Historically, Friday the 13th has never really been the best omen for anyone planning a weekend out on the town. But given how much is crammed into the next three days up and down the East Coast, I’ve decided to ignore the superstitious naysayers and do the legwork.
All you need to do is pick a city, clear the calendar, and maybe warn your colleagues you’ll arrive with a heavy head on Monday morning. This is The Weekend Edit.
Sydney
Friday 13 November
Sydney Cellar Door
If you’re like me, defaulting to yet another weekend spent crawling from pub to pub in Sydney’s oldest neighbourhood, this Friday, the city’s biggest open‐air wine event returns to give The Glenmore and The Australian a break for another evening.
Sydney Cellar Door is transforming The Rocks into an open-air wine festival featuring more than 35 NSW wineries with live music and gourmet street food. Entry is free; just buy a wine tasting pack ($40 standard, $65 premium) at the gate. Not a bad way to spend the weekend, especially if the weather behaves.
When: Friday 13 – Sunday 15 November
Where: The Rocks, Sydney
Price: Free entry; tasting packs $40–$65
Made in the Inner West
Sydney's Inner West has never exactly struggled for good beer, but the big thinkers over at the breweries have given yet another reason to get over to Australia’s craft beer capital with a dedicated festival.
Made in the Inner West brings together 13 local breweries, including Wayward, Batch, and Young Henrys, for a series of tap takeovers, collaborative brews, and live music across participating venues. If you’ve never made it down, it’s perfectly free to wander between venues, although the tasting tab could become another matter entirely.
When: Through Sunday 15 November
Where: Participating Inner West breweries
Price: Free entry; drinks and tastings at venue prices
Saturday 14 November
Robbie Williams – BRITPOP World Tour
The big ticket item: Robbie Williams has crash-landed in Australia over the last couple of weeks, dominating the headlines with a Melbourne Cup performance, a Prahran pop-up, and now, his BRITPOP World Tour, Saturday night at Accor Stadium.
It's a proper stadium show, and one of the biggest events on Sydney's weekend calendar, with the British pop icon going through each one of the hits that made him a global household name.
The show is listed for a 5 PM start, so don't leave your arrival until the last minute. Sydney Olympic Park on a major concert night is rarely somewhere you want to be improvising your transport arrangements, especially with our next entry running simultaneously.
When: Saturday 14 November, 5 PM
Where: Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
Price: From $79 at ticketmaster.com.au
Joji – SOLARIS Tour
For something a little more atmospheric, Japanese-American singer and producer Joji is bringing his SOLARIS Tour to Afterpay Arena, a stone’s throw from Robbie’s world tour.
Known for his blend of alternative R&B and electronic production, Joji has built a particularly loyal following since moving away from his internet-comedy beginnings.
It's a different proposition to the stadium-sized singalong happening across the precinct, but a worthwhile one if you're after something a little more contemporary.
When: Saturday 14 November, 7 PM
Where: Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park
Price: From $132 at premier.ticketek.com.au
Cars & Coffee at Sydney Motorsport Park
Never thought I’d say this, but there’s no reason why you can’t spend the whole day around Sydney Olympic Park this Saturday – and those with a preference for petrol over pop music might want to head west a little earlier.
Sydney Motorsport Park is hosting Cars & Coffee on Saturday morning, bringing together a collection of classic, European and custom vehicles for a relaxed morning of automotive appreciation.
There's coffee, a chance to inspect some interesting machinery, and even a club car cruise on track. Not a bad way to start the weekend, particularly if you're the sort of person who thinks a Saturday morning is improved by the sound of a flat-six.
When: Saturday 14 November, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Sydney Motorsport Park
Price: Free at enthusiast.com.au
Sunday 15 November
Sydney Kings v New Zealand Breakers
Campo overnight out west and you could wake up to some Sunday afternoon basketball, with the Sydney Kings hosting the New Zealand Breakers in an Indigenous Round fixture.
There's plenty happening beyond the court, too, with pre-game entertainment including a performance from Yung Milla. If you've been meaning to get along to an NBL game this season, this is a pretty good opportunity.
When: Sunday 15 November, 3 PM
Where: Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park
Price: From $25 at sydneykings.com
The Margarita Index
The calendar says summer starts on 1 December. Anyone who’s felt that salty-rimmed Friday feeling creep in this month knows the calendar is wrong. The silly season starts when the weather says so, and now an index proves it.
Boss Hunting and Cointreau have launched the National Margarita Index, a live forecast that takes weather data from all eight capital cities and distils it into one verdict. The best part? This is Australia-wide, running all summer long. See conditions in your area here.
Melbourne
Friday 13 November
Bellevue Bar & Terrace
A new Southbank drinking den has arrived on the Yarra as the Bellevue Bar & Terrace has opened along the Crown Riverwalk.
There’s a 160-seat riverfront terrace, seasonal pub fare, spritzes and martinis, live music, DJs, and enough screens to keep an eye on the sport without sacrificing your table. Come for lunch, stay for the drinks, accidentally discover the 3 AM licence.
When: Opened 30 October
Where: Bellevue Bar & Terrace, Southbank, VIC
Melbourne’s jazz crowd has gone more than a decade without Bennetts Lane since the CBD original closed in 2015. Musician Michael Tortoni has now revived the name in a converted Brunswick warehouse next door to The Jazz Lab.
The room holds more than 300 people across tiered bleachers, a wraparound balcony, and padded nooks, with acoustic panelling throughout and Yamaha speakers flanking the stage. There’s no kitchen, but a three-cheese toastie and a cheese platter will see you through. Saturday sees Latin Big Band night with “MUCHO MAMBO” in the BL Room.
When: Fri–Sun 7:30–11 PM
Where: 27 Leslie Street, Brunswick
Brisbane
Saturday 14 November
Sofia
Brisbane’s newest neighbourhood dining room opened on Thursday at the old Olivetto’s site in Red Hill.
MasterChef’s Alana Lowes and Jack Stuart, of Blume and Venner, are behind it; head chef Ryan Carlson (ex-The French Exit and Agnes) is cooking snacks, house-made pasta, and larger plates; sommelier Nin Lynch has built a wine list around smaller Australian producers and female winemakers.
I’ve heard rumours that opening week is reportedly booked out, so this might be one to lock in for later in the month. Or try your luck with a walk-in.
When: Wed–Fri 4 PM–late; Sat midday–late; Sun 11:30 AM – 4 PM
Where: 1 Enoggera Terrace, Red Hill
Sunday 15 November
Rugby League World Cup Finals
If there's just one sporting event that deserves a place on the weekend calendar, it's this.
Suncorp Stadium hosts the Rugby League World Cup finals doubleheader on Sunday, with Australia taking on New Zealand in the women's final before the men's sides close out the tournament later in the evening.
The women's final kicks off at 3:10 PM, followed by the men's final at 6:35 PM. It's a substantial afternoon of international rugby league, and one of the biggest sporting occasions Brisbane will host this year.
When: Sunday 15 November, gates open at 2:15 PM
Where: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Price: Sold out, sorry.