Hey neighbour,

This Saturday's coffee cupping in Marrickville is billing itself as the greatest on the planet, which is a claim worth putting to the test. Add a free pet portrait session, a dim sum party over in Chippendale and Batch Brewing's all-day Stoutfest, and there's no shortage of ways to fill the weekend.

Enjoy,
Seb

THE WORLD’S BIGGEST COFFEE CUPPING EVENT COMES TO MARRICKVILLE

Source: Unsplash.com

This Saturday, FBR ROM takes over Sleepy Bloc & Messina HQ in Marrickville for Allstars AU, a coffee cupping event pitched as the biggest of its kind anywhere.

There’ll be coffee sourced from hundreds of roasters across Australia, with industry veterans, emerging talent, and self-described coffee weirdos expected through the door. On top of that, Hario is putting up prizes for whichever roaster rates highest on the day.

Oatly is supplying both the milk and the sound system. Shadow Baking is on food duty with a brioche bun stuffed with gelato in your choice of flavour, and DJs Mimi J, Bouki and Max Cherry keep the afternoon moving. There's even a pop-up archive of odd coffee-world relics and forgotten artifacts if you need a break from tasting.

The cupping itself runs from 10am to 1:30pm at Sleepy Bloc, then the party shifts a few doors down to Messina HQ from 11am to 6pm for a dance floor, art installations, and more food. Free entry, but given the scale of this one, I'd get there early.

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MY WEEKEND PICKS

FESTIVAL
Stoutfest 2026: Batch Brewing Co., one of the Ale Trail's anchor venues, runs an all-day celebration of dark beers for anyone who takes stout seriously.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10am
📍 Batch Brewing Co, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Dim Sum Party: A dim sum social lands this Friday night for foodies that appreciate good food, free-flowing drinks, live entertainment, and a room full of legends looking to connect with others.
📅 Friday 3 July, 7pm
📍 14 Kensington St, Chippendale
💰 Ticketed

TALKS & WORKSHOPS
Draw Your Pet: A Free Creative Workshop: Bring your furry friend to life on paper in this workshop where you’ll learn from the best. They also have free puppuccinos on the menu for your good boy or girl.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 11am
📍 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville
💰 Free

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
World Cup Live Site: Australia vs Egypt: Tumbalong Park falls a little outside the Inner West, but with giant screens, a proper crowd and extra trains, metro and light rail from as early as 1:30am, it's a great option if you're following the Socceroos' World Cup journey.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 4am
📍 Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour
💰 Free

YOUTH
Op shopping your look sustainably: Fashion designer Sofia Avramides shows Inner West teens how to shop secondhand with intention, building personal style without the environmental cost of fast fashion.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 1pm
📍 St Peters Town Hall, Unwins Bridge Rd, Sydenham
💰 Free

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND

ALL WEEKEND

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Mad Hatter's Tea Party: An Alice in Wonderland-inspired circus cabaret at The Grand Electric with all ages welcome.
📅 Saturday 4 - Sunday 5 July, various times
📍 The Grand Electric, 199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
💰 Ticketed

COMEDY
UTS Revue: The Time Machine: UTS Comedy, Revue and Performance Society brings its sketch show to PACT in Erskineville with a performance that pokes fun at humanity’s evolution through time.
📅 Friday 3 - Saturday 4 July, various times
📍 PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville
💰 Ticketed

ARTS & CULTURE: CLOSING WEEKEND
Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty: Grounded + Growing in Country: Award-winning Indigenous artist Helen McCarthy Tyalmuty closes out her major solo show at Kate Owen Gallery this weekend. Free entry across gallery hours makes it an easy add to a Rozelle wander.
📅 Friday 3 - Sunday 5 July, 10am
📍 Kate Owen Gallery, 680 Darling St, Rozelle
💰 Free

ARTS & CULTURE: CLOSING WEEKEND
To Kill a Mockingbird: The Genesian wraps up its run of Harper Lee's classic this weekend, with Saturday and Sunday marking the final performances.
📅 Saturday 4 - Sunday 5 July, various times
📍 Genesian Theatre, 2B Gordon St, Rozelle
💰 Ticketed

