The glamorous jewel of Australian performance, Sydney's famous Opera House has five main stages. Opera may have star billing, but it's also an important…
Must-see entertainment in Australia
- STop ChoiceSydney Opera House
- Top ChoiceGovernor Hindmarsh Hotel
Ground zero for live music in Adelaide, 'The Gov' hosts some legendary local and international acts. The odd Irish band fiddles around in the bar, while…
- Top ChoiceDeckchair Cinema
During the Dry, the Darwin Film Society runs this fabulous outdoor cinema below the southern end of the Esplanade. Watch a movie under the stars while…
- ETop ChoiceEsplanade Hotel
You could spend all day going from room to room now that the beloved 'Espy' is back, after a $15 million renovation. Antiques complement its Victorian…
- STop ChoiceSydney Cricket Ground
During the cricket season (October to March), the stately SCG is the venue for interstate cricket matches (featuring the NSW Blues), family-friendly Big…
- ATop ChoiceAdelaide Oval
Adelaide's riverside stadium (capacity 53,000) hosts major sporting events through the year, including national AFL (www.afl.com.au) and state-based SANFL…
- MTop ChoiceMoonlight Cinema
Melbourne's original outdoor cinema hits the Royal Botanic Gardens from the end of November through March, screening current releases and retro classics…
- STop ChoiceSwanpool Cinema
The tiny hamlet of Swanpool – population 207 – is a blink and you'll miss it kind of place 38km north of Mansfield en route to Benalla, but the village's…
- TTop ChoiceThe Ship That Never Was
Billed as Australia's longest-running play (it celebrated its 25th anniversary in Strahan in January 2019), this 1¼-hour, two-actor performance tells the…
- GTop ChoiceGolden Age Cinema & Bar
In what was once the Sydney HQ of Paramount Pictures, a heart-warming small cinema occupies the former screening room downstairs. It shows old favourites,…
- CTop ChoiceCity Recital Hall
Based on the classic configuration of the 19th-century European concert hall, this custom-built 1200-seat venue boasts near-perfect acoustics. Catch top…
- RTop ChoiceRepublic Bar & Café
The Republic is a raucous art-deco pub hosting live music every night (often with free entry). It’s the number-one live-music pub around town, with an…
- RTop ChoiceRoyal Randwick Racecourse
The action at Sydney's most famous racecourse peaks in April with several high-profile races, including the Queen Elizabeth Stakes; check the online…
- STop ChoiceState Cinema
Saved from the wrecking ball in the 1980s, the 11-screen State (built in 1913) shows independent and art-house flicks. There’s a great cafe and bar on…
- LTop ChoiceLazybones Lounge
Roomy and decadently decorated with erotic ceiling paintings, Lazybones has live music nightly and a decent line in cocktails and food. At weekends it…
- TTop ChoiceThe Tote
One of Melbourne's most iconic live-music venues, this divey pub has been hosting a roster of local and international punk, heavy metal and hardcore bands…
- STop ChoiceSounds of Starlight Theatre
This atmospheric 1½-hour musical performance evoking the spirit of the outback with didgeridoos, drums and keyboards, plus wonderful photography and…
- MTop ChoiceMareeba Drive-in
For a piece of real country nostalgia, head to this old-school drive-in cinema, the only one left in Far North Queensland. It screens two mainstream…
- BTop ChoiceBelvoir St Theatre
In a quiet corner of Surry Hills, this intimate venue, with two small stages, is the home of an often-experimental and consistently excellent theatre…
- MTop ChoiceMetro Theatre
The Metro is easily Sydney’s best midsized venue for catching alternative local and international rock acts in intimate, well-ventilated, easy-seeing…