The annual Easter extravaganza is back, and the 2025 schedule is a big one. From one-day-only events and new food outlets to showbag stalls, rides and attractions, there’s a lot to cover.

Where do you start? What do you do? 

It’s a big day, we suggest planning it. And so do the experts. If you create a MyShow account online you can tag your favourite attractions and experiences to help map out the day. 

Sure, you can meander around with hundreds of other people who just want to ‘have a look’, but chances are you’ll miss something you want to see.  Unless you have the endurance of a camel, it’s impossible to fit everything into a day.

Start with the one-day only events. What do you want to see most? If the Sydney Royal Purebred Poultry Auction is your jam, you’ll want to attend on April 12. Sheep more your thing? The live wool auction will be on April 15 and 16.

Want to see some of the Sydney Royal Fine Food competition judging in action? On April 16, it’s the live aquaculture judging at the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome. And on April 11, the bacon and ham judging will happen live for the very first time.

Once you’ve picked your day – which is also important because tickets are purchased for specific days – you can get more specific.  You know what you want to see and what time it’s on. Base your day around that, whether it’s sourcing snacks before or after. You don’t want to pass the ideal snack station on the way there, then waste time circling back afterwards. 

Pro tip: allow for more travel time between locations than you expect. Stopping to avoid prams running over your toes, dodging groups who hog the footpath and sidestepping small, overexcited children will slow you down. 

Eat your heart out 

All that walking will work up an appetite. Luckily, there are a lot of new eats and eateries at the Show. 

The Woolworths Fresh Food Dome is the beating heart of the show. This year, it celebrates 125 years of Districts Exhibits, showcasing the best produce in NSW. Pick your favourite display of the four districts, then sample the wares of vendors who are offering everything from fresh bread and jam to kombucha and meats. Think of it as a roving entree before heading up to the open plan mezzanine overlooking the Dome and District Exhibits to enjoy The Viewing, A Tasting Experience by Bianco’s. 

Also at the Dome is the Aquaculture Area, which is all about seafood, while the Top-Shelf Wine and Distillery Sampling section includes an Archie Rose Distilling Co. pop-up that lets you personalise a gin or whisky on the spot.

Related story: CWA scone recipe

For many families, it’s not a Show experience without a stop at the CWA stand for scones with jam and cream. The charity fundraiser for the Country Women’s Association is a backbone of the Show. The tiny kitchen produces about 4000 scones a day.

While Joy Beames of the CWA says it is possible to make a decent gluten-free scone, it can’t be done onsite at the Show because of cross-contamination. Which is why the CWA is introducing a gluten-free range of sweet and savoury options done in conjunction with Wholegrain Bakery – beef pie, pork & fennel sausage roll, passionfruit tart, lemon coconut cake and lemon meringue tart.

Wander the showgrounds and snack your way through a selection of new food vendors. Mac ‘n’ cheese on a stick is the kind of food you only enjoy at the Show, combining comfort food with the fun of eating things off sticks. Tokyo Taco is doing Japanese and Mexican fusion with miso-baked salmon, smoky soy chicken and adobo jackfruit paired with taco fries and barbecue corn ribs. Brother Jackson & Co is a gluten-free, coeliac-safe food trailer serving fast food favourites including crispy chips on a stick and creamy frozen custard.

Chimnutz’s viral filled chimney cakes and doughnut cones, plus Cherry’s Goods’ buttery matcha croissants have come straight from social media to the Show. LA Loops is doing crispy churro funnel cakes, Thicc Milk Bar is the place for cookies and milkshakes, while Duo Duo Fried Ice Cream is in the new Honky Tonk precinct. 

Showbags   

It’s impossible to leave the Show without showbags. The wide range caters to everybody, and a quick scroll through the Showbags tab shows there are 16 pages of confectionery and snack bags on offer. At just $3, the new Wizz Fizz Chocolate bag is the cheapest bag available.

Rides
Adrenaline junkies at the ready – the Show offers the biggest collection of rides in Australia. As well as the familiar faves, there are five new rides this year: 

• XXL Sky Flyer takes you 60m above the showground
• X Drive involves gravity-defying spins and drops
• The Phoenix is a rollercoaster that combines high-speed rotations and epic heights
• Helter Skelter is a classic English seaside carnival ride with spiral slide 
• Wave Swinger features double chairs so you can sit next to a mate as you ride the wave to new heights

The Carnival Fun Pass, available on the Easter Show Fun Pass app, allows you to skip the ticket queues for carnival rides and games. Each ride requires four or more credits. A single credit is $1.20, 30 credits $36, 60 credits $68 and 90 credits $93. A 130 credit pass for $123 is only available until April 10.

Show highlights

• The new Llama kissing booth, April 18-22
• The new, Nashville-inspired Honky Tonk precinct, with live music, food and drink. Daily, from 11am
• Battle in the Saddle, Aussie stockmen vs. American cowboys in the Main Arena. Daily, 7.55pm
• You don’t have to have kids to enjoy the Bluey Bonanza, but it helps. Parents, take a breather as Bingo and Bluey entertain in this live interactive show. April 12–22, 10am and 12.20pm 
• Dino Adventures is a bite-sized version of the popular Dinos Alive show. Fever Pavilion, daily 
• City vs. Country polo showdown. Even if your only experience of polo is Pretty Woman, this is a fun, fast-paced three-a-side game in the Main Arena. April 18
• Kids day is the last day of the Show and tickets are almost half price. Kids under three get in free. April 22 
• Watch the next generation of agricultural heroes in the Young Farmers challenge, in the Main Arena. Challenges include everything from animal handling to firefighting. Finals on April 14, 5.30pm
• Get your cuddle on for the farmyard nursery, the largest animal nursery in the Southern Hemisphere. Big and little kids will enjoy patting and feeding more than 400 animals. Daily. 
• A quacking good time will be had by all as you cheer on Aussie stockmen and their working dogs who try to muster fancy dressed ducks up and down a slide. Daily 9.30am, 11am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm
• Wrangler Federation Rodeo Challenge sees Aussie riders take on bull riding, bareback, saddle bronc and female breakaway roping in the Main Arena. April 17-22 

Ticket info  

Tickets are capped to manage numbers, and must be purchased online for a specific day. 

• Early-bird tickets are available until April 10; family $118, adult $45, concession $33.50, child $27 and people with a disability $27.
• After 4pm Show tickets are only available until April 10; adult $37, children $17, concession $27.50 and people with a disability $17.
• Ticket prices from April 11; family $138, adult $48, concession $36, child $29.50 and people with a disability $32 (subject to availability).
  
  Public transport is included as part of the ticket price.

RAS of NSW members gets unlimited 12-day access to the Show.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show runs from April 11 – 22 at Sydney Olympic Park. For more info, or to buy tickets, head to eastershow.com.au

Related story: 10 things to eat at the Sydney Royal Easter Show