ARTS & CULTURE
The Day of the Triffids: New Theatre's world premiere adaptation of John Wyndham's Cold War classic continues its run in Newtown, with ArtsHub naming it one of Sydney's five best shows to catch this month.
📅 Friday 3 - Sunday 5 July, various times
📍 New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown
💰 Ticketed

ARTS & CULTURE
Mitch Cairns: Artist's Mouth: Archibald Prize winner Mitch Cairns gets a serious showing at the National Art School Gallery, presented alongside the Institute of Modern Art.
📅 Friday 3 - Sunday 5 July, 11am
📍 National Art School Gallery, 156 Forbes St, Darlinghurst
💰 Free

FRIDAY 3 JULY

COMEDY
Comedy World Cup: Twenty comedians repping their home nations face off in heat four of the Comedy World Cup at the Annandale Hotel.
📅 Friday 3 July, 7:30pm
📍 The Annandale Hotel, Annandale
💰 Ticketed

TALKS & WORKSHOPS
Glow In the Dark Drawing Workshop with Wonder Mama: A neon art workshop teaching you to draw with UV oil pastels under blacklight.
📅 Friday 3 July, 6:30pm
📍 507 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills
💰 Ticketed

SATURDAY 4 JULY

FESTIVAL
Dark Arts Beer Fest: Future Brewing in St Peters is hosting its Dark Arts festival, a proper celebration of stouts and porters.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10am
📍 Future Brewing, St Peters
💰 Ticketed

TALKS & WORKSHOPS
Origami zine workshop: Artist Aimee Meng teaches the art of Origami paper folding at Chrissie Cotter Gallery. Fold zines designed by Aimee or make your own.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10:30am
📍 Chrissie Cotter Gallery, 31A Pidcock St, Camperdown
💰 Free

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Meet naturally, without pressure: A curated singles night at Flight Club Newtown, using the darts bar setting to take the edge off first-meeting awkwardness.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 7pm
📍 Flight Club Newtown, Newtown
💰 Ticketed

ARTS & CULTURE
MIGU. xhibit_3: Filipino street and surrealist art fills a Darlinghurst space, with guest artists and live music running alongside the show. Original works and prints are up for grabs if something catches your eye.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 6pm
📍 213 Oxford St, Darlinghurst
💰 Free

NIGHTLIFE
Frequency: A dance and rave night at The Abercrombie in Chippendale, drawing a crowd who share a love of music and staying out late.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 9pm
📍 The Abercrombie Hotel, 100 Broadway, Chippendale
💰 Ticketed

TALKS & WORKSHOPS
Phone Photography - Exploring Balmain: We Are Observers leads a guided smartphone photography walk through Balmain's streets, architecture, and waterfront. No camera gear needed, just your phone and an eye for detail.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10am
📍 94 Beattie St, Balmain
💰 Ticketed

TALKS & WORKSHOPS
Dance in a Day - 1950's: Dean and Trudi teach Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly and the Stroll this Saturday morning. Beginners welcome.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10am
📍 L1, 201 Marrickville Road, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Co-operative Housing Walking Tour: A guided walk through Stanmore's housing cooperatives and an opportunity to learn more about how residents manage and govern their housing.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10:30am
📍 Stanmore Train Station, Trafalgar St, Stanmore
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
July Junk Journaling Club: Glue Girls run their monthly craft social at Darlinghurst Community Space. A relaxed space for socialising and crafting.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 1pm
📍 Darlinghurst Community Space, 277 Bourke St, Darlinghurst
💰 Ticketed

ARTS & CULTURE
Inside the Maritime Collection: A behind-the-scenes look at the National Maritime Museum's storage facility at Wharf 7, with access to objects from a 160,000-item collection that never makes it to public display.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10:30am
📍 Wharf 7 Heritage Centre, Australian National Maritime Museum, Pyrmont
💰 Ticketed

WELLNESS
Where can we find lasting happiness?: A Buddhist meditation and teaching session at Temple on the Park exploring what turning inward can actually offer.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 3pm
📍 Temple on the Park, 158 Australia Street, Newtown
💰 Ticketed

TALKS & WORKSHOPS
The Symbolism & Psychology of Cancer: A lecture on the archetypal and psychological themes of Cancer, the zodiac's nurturing sign. Part of a broader astrology and psychology program.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 5:30pm
📍 Level 1/326 King St, Newtown
💰 Ticketed

