Welcome to Things to Do in Sydney! I’m Oly Bennet, your globe-trotting, sports-loving cheerleader for all things quirky, wild, and wonderful. It’s Friday, October 31, 2025, and Sydney is absolutely buzzing—so strap in for a wild ride!

Today’s weather is classic Sydney spring: clear blue skies, warming up to a frolicking 26°C, and the city’s energy is off the charts thanks to Halloween fever and a wave of blockbuster events. Wherever you go, the city feels like it’s ready to party—think ghosts, costumes, music, and a hearty dash of that only-in-Sydney magic.

Sydney’s headline today is the Ghost in The Rocks Festival, which has taken over The Rocks and Circular Quay and is frankly spookier than a kangaroo on a trampoline. The city’s first-ever dedicated Halloween festival is in full swing, drawing massive crowds with free entertainment, live music, street performers, and a candlelit, fog-filled night market. Tonight, The House of Horrors turns a historic cottage into a multi-level haunted dance party with DJs spinning monster mashups till late. If you’ve dreamed of strutting your stuff in a 360° video booth and going full ghoul for the Sydney Halloween costume competition, your moment has arrived down at Reese’s Ghouls Gate.

Family in tow or just keen for daylight scares? The daytime market vibe at The Rocks morphs into a truly atmospheric, all-ages haunted bazaar come dusk, with magical trinkets, spooky snacks, and plenty of jump scares from “friendly” ghosts. Later tonight, the Ghost Cinema at Cadmans Cottage lights up the sky with horror classics, immersive soundscapes, and sneakily placed live performers guaranteed to make you shriek like you’ve just spotted a drop bear.

For the nightlife adventurers, check out the Ultimate Halloween Party at Arcade Bar & Club on O’Connell Street. Two levels of DJs, games, and costume contests are on the menu. If you want ‘fancy dress’ to mean ‘fancy mess,’ this is the party for you.

If you’re more about culture than creatures, the city’s loaded with options: The Book of Mormon is on at the Capitol Theatre for a musical with more plot twists than a footy match, and the Primavera exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art showcases Australia’s young artistic talent. Got aspiring artists or drag fans in the house? There’s a glow-in-the-dark Halloween Drawing Workshop with The Fabulous Wonder Mama at Surry Hills—because, in Sydney, we celebrate spooky with style.

Big news for travel buffs: Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas has made its grand Sydney Harbour debut today! That means cruises are about to be the hottest ticket on (and off) the water. Also, public transit remains on regular schedule, but expect busy platforms around Circular Quay and The Rocks thanks to festival turnout—jump on a ferry for killer harbour views and fewer crowds.

On the culinary front, Sydney’s Halloween-themed pop-up stalls at Poliakov’s Haunted Woods are winning rave reviews for their “freakishly delicious eats”—from gelato to bubble tea, all with a spooky twist. And if goblins aren’t your thing, nab a table at one of the new waterfront eateries near Barangaroo for a cocktail with that world-class skyline as your backdrop.

If you want to experience a true slice of local magic, head to George Street in The Rocks for the best view of tonight’s Halloween Parade—just get there by 6:30 pm if you want front-row action without elbowing through the crowd. Local tip: Sydney’s festival folk take costumes seriously, so come as a ghoul, wizard, or—my personal favorite—a cricket bat-wielding ghost, and you’ll instantly be adopted as one of our own.

Tomorrow’s looking just as epic, with the Sydney Zombie Walk taking over the CBD—thousands strong, raising funds for charity. And there’s more festival, more art, and more food than you can shake a vampire’s cape at. So tune in for your next fix of Sydney’s most unusual,...