and fireworks with Carmen on Cockatoo Island. The ultimate femme fatale is back in a brand-new island performance in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
Revel in the irresistible Spanish tunes, sultry story and dark undercurrent of Carmen. You’ll hear the flirty Habanera and famous Toreador song amid a spectacle that features motorbike stunts, crashed cars and nightly fireworks plus music that even first-time opera-goers will recognise and enjoy.
This unique Sydney summer experience is an all-inclusive night out, with customised dining offerings and pop-up bars onsite at one of the most unique locations in the city. Raise a glass with friends and grab a snack on the foreshore before settling in under the stars for an unforgettable night.
Hunter Valley Gardens’s annual Christmas Lights Spectacular returns bigger and brighter for 2022 this festive season.
Walk through the immaculate grounds of the Hunter Valley Gardens, located a two-hour drive north of Sydney, and enjoy a truly memorable night out with your loved ones as you wander through the themed displays created with over 3 million lights in addition to the entertainment, activities, and amusement rides to be enjoyed over the summer period.
Run, don’t walk and get your hands on tickets to fully immerse yourself into the Christmas spirit (no, it’s never too early for that).
South Korean artist Do Ho Suh is known for his large-scale sculptures and architectural installations, which address the often-complex relationships between the body, memory, and space.
Spanning three decades, from the 1990s to now, the artist’s first solo exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere will present emblematic works across a wide range of media that include large-scale installations, sculptures, drawings, printmaking, and video works.
Get your hands on entry tickets and explore domestic spaces and studios he has inhabited over the course of his life, which are realised in diverse materials. From steel military ‘dog tags’ to fabric, these intimate and evocative artworks can be walked around, through, and within.
Get ready to say hello to 2023! Barangaroo’s spectacular harbourside location is one of Sydney’s largest vantage points to welcome New Year’s Eve, with superb panoramic views of the western face of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The sloping lawns of the Reserve provide a safe place with ample room to spread out your picnic blanket and enjoy the spectacle that only Sydney can deliver! NYE 2022 at Barangaroo is a must-attend event for families, friends, and couples wanting to experience a safe and memorable night enjoying a great view.
Tickets are still on sale, so make sure to grab yours here.
The music and counterculture experience created by the multi-platinum sonic phenomenon SLIPKNOT will hit the East coast of Australia starting on Friday 24 March in Melbourne, before making its way to Sydney on Saturday, 25 March and wrapping up in Brisbane on Sunday 26 March.
Headlined by SLIPKNOT, the hugely stacked festival line-up includes Parkway Drive, Megadeth, Trivium, Northlane, Amon Amarth, In Flames, Alpha Wolf, and so many more! Get tickets here today.
Just like Mariah Carey, honey-glazed ham, and naps, Home Alone is synonymous with Christmas. It’s safe to say the 1990 festive film starring Macaulay Culkin is a true cultural phenomenon, transcending time and cementing itself firmly as a family classic, tinged with nostalgia.
Now, fans of the film can rejoice as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has announced a new concert screening just in time for the holiday season. So, get into the Christmas spirit with a date to see Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Home Alone in Concert. Tickets are on sale here.
The Great Vic Bike Ride is Australia’s most iconic riding holiday. The rolling bike festival pedals to a new town each day, setting up camp where we can soak up an afternoon and evening of entertainment and activities, including live music, comedy, yoga, an outdoor cinema, and much more!
Featuring crowd favourites and hidden gems, the 2022 route takes you to the best of the Great Ocean Road region including Volcanic craters, Otway rainforests, rugged coastlines, and Golden Plains. Gather your riding buddies, dust off your tent, and get your bikes ready to go.
Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse is the first major Australian exhibition to explore the work of this boundary-pushing fashion designer.
Showcasing 60 garments and accessories drawn from LACMA’s holdings of important works by McQueen, the Melbourne presentation also features nearly 50 designs by McQueen from the NGV Collection, making this Australian-exclusive presentation especially rich and comprehensive.
Offering an unprecedented insight into the mind of this seminal designer, McQueen’s work is presented alongside more than 70 historical artworks including painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts and works on paper from the collections of LACMA and NGV, that reveal the myriad reference points that influenced his designs.
