Everyone heads to Bondi, but I think the best things to do in Sydney in summer are the swimming holes, flat harbour beaches and ferry-only coves most visitors never find.
This guide has every big summer event for 2026-27 with its dates, the beaches worth your day, swimming holes you can reach by train, adventures near the city, and how to stay safe in the Aussie sun.
If it’s only sand you’re after, my guide to the 35 best beaches in Sydney by public transport has every one with the bus or ferry to catch. I know us Brits aren’t massive fans of the waves, so I’ve flagged the flat-water spots too. But if you’re like me and love some hidden gems, check out my Best Secluded Beaches in Sydney guide instead.
Sydney’s summer dates for 2026-27
| Date | What’s on |
|---|---|
| Fri 18 Dec 2026 | School holidays start |
| Sat 19 Dec | Carols in the Domain |
| Sat 26 Dec | Sydney to Hobart start, 1pm (public holiday Mon 28 Dec) |
| 28 Dec to 1 Jan | Lost Paradise |
| Thu 31 Dec | New Year’s Eve fireworks, 9pm and midnight |
| 4 to 8 Jan | New Year’s Test at the SCG |
| January (to be confirmed) | Sydney Festival |
| Tue 26 Jan | Australia Day, Yabun and the Big Bash final |
| Wed 3 Feb | Schools go back |
| 5 Feb to 6 Mar | Twilight at Taronga |
| Sat 6 Feb | Lunar New Year |
| Fri 12 Feb | Laneway Festival |
| Sat 13 Feb | Tropfest |
| Sun 14 Feb | Mardi Gras Fair Day |
| Sat 6 Mar | Mardi Gras Parade |
Sydney summer events 2026-27
1. Find the best Christmas lights
One thing I really miss is the Christmas lights in London. Here, neighbours compete every year for the best-decorated house, and my guide to the best Christmas lights in Sydney has where to go.
2. Sing along at Carols in the Domain
When: Saturday 19 December 2026, from 1pm, with the main concert at 7.15pm. It’s free on the lawn.
Bring a picnic blanket, a hat and sunscreen, because you’ll be singing about snow in the sunshine.
3. Spend Christmas Day by the water
Christmas here means barbecues at the beach and seafood instead of a roast. No one wants a hot drink when it’s 30 degrees!
Most locals will tell you to catch the 8am ferry to Manly before the 11am crush, bring everything because the shops are shut, and get to the public barbecues early. Many beaches are alcohol-free, so check the signs. More ideas are in my 15 things to do on Christmas Day in Sydney.
If you’re a Brit, then I’m sure you’ll want to head to Bondi or Coogee for the infamous Christmas Day backpacker parties.
4. Watch the Sydney to Hobart start on Boxing Day
When: Saturday 26 December 2026 at 1pm.
The harbour fills with yachts as the race starts off Nielsen Park. Watch from South Head or North Head, and get there early. That night, the Sydney Sixers play the Brisbane Heat at the SCG.
5. See the New Year’s Eve fireworks
When: Thursday 31 December 2026, at 9pm and midnight.
More than a million people line the harbour. Most vantage points are free, like Mrs Macquarie’s Point and Barangaroo Reserve, but they fill up by the morning. I’ve been to Mrs Macquarie’s Point and lined up 12 hours before the fireworks, just to get a spot. My New Year’s Eve in Sydney guide has every spot, plus cruises.
6. Go to Lost Paradise or Field Day
Lost Paradise runs from 28 December to 1 January at Glenworth Valley, an hour north. It’s a camping festival a bit similar to Bestival or Secret Garden Party in England. Field Day takes over The Domain on New Year’s Day.
7. Catch a show at Sydney Festival
Three weeks of theatre, music, dance and art in January, with plenty of it free. Sydney festival usually lasts the whole of January so check dates and the full line up.
8. Watch the cricket
The New Year’s Test is Australia v New Zealand at the SCG from 4 to 8 January, and it’s the Pink Test. The Big Bash runs from 12 December to the final on Australia Day, and the night games are great with kids.
9. Watch a film under the stars
Westpac OpenAir at Mrs Macquarie’s Point is the most beautiful outdoor cinema in the world, and its screen rises out of the harbour. It is one of my favourite things to do in Sydney in Summer and it just never gets old for me watching a movie with Sydney Harbour in the back drop.
Moonlight Cinema at Centennial Park runs from November to March, and Mov’in Bed puts beds on the sand at Barangaroo. For short films, Flickerfest is at Bondi Pavilion from 22 to 31 January. Here are more unique cinemas in Sydney.
10. Spend Australia Day at Yabun Festival
Yabun at Victoria Park in Camperdown is free on Tuesday 26 January. It’s the country’s largest one-day festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. It grew out of the Survival Day events of the 1990s, and it’s a good way to understand why the day means different things to different people.
11. Celebrate Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is Saturday 6 February 2027. The City of Sydney’s Lunar Festival dates aren’t out yet, but last year it brought performances, food stalls and dragon boat racing to Darling Harbour.
