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Puppy cuddles to pickleball: festival lands in cool Sydney precinct

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy
From hula hoops to getting a colour analysis, here’s why you’ll want to head to Sydney this September.

Sydney is getting a serious dose of feel-good this spring as the Live Well festival returns in September. Running all month long, the program transforms one of the city’s most vibrant inner-city precincts into a playground of health, fitness and fun – with a dynamic lineup of both free and budget-friendly activities.

Expect everything from expert wellness checks and Pilates classes to laughter yoga, pickleball, puppy playtime, bonsai workshops, manifestation sessions and even fine line tattoos. Whether you’re chasing a midday mood boost or want to overhaul your wellbeing routine, there’s something for every energy level and vibe at South Everleigh’s Live Well festival.

Woman hula hooping on sunny day
Make fitness fun with a hula hooping session.

Prioritise your health

Kick things off with a life-saving skin check in partnership with Skin Check Champions (1–5 September). The Shane Warne Legacy’s four-minute heart health checks also run throughout the month, giving you quick insights into your blood pressure, BMI and heart health – all for free.

Fitness that’s fun

top view of woman playing piclke ball, holding paddle to return ball in pickleball court
Discover why pickleball is having a moment. (Image: Getty Images / gahsoon)

Move your body in ways that feel good, whether that’s free Pilates every Friday at Body Fit Redfern (yes, there are free smoothies, too), or hula hooping with Fembot JuJu’s Hoop Fit sessions across the month. There’s also a pickleball pop-up (15–27 September), where you can grab a paddle and see why this fast-growing sport is having a moment.

Wellness with a twist

Group of people in exercise class holding yoga mats
Participate in laughter yoga for a mood boost.

Balance the sweat with sessions designed to soothe. Mindful massage pop-ups (every Wednesday) offer calming 10-minute massages, while laughter yoga brings 45 minutes of pure joy. For something deeper, try a sleep hygiene workshop (16–17 September) or a manifestation workshop (22 September) to align your mindset and goals.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Experiences you won’t forget

Fineline Tattoos from Finelines Bondi
Get a fine line tattoo that reflects your personal journey, mindset or mantra.

This year’s program goes beyond the usual with unique wellness experiences. Book a fine line tattoo with Finelines Bondi (9–11 September), a lasting way to mark your mantra or personal journey. Creative types can unwind at Bonsai & Brews at BrewDog (18 and 20 September), a mindful workshop pairing plant care with craft beer. And don’t miss the colour analysis workshop (16 September), where designer Kim Crowley will help you discover your personal palette.

Feel-good extras

Woman playing with puppies
Enjoy 10-minute cuddle sessions with puppies. (Image: Getty Images / Slavica)

It’s not all serious – wellness is also about joy. Pop by for puppy playtime (1 and 22 September) for a midday cuddle with adorable dogs or roll up your sleeve and donate blood with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (8–12 September) to make a real impact.

The details

South Eveleigh Precinct outside
There’s something for every energy level and vibe at South Everleigh’s Live Well festival. (Image: Kitti Gould)

Where: South Eveleigh precinct, Locomotive Street, Redfern
When: 1-30 September 2025
Cost: Mostly free, with select paid workshops

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Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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The secret Sydney suite life: a luxury under-the-radar stay right on the harbour

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
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    This winter, these secret Sydney harbour suites are the staycation we’ve been looking for.

    Whether it’s the crisscrossing ferries or the white sails of the Opera House rising out of blue depths, Australia’s biggest city lives for its harbour. But while locals might glance at that watery expanse on their daily commute across the Bridge, it can still be hard to truly connect with Sydney’s maritime soul. The secret: seeing the harbour eye-to-eye, right at water level. And what better place to submerge yourself in that energy than sleeping there? That’s where Pier One Sydney Harbour comes in (and with new all-inclusive bed and breakfast benefits, there’s even more to love).

    All-inclusive VIP benefits

    Who Is Elijah Amenities at Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Book in for the all-inclusive VIP treatment.

    The hard truth is that it will be very difficult to tear yourself away from your ultra-luxurious harbour home-away-from-home to explore the city. If you want to make leaving even harder, opt for Pier One’s all-inclusive VIP treatment.

