English heiress Dorothea Banks would have appreciated this garden-themed glow-up in Sydney’s west. The wife of Sir Joseph Banks, who also has a climbing rose named in her honour, would also have approved of the magical rooftop world that has been created for Secret Garden Social over summer. The beautifully bonkers botanical space is all fairy lights and floral blooms with a dramatic entranceway lined with a living wall of neon-green moss. The pop-up on until February 28 at Bankstown Sports Club also has a high tea. Dine at Magma and stay at Novotel Sydney Cabramatta at Southwest Sydney’s new place to play: Cabravale Resort.

Wait until the sun is sitting low, like a drop of honey on the horizon, before settling into a sunset sesh at a prime location like Pier Bar. One of the best things to do in Sydney over summer is sit by the water. Add oysters and a few Sunset Swirl cocktails to the equation and you’re now equipped to close out the year in that corporate job you despise. Head to Pier Bar, perfectly positioned near Sydney Harbour Bridge, to try the new seafood-centred summer menu. And here’s the scoop: Pier One Sydney Harbour has also launched The Kiosk in partnership with Everyday Creamery, where you can get a soft-serve Napoletana choc top in summer.

You don’t always have to be the life of the party boat in Sydney. Instead, work on both body and mind with Wellness Afloat. Sydney Harbour’s first luxury floating sauna and cold plunge experience is designed to knock the cobwebs off during a two-hour wellness cruise combining Nordic-inspired contrast therapy with glittering harbour views. Aqua Sculpt will also make you feel more balanced with floating Pilates and sound bath sessions in the waters off Rose Bay. If the weather is iffy, head indoors to the new bougie Escape Bathhouse in Roseville.

Monica Rooftop is sitting pretty atop the new 25Hours Hotel The Olympia, Sydney. Open just in time for summer, the new bar recently launched its Cointreau Long Lunch Series with great food catered by the venerable Mitch Orr alongside Cointreau-leaning cocktails and live DJs. The Malaya also has a new Terrace Bar slinging sambal snacks and spicy cocktails over summer. And the all-new Alzado at Hotel Ravesis in Bondi is a lovely place to linger alongside golden-limbed locals. Things are also hotting up at W Sydney for Solar Sunday pop-up at the Wet Deck pool with live DJs, refreshing cocktails and Mexican-inspired bar bites. Meanwhile, Zephyr Sky Bar has also morphed into a mezcaleria over summer.

It would be a total flex (if not a tad extra) to arrive at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park in a custom DMC DeLorean. But you won’t want the car to be retrofitted with a flux capacitor, as you’ll want to remain in the here and now while enjoying a stay-and-show package designed for theatre lovers. Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park has partnered with Back to the Future: The Musical for an unforgettable package that includes one night’s accommodation for two guests, a pre-theatre dining experience and two A-Reserve tickets to the musical.

Commit to a secret handshake with your private Sydney by Kayak guide so they know that’s the signal to start filming your carefully planned marriage proposal. The light will be flattering in the early light of dawn during the Couple’s Sunrise Champagne Breakfast experience, a popular way to say. ‘Will you marry me?’ Not the marrying kind? You will still develop a bond over the shared experience of watching the sun rise over the glittering city of Sydney. You can also hire your own watercraft with Bundeena Kayaks on Sydney’s southside.

Send your stocks soaring with your new golden bachelor by arranging a romantic dinner at Rameaud’Or Rosé Beach Bar in Bondi. The new seasonal pop-up tucked into a pocket of Promenade Bondi Beach is an indication of just how cool summer in Sydney can be with a requisite glass of rosé in hand. Provence, Schmovence. The front-row views of sand and surf are serving Bondi Riviera, perfect for sundown sips. There’s a lot to make you blush, from crisp glasses of Rameaud’Or Rosé to rosé-based cocktails and snacks.