The juxtaposition of garments and artworks highlights McQueen’s creative process and capacity for storytelling, as well as offering audiences an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of his artistic legacy and the nature of inspiration.
The cherry-picking season is back! Pack a picnic, take in the rolling hills of the scenic surrounds, and pick the biggest, sweetest, tasting cherries straight from the trees.
CherryHill Orchards will once again welcome visitors to their two stunning Yarra Valley orchards this summer, for endless moments of joy at their annual cherry-picking festival. With the new addition of the Coldstream orchard, cherry lovers can experience picking from thousands of sweet, ripe cherries.
Visitors can collect their hand-picked cherries straight into a pre-paid grab-and-go box; available in 500g, or for the true enthusiast, 1.5kg. You’ll never find fresher cherries. Book your visit this summer.
This summer, Heide Museum of Modern Art will present the first major survey in Australia of the celebrated British artist Dame Barbara Hepworth DBE (1903–1975). A leading figure of modernist sculpture in Britain in the 20th century, Hepworth is best known for her organic abstract sculptures and pioneering method of ‘piercing’ the form.
Presented throughout Heide’s main galleries, the exhibition Barbara Hepworth: In Equilibrium charts the trajectory of Hepworth’s artistic career and brings together more than forty works from significant international and national collections, introducing Australian audiences to Hepworth’s enduring oeuvre and remarkable story.
Queen Victoria Market’s much-loved Summer Night Market is back and fresher than ever, lighting up the iconic open-air market sheds for a bumper 15-week season every Wednesday from 5pm-10pm.
Gather family and friends and get ready to experience Melbourne’s original and favourite night market with more than 125 shops, stalls, bars, and flavours from around the world to explore including some making their Summer Night Market debut.
As the sun sets each week, the Summer Night Market will also come alive with fun, quirky roving performers, a rotating line-up of local live music, plus a DJ to keep the party vibes going well into the night.
Grand Slams are considered the pinnacle of tennis tournaments and there is no better way to start a season than with the Australian Open.
The Australian Open is set to make its epic return to Melbourne Park on 16–29 January 2023. Unforgettable tennis moments have been forged at the world’s Happy Slam, and there are so many chapters still to be written.
Your favourite athletes will be back to fight for trophies of the 108th edition of the AO. Who will succeed in the end? Secure your seats here today. Your AO23 story starts here.
The music and counterculture experience created by the multi-platinum sonic phenomenon SLIPKNOT will hit the East coast of Australia starting on Friday, March 24th in Melbourne, before making its way to Sydney on Saturday, March 25th and wrapping up in Brisbane on Sunday, March 26th.
Headlined by SLIPKNOT, the hugely stacked festival line-up includes Parkway Drive, Megadeth, Trivium, Northlane, Amon Amarth, In Flames, Alpha Wolf, and so many more! Get tickets here today.
Taking over King George Square with handmade local goods that are as delightful as they are sustainable, you’ll find a treasure trove of home-grown makers under the twinkling lights of the Brisbane City Christmas Tree with not a single imported product. You can even expect a visit from the BIG MAN IN RED (yes, we mean Santa)!
Join them and peruse the incredible work of over 60 local artisans. From cleverly crafted ceramics to embroidered wall hangings and all-natural handmade skincare, this Twilight Market gives you the chance to not only shop green this Christmas but to give back to your local community of creatives.
There’ll also be plenty of food trucks on hand to fill you up with yummy treats, as well as live music to keep the whole family entertained.
Wildlands Festival is returning to Brisbane this summer. Let’s get wild!
Discover a vibrant oasis filled with the biggest and most exciting dance, electronic and hip-hop acts from Australia and around the world.
The teams behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music and arts and Grapevine Gathering will transform Brisbane Showgrounds into a sanctuary for music and arts escapism, filled with Wildlands’ world-class stage designs, production and decor.
Join us on our wild expedition across Brisbane and get your tickets here today. This is one not to miss.
Feminist icon and pop provocateur Peaches returns to stages down under in 2023 with an additional leg of The Teaches of Peaches Anniversary Tour after a string of wildly successful, sold-out shows across the world. A celebration of the 20th anniversary of Peaches’ seminal The Teaches of Peaches, she will be performing the album in its entirety across Australia.
