Immersive Experiences & Exhibits in Sydney

The North Shore is home to St Leonard’s Wadanggari Park, where colourful, angular climbing frames and slides are flanked by oversized sculptures inspired by Australia’s native flora. Designed for older kids, this park is all about climbing – over twisting spaghetti net, through the ninja circuit and up the climbing cubes. Blaxland Riverside Park is Sydney’s biggest playground, covering three hectares of green space at Sydney Olympic Park. It’s packed with adventures like a double flying fox, oversized swings, tunnel slides and a treehouse that spans multiple levels.
The rest of the time, we suggest taking your time with an art purchase. immersive sydney If you're new to buying art, take a day to visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Spend some time looking at other galleries in Sydney — both public and commercial galleries so that you can have a real feel for what work is available.

Vivid Sydney 2026 marks Brett Sheehy AO’s first year as Festival Director; a creative homecoming after two decades leading major festivals and arts companies across Australia. Mr Sheehy said this year’s program represents a bold new horizon for the event. Vivid is more than just an enjoyable event for visitors, it is now recognised as a key economic boost for the city of Sydney. Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper says this year, Vivid Sydney will be a major boost for local businesses, delivering real economic and social benefits across the state. Aussie homegrown favourites include Beddy Rays, Jem Cassar-Daley, Party Dozen, party collectives DUNJ and Mad Racket, and tastemakers Astral People.
Whether you come as a lover of art, a student of history, a seeker of beauty or the sacred, or simply curious, Sistine Chapel reimagined is designed for you. We offer a private room that can be customized to suit your needs, creating the perfect experience for team-building sessions too. The theme of the 23rd Biennale of Sydney is 'rīvus' (Latin for stream) and the three-month-long event will cover artworks, experiments and installations inspired by wetlands and ecosystems around Sydney. Artist Mulga, known for his wild character-driven murals, has compiled 8,888 one-of-a-kind pieces under the MULGA KONGZ banner, and a selection of these make up an exhibition titled KONGZ ISLAND. Make tracks to MidCity Shopping Centre to see Mulga's tropical gorillas like never before.
Curated by South Coast live music collective Holy Pavlova, the Sunday session runs midday through to evening with audiences moving between venues. Participating accommodation providers are offering a three-nights-for-the-price-of-two deal for visitors who want to extend the trip. Grab a bite of everything from Polynesian dishes to Sicilian wood-fired pizzas, Turkish street food, and Filipino charcoal-cooked delights. Beyond the food, you’ll find unique retailers, wholesale flowers, and acoustic live music to help you wind down your week. June is the perfect time to enjoy Sydney’s thriving performing arts scene.

This technological approach allows for a level of detail that is virtually impossible for the naked eye to appreciate in Rome. Visitors will be able to study the subtle expressions on the faces of prophets and sibyls, the intricate musculature of Adam and God in The Creation of Adam, and the individual brushstrokes of the master himself. Experts view this exhibition as a strategic blend of cultural preservation and modern engagement, offering a balanced approach between technological innovation and respect for the original artistic intent. Van Gogh Alive will run from Thursday, December 8 at The Grand Pavilion, The Entertainment Quarter.
Grande Experiences, Andrew Kay, BBC Studios, and Fane, in partnership with Lexus, present the global sensation Van Gogh Alive, an incredible immersive multi-sensory experience, for the first time in the Grand Pavilion. This is no ordinary art exhibition - be surrounded by a vibrant symphony of light, colour, sound, and fragrance that has been described as an ‘unforgettable’ multi-sensory experience. Van Gogh Alive runs at The Royal Hall of Industries, adjacent to the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park from Friday, September 18 for a limited time. Tickets will cost $30 per person and go on sale at midday on Friday, August 21 via vangoghalive.com.au. Head to Grenfell for a weekend celebrating one of Australia’s most iconic poets, Henry Lawson. From live performances to street parades, this festival offers a mix of creativity, culture, and community spirit.