Can’t afford the airfare to Mykonos? The Brighton Hotel Sydney – MGallery Collection has gifted the city with its own version of a summery playground. And there’s even an adults-only pool bar and Greek flag fluttering in the breeze. The Brighton, reimagined after a multimillion-dollar renovation, is now home to Sydney’s most under-the-radar beach club. You can also join the crowds trying to tune out the real world at the Top Deck, Mid Deck and Sunset Room & Bar of Watsons Bay Hotel, newly transformed after its $3 million renovation.

Rearrange your scrolling schedule on social media and arrange an IRL gatho instead at The Glasshouse at Q Station Manly. The Glasshouse has partnered with Whipbird Wines for its Sunset Sessions featuring a talented line-up of local artists. Pre-order a seafood hamper and make it a mini-Sydney staycay. Cockatoo Island is also giving Sydneysiders something to squawk about with the return of its summer Sunset Sessions. Apart from having one of the best inner-urban campgrounds in Sydney, Cockatoo Island is a top spot for a picnic with harbour views.

The Indigenous-led Tribal Warrior Cruise onboard Mari Nawi (big canoe) rewrites the history books with a script that gives a voice to the Traditional Owners of the land and waters you traverse. Curious travellers who take the cultural cruise around Sydney Harbour will learn about the world’s oldest living culture by members of the Eora Nation. The two-hour cruise includes Dreamtime stories that will leave a lasting impression on how you view the Sydney skyline. The adventure includes a visit to Be-lang-le-wool (Clark Island) and a cultural performance.

Want to plan the best date ever that even you know nothing about? AmazingCo. will help you avoid awkward silences by nudging you toward working together with your partner to solve clues and riddles to discover your next stop. Each itinerary has been designed as an epicurean adventure that celebrates the garden-to-table ethos so embraced around the state. Relinquish all control apart from choosing between Sydney suburbs like Bondi and Paddington. You can also go further afield to Bowral, the Blue Mountains, Newcastle or the Hunter Valley.

Mama Does Derby, Post-Orientalist Express and La Crima are all being touted as the ‘best of the fest’. The annual Sydney Festival (from 8-25 January), knocks it out of the park in 2026, which marks half a century of Sydney Festival fun and games. The Sydney Festival website includes curated collections of everything from blockbusters to al fresco art. Do SF on a shoestring with a bunch of free and affordable events. Or spend some coin on supporting the arts in Australia. My personal pick: Turandot, presented by Opera Australia.

Dining by the sea in Sydney is a must over summer. Bounce between L’Heritage in Chowder Bay and Summer Salt, Cronulla, Otto and Akti in Wooloomooloo and under-the-radar Jaaks in Kyle Bay. The glittering waterfront city also has a few new and noteworthy waterfront restaurants to try: Flaminia in Circular Quay, Beach Bar & Dining in Coogee, Rick Stein at Coogee Beach and Porta Dining at Georges River Sailing Club. Dedes Group has also launched a dock-to-dish experience that pootles from Watergrill, Abbotsford, for entrees, to Deckhouse Woolwich for mains and dessert at Sala Dining in Pyrmont.

Solaré has narrowed the gap between the haves and the have-yachts. This choose-your-own adventure venture by Luxe Cruising Group has been building momentum since it launched in October. Make like a Double Bay darling with deep pockets and sail around the harbour on a superyacht for the day. Book a berth on one of Solaré’s distinct decks: the Sun Deck for a beach club experience, The Terrace for a sunset spritz and share plates, and The Dining Room for elegant mod Med menu centred around seafood. It’s an oh-so-Sydney summer.

One of the best ways to feel the pulse of a city is to join the hordes packing out a sporting arena over summer. The United Cup returns to Sydney in 2026, bringing 18 countries together to compete in a round-robin format before advancing to the finals. Each team comprises up to three males and three female players who bash it out in the fun, fast-paced competition at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney’s Olympic Park. The event is seen as a springboard for the grand slams. And it’s one of the best things to do in summer for sport lovers.