Wait no more and grab your tickets now to guarantee entry.
Australia’s first dedicated art hotel, The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart is hosting the Henry Jones Art Prize Finalists Exhibition to showcase some of Tasmania’s finest contemporary artwork, from established and up-and-coming local artists.
A boutique hotel and working gallery, the Henry Jones Art Hotel showcase more than 400 exclusively Tasmanian artworks at any one time. Dedicated to supporting, championing, and discovering local Tassie artists, the $20,000 Henry Jones Art Prize is just one way the hotel contributes to the flourishing Tassie arts scene and supports budding local artists.
This year, the expert judging panel has curated the two-week Finalist’s Exhibition from more than 100 entries. Guests and members of the public will have the opportunity to view the varied exhibition artworks, purchase a prize-winning piece and support the Tassie art scene.
The Taste is back, back again at Princes Wharf! This year again, Taste of Summer is bringing together over 80 Tasmanian food and drink stalls, loads of local entertainment, a dedicated space for kids to enjoy themselves, and an incredible lineup of over 200 of Tassie’s best-performing artists.
So come and fill a plate, raise your glass, and celebrate the taste of Summer. Tickets are on sale here.
There are few events in Australia that garner as much media attention as the Sydney to Hobart Sydney yacht race. Well-deserved attention, we think, because what could be more epic than gathering to watch yachts race along the Australian coast?
The finale of the race in Hobart is icing on the New Years’ Eve cake and prompts a day of massive festivities before the yachts even begin to fly into their finish line.
The Hobart Race Village will be bustling with food and drink stalls, live music and activities. It offers great viewing of the finishing yacht race as well as the evening’s fireworks display of fireworks, pretty much making the Hobart Race Village the ideal place to be on the last day of 2022.
Say g’day to WA’s newest country music festival, Country Sounds! Time to saddle up and head down south for WA’s ultimate hoedown as Country Sounds Music & Art Festival is coming to Brunswick in the Harvey Region on Saturday 10 December.
A jamboree for the whole family, Country Sounds is set to showcase the cream of the crop in Australia’s
country music scene. The first lineup just announced boasts some huge names: Lee Kernaghan, Kasey Chambers, Brad Cox, and Fanny Lumsden. Get tickets here.
Step aboard the famous Mandurah Christmas Lights Cruise and be immersed in kaleidoscopes of colour streaming across winding waterways. Mandurah turns it on like you wouldn’t believe, and it’s breathtaking!
The marine city is filled with more than 200 ornately decorated homes, shimmering with millions of Christmas lights. The elaborate installations cast brilliant bursts of colour and reflections across the channels. Choose the right cruise option for you and grab your tickets here.
The Ice Cream Factory Summer Festival is returning bigger than ever this year, with Perth’s most iconic summer series back to inject life into the city. Ice Cream Factory Summer Festival captures the spirit of an Australian summer: warm nights and open-air live music alongside innovative activations and creative experiences. It’s a wildly unique festival experience.
Over four weeks, from the start of December to New Year’s Day, Ice Cream Factory Summer Festival is a melting pot of musical talent, hyper-designed branded activities, and pop-up bars from Australia’s leading operators.
View the extraordinary lineup here and buy your tickets before it’s too late.
There’s something for everyone at Elizabeth Quay Fun Fair with nine rides taking centre stage. The whole family will love the sideshow games including the skill-testing Rabbit Shooting Gallery, the must-try Laughing Clowns or the fan-favourite Fishing Pool.
Celebrate the most wonderful time of year with snow-tipped Christmas Trees, Showbags, Santa Claus Live, Roving Entertainers and Falling Snow. Get creative at Santa’s Creation Station and don’t miss the incredible fireworks display.
Entry to the Fun Fair is free, so soak up the festive energy and enjoy the beauty of Perth in its premiere family precinct.
Wildlands Festival is returning to Perth this summer. Let’s get wild!
Discover a vibrant oasis filled with the biggest and most exciting dance, electronic and hip-hop acts from Australia and around the world.