Every piece has been designed to spark conversation and curiosity while remaining accessible and affordable for everyone. Even the gift shop is part of the experience, offering “musical lollipops” that let you taste, tap, and hum your way through the exit. “With more than 80 per cent of the program free to attend, Vivid Sydney is focused on making world-leading cultural experiences accessible to everyone. Whether it’s the entire 6.5km Vivid Light Walk, free live music at Tumbalong Nights or dynamic daytime programming, this year’s festival will bring colour and creativity to the city while delivering a significant boost to local businesses. The Chef 👨‍🍳Chef Davide is a professional chef with over 25 years of culinary experience, born and raised in Venice, Italy.
It doesn’t get more immersive and magical than one of Sydney’s dreamy Candlelight concerts. Revisit the music of some of your favourite artists from Queen to Taylor Swift and more while bathed in the glow of candlelight. It’s also an excellent first-date idea if you’re planning a romantic night out.
You can explore the winning works and discover the stories behind the artists, subjects and portraits here. Discover mysterious and unique Viking-age treasures at this fascinating exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum. This display offers a rare glimpse into the Galloway Hoard, a collection of Viking-age objects buried around AD 900. Containing over five kilograms of silver, gold and other materials, this exhibition explores who buried the hoard, their stories, the world of Viking-age Europe, and the cutting-edge conservation and research now revealing its secrets. Back for a strictly limited season, this iconic tribal rock musical brings the vibrant counterculture of New York’s hippie movement to life on stage.

Ellaslist is a trusted local guide for families across Sydney and NSW, written by parents, carers and family lifestyle editors who understand what makes an outing with kids genuinely work. Our team researches and curates the best family-friendly events, attractions, playgrounds, restaurants and school holiday activities, with practical details on age suitability, accessibility, parking, public transport, facilities and family-friendly tips. Drink a shrinking potion and follow the white rabbit, go back in time to prevent Chernobyl, or play detective inside the mind of a madman. Anything is possible inside the metaverse at Entermission, where the escape room concept takes on virtual reality. It’s a completely immersive experience, with virtual reality headsets and sensors tracking your hand movements as you work as a team to solve the puzzles.
The complete journey from end to end includes a three-course gastronomic experience prepared by Venetian-born and trained chef Davide. He has combined his expertise in Italian cuisine with his 20-year knowledge of Australian cooking to create sumptuous dishes to please and excite. This special projection-mapping experience from SixthSense Agency combines visual storytelling with a three-course dinner to produce an event where past, present and future meld into one continuous stream. Welcome to A 3D Journey Through Time, an immersive, multisensorial and narrative-driven encounter where your three-course dinner is served with a side of an audio-visual trip and paired with bottomless prosecco, cocktails or wines. An immersive exhibition that recreates Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel using large-scale projection and spatial storytelling.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience is only possible in virtual reality—don’t miss it. The primary goal of this research is to investigate the factors through which artists and designers contribute to the creation of VR environments. Dr Rebecca Green is a Visual Communication researcher and an experienced graphic designer, comic artist and illustrator. Her research has demonstrated that different aesthetic styles can dramatically change the way viewers receive visual messages.
Vietnamese flavours, culture and art shine bright in Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden, in a sensory dining experience shaped by chef Luke Nguyen's culinary... This year, Lighting of the Sails at the Sydney Opera House is Opera Mundi, an ode to nature and the Sails’s designer John Utzon by French artist Yann Nguema. Revered Samoan artist Angela Tiatia transforms the Museum of Contemporary Art with Vaiola, a projection exploring her culture’s relationship to water. Customs House will play dramatically with your sense of perception with the ever-shifting geometric designs of The Fringe of Infinity by Spanish visual artist Javier Riera. Visitors will encounter sensory experiences of smell and sound, technology-driven pieces. A new, woman-led, interactive, immersive and independent experiential playground has opened in Chippendale, in Sydney's inner suburbs – at a scale and level of detail that has not been done in Australia.