12. Go to Twilight at Taronga
Evening concerts at the zoo with the harbour behind the stage, from 5 February to 6 March, with Jessica Mauboy, The Waifs and Pete Murray. Bring a picnic.
13. Go to Laneway or Tropfest
Laneway Festival is at Centennial Park on Friday 12 February, with Fontaines D.C. and Hayley Williams. The next night, Tropfest is back in The Domain for free, with 16 short film premieres. It’s Valentine’s weekend, so pair it with one of my fun date ideas in Sydney.
14. Join in with Mardi Gras
Fair Day is Sunday 14 February at Victoria Park, and the parade goes down Oxford Street on Saturday 6 March. For before and after, here are the best gay bars in Sydney.
Sydney beaches for a summer’s day
Sydney has more than 100 beaches. We think Bondi is a bit overrated, so these are the ones we’d pick instead.
15. Spend the day at a flat-water harbour beach
Not a wave person? Same. The harbour beaches are calm and shady.
- Chinamans Beach, Mosman: flat water, perfect for families.
- Clontarf Beach: our pick for the best family beach in Sydney, with a netted swimming area.
- Camp Cove, Watsons Bay: a 20-minute ferry from Circular Quay.
There are more in my 20 best family beaches in Sydney.
16. Choose Bronte over Bondi
Bronte has the most charm and more of a local feel than Bondi, with an ocean pool and a park with barbecues. If you do go to Bondi Beach, its surf club was set up in 1907 and is widely recognised as the oldest in the world, although Bronte still disputes it. My 10 best beaches near Bondi has the quieter ones.
17. Catch the ferry to Manly and walk to Shelly Beach
The Manly ferry from Circular Quay goes right past the Sydney Opera House. From Manly Beach, walk ten minutes to Shelly Beach, a calm marine reserve where you can snorkel with big blue gropers. Time your ferry back for sunset for some cracking photos. All my favourites are in 50 things to do in Manly.
18. Go up the Northern Beaches to Palm Beach
Palm Beach is Summer Bay from Home and Away, which is reason enough for most Brits. Stop at Freshwater, Curl Curl or Avalon on the way, with my guide to the Northern Beaches. Also check out my Northern Beaches Instagram Reel for more details as well.
19. Swim in an ocean pool
When the surf is too big, head to an ocean pool. Mahon Pool in Maroubra and Bronte Baths are free. Bondi Icebergs is the famous one, an ocean-fed 50-metre lap pool where the waves crash over the edge, and about $10 to swim. Coogee has Wylie’s Baths, McIver’s Ladies Baths (women and children only) and my little gem, Ivor Rowe rock pool. Watch the waves before you get in.
20. Swim in the harbour at Marrinawi Cove
Marrinawi Cove, in the corner of Barangaroo Reserve, is free and was upgraded in December 2025 with stairs, showers and room for a 45-metre swim.
Other harbour pools are Murray Rose Pool in Double Bay, North Sydney Olympic Pool under the Harbour Bridge next to Luna Park, and Andrew (Boy) Charlton, a heated 50-metre lap pool by the Royal Botanic Garden. My favourite is Cremorne Pool. It is so beautiful and usually pretty quiet.
21. Find a secluded beach in Sydney
Washaway Beach in Balgowlah Heights is a proper hidden gem off the Spit to Manly track, but it’s a scramble down. For a deserted island feel, take the 10-minute ferry from Palm Beach to Great Mackerel Beach, then walk 30 minutes to the flat, turquoise water at Resolute Beach. All ten are in my best secluded beaches in Sydney.
Swimming holes you can reach by train
Sydney has way more to offer than Bondi Beach. Check the NPWS alerts before you go, and stay out after heavy rain, when the water quality drops and creeks rise fast. My 19 best waterfalls in Sydney has directions.
22. Jellybean Pool, Glenbrook
A sandy river beach in the lower Blue Mountains, about 20 minutes’ walk from Glenbrook station, and locals on Reddit recommend it again and again. Take everything you need, because the walk back is uphill.
23. Karloo Pools and Olympic Pool, Heathcote
Karloo Pools is a 30-minute walk from Heathcote station and gets really busy. Follow the river another hour to Olympic Pool. It was the first wild swimming spot in Sydney where we had no one else around.
24. Kingfisher Pool, Waterfall
About 3km each way from Waterfall station on the Bullawarring Track, with some steep, rocky sections and a creek crossing. There’s a small walk-in campground above the pool, and bookings are essential.
Swimming holes and waterfalls worth the drive
25. Minerva Pool, Dharawal National Park
Easily one of our favourites in Sydney, about an hour and a half’s drive away. It’s a sacred women’s site for the Dharawal people, so only women and children are asked to go in the water. Men can swim at Jingga Pool nearby.
26. Jump Rock and Cascade Falls, Macquarie Pass
Near Wollongong, Jump Rock is a fairytale dream of a pool with a rope swing. Check the depth every time and never jump after rain. Cascade Falls nearby is a perfect secret swimming spot. Here’s the Cascade Falls walk.
