5 Best Things about Winter in Sydney

5 Best Things about Winter in Sydney

Sydney is not a particularly enjoyable place to be in winter. The concept of central heating never really took off in Australia, leading to frigid houses and evenings curled up on the couch next to the space heater (a fire safety hazard in and of itself), but I digress. The sun sets by 5pm, leading to long, dark, evenings. Warm, sunny days at the beach become a wistful memory, and depressingly high electricity bills from your space heater become reality.

Hopefully, this winter will be a mercifully short one. Instead of hiding under the covers and waiting for spring, here’s a few good things that you can look forward to- the five best things about winter in Sydney:

Vivid Festival

The shiny icing on the cake of Sydney’s winter events calendar, this free festival of light, sound, and colour sees Sydney come alive with creativity. Circular Quay and the Opera House, Darling Harbour, and other parts of the city become home to installations by international and local artists. Hipsters furiously Instagramming and amateur photographers lining up get the perfect shot of the Harbour Bridge covered in light complete the scene.

Vivid runs every May/June in Sydney, and changes every year. There are always new installations and creations, and is one of the highlights of Sydney’s winter scene.

City to Surf

Instead of overindulging in comfort food and wishing away the cold, why not embrace it and take advantage of the cooler weather to get into running? Not as crazy as it sounds, Sydney’s iconic City to Surf race, which stretches 14km from the city and ends at Bondi Beach, is a great challenge and a fun day out. It’s also accessible to walkers and families with strollers, so it can suit all fitness levels.

Marching bands, Elvis impersonators, and kids handing out candy cheer on the 60,000+ runners, the atmosphere is electric and it would be impossible not to feel a great sense of accomplishment afterwards. June and July are great months for running, since the cooler weather makes being outside a bit more pleasant than the 90+ days, drenched in sweat just by walking out the front door, so start training now. City2Surf is held every year, in mid-August.

Fondue & mulled wine at the Swissotel Sydney

When in doubt, there’s always fondue and wine- definitely one of the bes. Swissotel Sydney are offering a Swiss Fondue Experience this winter- I had the chance to try it recently, and it was incredible. Think melted emmental and gruyere cheese fondues, with truffle, and plenty of crusty baguette, pickled onions, spiced meatballs, vegetables, and croquettes, matched with mulled wine or Schnapps. If you’re still hungry after all that, the chocolate fondue does not disappoint, complete with churros, strawberries, and waffles on a stick. This is such a fun thing to do on a cold winter evening, and would make an amazing winter date night, or evening out with friends.

Sydney Film Festival

Colder days make for the perfect excuse to watch a lot of movies, making the Sydney Film Festival the perfect winter outing. Now in its 65th year, the Sydney Film Festival brings the best of Australian and international films to Sydney. In 2018, 250 films were screened, so there is something for everyone. Held across a range of Sydney theaters, including the prestigious State Theatre, consider checking out one, or several, of the film’s festival. If you can, try to get a ticket to the Opening Gala for a bit of celebrity spotting.

Ice skating on Bondi Beach

It might be too cold to swim at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, but that doesn’t mean you need to neglect this fun beachside suburb until spring. Bondi Winter Magic operate an outdoor ice skating rink from July 1-17^th. Rug up and go for a skate as you listen to the surf break. Something different, as it’s not everyday you get to ice skate on Australia’s most famous beach.

 

For more ideas on unique things to do in Sydney, and Australia, check out our list of the 50 Best things to explore down under.