Things to do at Christmas in Sydney includes fireworks, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and much more. We periodically update this page as new top things to do come to light.
Some Sydney Christmas events extend to Boxing Day. How?? Why? Well, we all love Christmas, we all love Sydney. So it makes perfect sense that Christmas just LOVES Sydney. Merry Long Sydney Christmas:
Sydney’s fabulous beaches are always open. Everyone is welcome to have fun in sun on Christmas Day. After all, going to the beach on Christmas Day is an Aussie tradition. Many visitors and locals head for Bondi (ranked 15 in the top 100 things to do in Sydney) and Coogee (ranked 22) Beaches to celebrate. If you are a little worried about sharks visit the chances of being bitten by a Snake, Shark or Spider page.
The Christmas lights are great to see even if you aren’t into Christmas. It can be a bit like an entree to Vivid except it’s warm! Head towards Martin Place, Pitt Street, Darling Harbour and the Woolies opposite Town Hall to see some cool light projections.
A drive through many of Sydney’s suburbs will be rewarded by unofficial Christmas lights on roofs and front gardens. Use the link below to map out where to go. 🙂
Carols in the domain is said to be Australia’s largest free Christmas concert. The fun commences at 12pm and warms up with an afternoon pre-event at 3pm. Performances will come from a barrage of talented musicians and artists all in support of the very worthy Salvation Army.
The kids will have some crafty things to do as well as games and other activities. The highlight for the kids will, of course, be that visit from the big man in red and white, Santa Claus.
Santa Claus has promised to take a break from his very busy schedule in order to light up Sydney’s enormous Christmas tree. The only thing that could possibly top that is a fireworks display.
Darling Harbour is the place to go for fireworks but not necessarily on Christmas Day. On the plus side there are displays on most Saturdays.
Darling Harbour also has a ‘campaign’ of Christmas activities leading up to Christmas. The Wiggles Tree of Wisdom for example sounds intriguing… Follow the link for more.
The Christmas window display at David Jones in the centre of town at Elizabeth Street is usually well worth seeing. Some people bring their kids into town just to see it.
It is easy to forget, unless you drive past it regularly, that we have a large family friendly zoo on our doorstep. The Australian Reptile Park, just an hour’s drive north, also has a lot of non-reptilian creatures to see. They really should think about a name change.
It’s great that Sydney has a world-class zoo perched on a headland by the Harbour. A trip to Taronga Zoo brings with it some wonderful opportunities for amazing photography and it is a great day out for the whole family. If you catch the ferry from Circular Quay with a zoo ferry ticket, you will not only save money but you will probably enjoy the day even more.
It’s fun just to meander around Chinatown and grab a bite to eat. Chinatown is packed full of life and energy even on Christmas Day.
We all know that the cinema is a place of magic. On Christmas Day it can also be a form of time travel, all the way to Boxing Day. Many of the cinemas will preview Boxing Day film releases. Palace Cinemas, Hoyts Cinemas and Event Cinemas should all be open all though possibly not till mid-afternoon. IMAX should also be open if you’re a fan of really big movies.
As ever there are a few cruises to choose from but in our opinion the best is the Sky Deck. You’ll spend your Christmas on the highest deck of their best boat, the MV Sydney 2000. They will feed you five yummy courses along with premium wine, beers and/or soft drinks to wash it all down.
Sydney Ferries run to a public holiday timetable and what’s Open on Christmas Day in Sydney?
The summer holidays are a wonderful time to spend some time with the kids…until we run out of things to do:
The yachts create a breath-taking spectacle as they depart from the Harbour on Boxing Day for this race with over half a century of tradition.
If you are new in town you may be wondering where to stay. Follow the link below for the top locations. If you are using a booking site we suggest you consider contacting the hotel directly – you might get a better price. In Australia the hoteliers aren’t contractually allowed to undercut the booking sites but often do in practice or offer ‘freebies’ instead. Just don’t tell… 🙂 Follow the link below for more:
There are always things happening and goings on in Sydney, even over the Holidays. We will keep an eye out for the best and most interesting events and festivals. We also update the list of top 100 (plus) things to do, many of which are free and can be done over Xmas. Get the most out of Christmas by visiting the home page.
If you are considering some day trips or something longer follow the link below.
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