27. Figure 8 Pools (only on the right day)
I wouldn’t write home about the actual Figure 8 Pool, but the beauty around it is special. It sits on a rock shelf, so only go at low tide and check the NPWS wave risk forecast first. Even at low tide, freak waves came crashing over while we were there, and I hurt my ankle on the rocks. It’s a steep 6km return walk, so wear proper hiking shoes.
If it isn’t safe, go to Wattamolla instead, where the lagoon is calm and jumping off the falls is banned. My 8 tips for the Figure 8 Pools has the rest.
28. Mares Forest Creek Canyon, Wombeyan Caves
The most mind-blowing, incredible thing I’ve done near Sydney is swimming through this narrow marble canyon, about three hours’ drive away. Bring water shoes and a wetsuit, and arrive around 1pm when the sun hits the water. For now, the road in is via Taralga. Here’s my Mares Forest Creek Canyon review.
Summer adventures from Sydney
29. Kayak the harbour at sunrise
We would absolutely recommend a sunrise kayak tour, with the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge before the city wakes up. Here’s my sunrise kayak tour review. You can also hire one in Manly and paddle to Store Beach, or from Rose Bay out to Shark Island.
30. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The summit is 134 metres above sea level. Book a twilight climb in summer to watch the sun go down and the city lights come on.
31. Snorkel Gordons Bay and Clovelly
Two sheltered bays between Bronte and Coogee, and Clovelly has friendly blue gropers. Gordons Bay is where our guest writer Amii did her open water dives when she was learning to scuba dive in Sydney.
32. Stay on Scotland Island
Scotland Island in Pittwater is one of my favourite getaways. You arrive by ferry, and the best way around is by kayak. Here’s my Scotland Island guide.
33. Catch the ferry to Bundeena
Take the train to Cronulla and the ferry to Bundeena, then swim at Jibbon Beach or hike to Wedding Cake Rock. Here’s how to get to Wedding Cake Rock.
34. Ride the Riverboat Postman
Ride along with a working mail boat as it delivers post along the Hawkesbury River, from Brooklyn by Hawkesbury River station. Here’s my Riverboat Postman review.
35. Camp on Cockatoo Island
Cockatoo Island is a World Heritage-listed convict site in the middle of the harbour, and you can camp or glamp there. Book ahead for summer weekends.
36. Do a coastal walk at sunrise
I always find by January I’ve had enough of the beach and need to move more. Walk Bondi to Coogee (about 6km of cliffs, hidden beaches and ocean pools) or the Spit to Manly (about 10km) before the heat. A Bondi sunrise is one of the best things I’ve ever done. Start with my best places to watch the sunrise in Sydney.
37. Head south to Kangaroo Valley and Jervis Bay
Canoe the river in Kangaroo Valley, then carry on to Jervis Bay, about three hours from Sydney, where the beaches are out of this world. Here’s my complete guide to Jervis Bay.
Long summer evenings
38. Ride the ferries at sunset
Every ferry from Circular Quay gives you the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge for a public transport fare, and fares are capped each day. The Manly ferry back after dark is one of the prettiest rides in the world.
39. Eat and drink outside by the water
Walk through the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, then finish at Opera Bar with the bridge in front of you. Barangaroo and Darling Harbour are full of outdoor tables, and locals send you to Watsons Bay for fish and chips. Lady Banks in Bankstown calls itself Sydney’s biggest rooftop bar, and here are my 21 best rooftop bars in Sydney.
40. Cool down with ice cream or açaí
Mr Whippy vans are here too, flake and all. For something fancier, try my 10 best ice cream spots in Sydney, or an açaí bowl, the best cooling food when it’s hot.
41. Go to the markets in The Rocks and Chinatown
The Rocks Markets fill the old laneways with local crafts and food every Saturday and Sunday. Locals say Chinatown’s night market is best on a Friday. Here are the 18 best markets in Sydney.
What to do when it’s too hot
42. Head inside to the air con
Do what most Aussies do and head to the shopping centre, or to the Queen Victoria Building in the Sydney CBD. Summer is the best time for the cinema, when the air con is appreciated, and the Art Gallery of NSW is free. My 37 things to do in Sydney in the rain works for heatwave days too.
43. Spend a hot day in Darling Harbour
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium has over 4,000 animals, and WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and Madame Tussauds Sydney are right next door, an easy day for the whole family. Across the water, the Australian National Maritime Museum’s galleries are free and full of Australian history.
44. Go up to the Blue Mountains
The mountains are several degrees cooler and an easy day trip, about two hours by train from Central. Locals love the swimming hole under Minnehaha Falls near Katoomba. Here are the top things to do in the Blue Mountains.
Planning a summer trip to Sydney?
Book early for Christmas to Australia Day, especially New Year’s Eve. Start with my best hotels in Sydney CBD and best hostels in Sydney, and tap on to ferries, trains and buses with your bank card.
More Sydney guides for your summer
- What Christmas is really like in Sydney
- 35 best things to do in Sydney at night
- 30 things to do in Sydney in spring
- 35 things to do in Sydney in winter
What’s your favourite way to spend a summer’s day in Sydney? Let me know in the comments below.