The teams behind Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music and arts, and Grapevine Gathering will transform Stadium Park into a sanctuary for music and arts escapism, filled with Wildlands’ world-class stage designs, production and decor.
Join us on our wild expedition across Brisbane and get your tickets here today. This is one not to miss.
Moonlight Cinema is back this December 2022, bringing the nostalgia of picnics, popcorn, and film-watching amongst Australia’s most idyllic inner-city parklands.
The December program includes new releases, family favourites, retro hits, Hollywood blockbusters, and of course, Christmas classics. Happy watching!
To all our other movie lovers, Moonlight Cinema returns in some other states as well, so make sure to click here for more information.
A beacon of light to the local community and South Australians of all ages, The Lights of Lobethal is community-driven and volunteer-run and, throughout its 60-year history, no other calendar event has built more morale, created more happy memories and spread more joy, hope and resilience like it.
Experience the magic of Christmas and ignite your sense of nostalgia by immersing yourself in impressive experiences, fantastical light installations as well as traditional and reimagined Christmas events. Whether it’s your first time, or you have been visiting for years… it’s time to see the light!
The Adelaide Contemporary Experimental upcoming exhibition Studios: 2022 showcases new commissions by ACE’s five 2022 Studio Program artists: Shaye Dương, Chelsea Farquhar, Dani Reynolds, Cecilia Tizard and Ash Tower.
Guest curated by Megan Robson (Associate Curator, Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney), the exhibition is a showcase of the diverse practices and work developed as part of ACE’s annual Studio Program – a fully-supported professional development opportunity for South Australian contemporary artists.
Say farewell to 2022 from 3 pm at Darwin Waterfront with Birds of Tokyo, Melanie Gray Duo, DJ Lady Kay, and Bananas in Pyjamas treating you to some good tunes.
New Year’s Eve at Darwin Waterfront is a free event, and no ticket is required, so bring a picnic and relax on the grass with your nearest and dearest. Fireworks start at 9 pm and at midnight. Please note, this year’s event is alcohol and smoke-free.
Celebrate the start of summer as Canberra’s Queen Elizabeth II Island transforms into a wine lovers’ paradise over three glorious days this December.
Guests will be able to enjoy cellar door experiences from a broad range of Australian winemakers from regions including the Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale, King Valley, Coonawarra, and Alpine Valley. If you’re dreaming of an overseas escape, kick back at the Greek Beach Club featuring the finest wines, beer, and ouzo from Drink Greek.
Food and wine aren’t the only agenda items on the holiday itinerary – activities are a big part of the experience on Wine Island, so pull up your sleeves and get involved!
There are the hugely popular Wine Selectors wine education masterclasses, where you can put your inner vino detective against other holidaymakers to reveal mystery wines with clues from our experts. There’s even a DJ to set the paradise vibes spinning live tunes. Book your tickets here.
The Canberra Nara Candle Festival is a celebration of the Canberra Nara Sister City relationship and promotes the values of peace and goodwill. See the Nara Peace Park at Lennox Gardens light up with thousands of candles and experience Japanese cuisine, music, dance and demonstrations.
The festival celebrates all aspects of Japanese culture and the sister city relationship and will be held at Nara Peace Park, Lennox Gardens from 4-9pm, so make sure to join in on the fun.
National Opera presents Handel’s opera Alcina with an all-star Australian cast including Emma Matthews and Rachelle Durkin with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra conducted by Handel specialist Graham Abbott, directed by Peter Coleman-Wright AO.
Alcina is set on an enchanted island with not one but two sorceresses, discarded lovers who have been transformed into wild beasts, and a young woman disguising herself as a man so she can find her missing lover. Full of gorgeous music and with an all-star Australian cast, this will be a night of glorious musical delights. Buy tickets here.
Indulge in a bit of existential angst at the National Portrait Gallery exhibition in Canberra, billed as one of the most comprehensive explorations of portraiture ever mounted in Australia.
The show, which brings together 200 works by Australian artists, explores the intimate connection between the artist, sitter and the land. It also includes portraits of high-profile Australians such as actors Cate Blanchett and David Gulpilil, and the late artist Albert Namatjira.
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