Sydney's cultural scene blooms with creativity this spring, with the South by Southwest Sydney and Sydney Fringe festival programs just some of the many blockbuster cultural events taking place across the city from September to November. Discover how AI is shaping cutting-edge contemporary art, encounter astonishing Indigenous art and catch a musical as you enjoy a wave of warm days during this magical season in the harbour city. 

Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible

Contemplate your passage through space and time as you wander among the large-scale light sculptures of Museum of Contemporary Art Australia's Cerith Wyn Evans .... in light of the visible, which runs until 19 October 2025.

Feel your perception subtly shift as you engage with major works by Welsh conceptual artist Cerith Wyn Evans, most of which have never been seen before in Australia. Stroll through a metaphorical Japanese garden as you take in astonishing works like the Neon Forms (After Noh), a set of large-scale pieces that draw inspiration from the choreography of Japan's Noh theatre and use neon light to create “drawings in space”. Move around F=O=U=N=T=A=I=N, a wall of white neon that's three metres tall and 10 metres wide, and breathe in and out in time with the 37 glass pipes of Composition for 37 Flutes as they exhale sound into the gallery space. 

Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala 

Trace the evolution of the Northern Territory's Yirrkala school of Indigenous art from the 1940s to the present day in the extraordinary exhibition Yolŋu power: the art of Yirrkala, presented by Art Gallery of New South Wales in partnership with the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Art Centre, until 6 October 2025. 

You're bound to lose track of time as you take in this incredible collection of bark paintings, sculptures, drawings on paper, prints and time-based artworks, curated to showcase and contextualise the long history of the exceptional artworks created in the community of Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land.

The Book of Mormon

The critically acclaimed, award-winning musical The Book of Mormon continues its run at the city centre's Capitol Theatre until 26 October 2025. A collaboration between the creators of South Park and multiple EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) award-winner Robert Lopez, this irreverent show tells the story of a mismatched pair of Mormon missionaries as they stumble from one hilarious misadventure to another while they attempt to complete a church mission in Uganda.

Relics: A New World Rises

Delight your Lego-mad kids, or indulge your own passion for the modular bricks, at the immersive art experience Relics: A New World Rises, opening on 16 August 2025 at the Australian Museum. You'll step into a magical world created by Lego Masters winners Jackson Harvey and Alex Towler, who have imagined a world in which humans have departed Earth in favour of a more hospitable environment.

Marvel at the fantastical designs Lego minifigures have constructed for themselves in abandoned relics like an old book cabinet, an upright piano and even the bonnet of an original VW Beetle. You'll be rewarded for taking a long, searching look at each installation as you spot a cascade of clever details amid the intricate designs, which include a grandfather clock that's been transformed into a time machine and an old fridge that's been repurposed as a cryonics facility.

Sydney Fringe Festival

New South Wales's largest independent arts festival, Sydney Fringe returns with more than 460 events across the city from 1–30 September 2025. Draw energy from the passion of the 2,900-odd artists performing at 10 festival hubs and throughout four precincts – central Sydney, the Inner West, the Eastern Suburbs and Greater Sydney. 

Celebrate the start of the festival at the free street party in The Rocks on 4 September, and snap up tickets to highlight shows such as When Night Comes, an immersive performance blending theatre and cocktails, and three acclaimed works by England's storytelling masters Wright & Grainger: Orpheus, Helios and the family-friendly Grandpa Poseidon. 

Thrill to innovative theatre, music, contemporary dance and cabaret at the Off Broadway Hub at Darlinghurst's heritage-listed Eternity Playhouse. And seek out Fringe events across the city, from Hurstville in the city's south to Lane Cove in the north and Western Sydney's Parramatta. 

Back to the Future: The Musical 

Lightning struck on London's West End and New York's Broadway: now it's Sydney's turn as Back to the Future: The Musical throws sparks at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Pyrmont from 26 September 2025. With Tony Award-winning veteran actor Roger Bart playing Doc Brown and rising Australian theatre performer Axel Duffy taking on the role of Marty McFly, this acclaimed musical adaptation features original show tunes alongside the rock staples showcased in the 1985 film, including Huey Lewis and The News's The Power of Love and Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode. 

South by Southwest Sydney

See who's shaping the future of all kinds of creativity at South by Southwest Sydney events across the city from 13–19 October 2025. Tap into the next wave of innovation at some of the 400-plus interactive sessions, workshops and talks on emerging technologies, marketing, sustainability, business leadership and more during the SXSW Sydney Conference at ICC Sydney.

Meet visionary creators and get matched with a mentor from the Australian film and TV industry at the SXSW screen festival, be moved by musicians from across the Asia-Pacific in 300-plus performances ranging from experimental electronic or metalcore during the music festival, and catch hands-on demonstrations and gaming product launches at the games showcase.

Data Dreams: Being Human in the Age of AI 

Gain fascinating insights into how artificial intelligence is shaping the world at large, and contemporary art in particular, through the arresting works gathered together in the groundbreaking show Data Dreams: Contemporary Art in the Age of AI, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia from 21 November 2025 to 26 April 2026. 

Be challenged by artworks encouraging you to reflect deeply on what it means to be human when computers can simulate human thinking, form memories and even dream. Immerse in interactive installations, and wander through experiential gallery spaces brimming with thought-provoking works by leading contemporary artists from around the globe.

Keep up to date with events in Sydney and New South Wales by visiting the Media Centre Events page here.

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