    The Bed and Breakfast with Suite Benefits package turns up the volume on what is already the ultimate staycation, with complimentary valet parking, daily breakfast for two and turndown service. The biggest perk? Enjoy a bottle of French champagne every day during your whole stay

    Pier One Sydney Harbour

    Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Step into a piece of history with all the modern comforts. (Credit: Dave Wheeler)

    The five-star Pier One Sydney Harbour is quite literally old Sydney through and through. Built on what was once a working cargo wharf and the passenger terminal for those heading to the North Shore before the bridge was constructed, the heritage building sits right between the tangle of cobblestones, pubs and alleyways of The Rocks and the historic docking zone of Walsh Bay – at the centre of the city’s old sea trade.

    If knowing the hotel’s history isn’t enough to get your sea-longing going, the interior design certainly will. As soon as you step up to the concierge desk in the lobby of the restored building – which underwent a $15 million redevelopment in 2019 – you’re immersed in Sydney’s seafaring tale. Weathered wood panelling and white marble floors surround you, while loop lighting installations hover above the bar island just beyond, ringed with stools ready for intimate, martini-tinted conversations. Steel rivets and timber beams speak to its past, and glass-walled views anchor you firmly in the present-day life on the harbour.

    Pier One Suites

    Pier One Sydney Harbour admiral suite
    Enjoy incredible views from your suite.

    Across the 189 rooms and suites built on and over the water, the maritime theme continues. Sculptural aged brass fittings, exposed girders, colour schemes that evoke shifting currents, and mirrors that reflect ripples that – depending on your booking – sit just metres from your pillow.

    United on theme yet unique in set-up, each room or suite is different. On the ground floor, dog-friendly rooms with direct access to the pier are all prepped for pampered pups, while others have views and even balconies overlooking Walsh Bay, the Bridge and the Harbour.

    But the 19 suites step things up even more. Gaze out through floor-to-ceiling windows, or get even closer. Your private balcony is made for sipping a Nespresso coffee on as the sun comes up – or soaking in the bathtub of the Admiral Suite on the deck, a drink from the locally stocked mini bar in hand. This mini bar was recently completely transformed, so you have more Aussie favourites to choose from, including alcohol and snacks.

    Dining at Pier One

    Pier Bar Pier One Sydney Harbour
    Settle in for an afternoon of good drinks and views.

    Once you’re checked in, start your afternoon with a spritz at PIER BAR – or arrive by boat via the private pontoon if the occasion calls for it – and settle into one of the cabanas. Weekdays bring Happy Hour (or ‘sunset hour’ at Pier One); weekends bring the DJs. After an even sweeter experience? The Everyday Creamery and Matcha Kiosk is slinging mango and vanilla soft serve – classic and those spiked with Midori and gin alike.

    PIER Dining is an ode to contemporary Australian flavours across the terrace, pier and dining room. On its seafood-leaning menu are Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, potato scallops with salmon roe and crème fraîche, chicken with melting sundried tomato butter, vodka rigatoni with Shark Bay prawns. And the ‘Pierlova’ – that’s pavlova with chocolate, dulce de leche and banana is worth saving room for. Make sure to ask for the wine list – it’s 100 per cent Australian drops.

    Around town

    luna park, sydney opera house and sydney harbour bridge
    Explore the neighbourhood during your stay. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    If you’re strong enough to polish off just one last pastry from the breakfast buffet and walk out the door, we applaud you. Luna Park across the harbour beckons with its wide grin, while a glance upward might spur you to climb the Bridge’s famous iron arches. The Opera House – just across Circular Quay from the Museum of Contemporary Art – sings out for a concert.

    You’ll want to book ahead for those hot-ticket performances at Sydney Theatre Company and Sydney Dance Company, just a few minutes’ walk south of the hotel. Ten minutes further brings you to the waterfront bars, restaurants and clubs of Barangaroo, or the karaoke, gardens and dim sum of Chinatown further afield.

    Keep the mellow of your weekend getaway going with a stop at Barangaroo Reserve, watching the yachts go by – all before returning for that Sydney sundowner at Pier One.

    Ready to make that Pier One stay a reality? Book the ultimate Sydney staycation at pieronesydneyharbour.com.au