NIGHTLIFE
Peña de Trova y Son with Son 4: An introduction to Cuban culture with music, culture and connection at the Addison Road Community Centre.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 6pm
📍 Centro Cultural Latinoamericano, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

COMEDY
An Unscripted Comedy Show: One actor performs a scripted scene while an improviser makes up their half on the spot.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 7pm
📍 Improv Theatre Sydney, 44-54 Botany Rd, Alexandria
💰 Ticketed

SUNDAY 5 JULY

FESTIVAL
HobbyCon Sydney: A one-day convention for collectors and hobbyists at Wentworth Park, covering sneakers, anime, toys, comics and trading cards.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 9am
📍 5 Wentworth Park Rd, Glebe
💰 Ticketed

FESTIVAL
Winter Cellar Door: NSW Wine takes over Carriageworks for a winter tasting event, pouring wines from across the state in the heritage venue. A good excuse to explore beyond your usual bottle shop picks.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 11am
📍 Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Crafty Queers: A DIY craft social for queer people and friends at Reverse Garbage in Marrickville, meeting on the first Sunday of every month.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 4pm
📍 Reverse Garbage, 30 Carrington Road, Marrickville
💰 Free

MARKET
Flour Mill Markets: Summer Hill's heritage square fills with produce, artisan goods and handmade wares this Sunday.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 9am
📍 Flour Mill of Summer Hill, 16 Flour Mill Way, Summer Hill
💰 Free

WELLNESS
Puppy Yoga: Doga Sydney runs a yoga session with actual puppies at Rhodes Central. Equal parts stretch and distraction, in the best way.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 9am
📍 Rhodes Central, Rhodes
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Cycling in the city: rusty riders course: A beginner-friendly course at Sydney Park Cycling Centre for anyone whose confidence on two wheels has faded.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 9am
📍 Sydney Park Cycling Centre, 410-416 Sydney Park Road, Alexandria
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Bike Tune-Up at Marrickville Markets: A free bike tune-up service running alongside the Sunday market at Addison Road Community Centre.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 8:30am
📍 Marrickville Organic Food Market, 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Deep Tea: Momentum: Deep Tea uses tea appreciation as a lens for history, culture and philosophy, hosted at Kaolin in Alexandria.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 8:30am
📍 Kaolin, 4/33 Maddox St, Alexandria
💰 Ticketed

ARTS & CULTURE
We are (not) (y)our words: An immersive performance work at AIRspace Projects in Marrickville, using text and movement to explore how words placed on us by others shape who we become.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 2pm
📍 AIRspace Projects Inc, 10 Junction St, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Scrap Soirée: A relaxed crafting social at Darlinghurst Community Space, built around working with scrap materials in good company.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 2pm
📍 Darlinghurst Community Space, 277 Bourke St, Darlinghurst
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
She Pickles: A women's pickleball social at Perry Park Recreation Centre in Alexandria. Come for the activity, stay for the community that's built up around it.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 9:30am
📍 Perry Park Recreation Centre, 1B Maddox St, Alexandria
💰 Ticketed

COMMUNITY & SOCIAL
Guided Ride: Inner West to Oxford Street: City of Sydney Cycling leads a community-driven guided rainbow ride from Pride Square in Newtown out to Oxford Street.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 9:30am
📍 Pride Square, 1A Bedford St, Newtown
💰 Ticketed

SHARE THE LOVE

Enjoying this weekend’s guide to the Inner West? Do you have a friend or family member living in the area who might also enjoy it?

If the answer to both questions is yes, I would be eternally grateful if you could forward this email on to them or copy and share the link below so that they can stay across all the fun things happening in the Inner West every weekend.

KIDS’ PICKS

FAMILY
Family Heritage Tours: A child-focused heritage walk through South Eveleigh's historic railway precinct, tailored for young explorers during the school holidays.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10am
📍 South Eveleigh, Locomotive St, Eveleigh
💰 Ticketed

KIDS
Saturday Create: Dash Robots: A free STEM session at The Learning Space in Rhodes, with Dash Robots split across two age groups.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 11am & 2pm
📍 The Learning Space, 30 Shoreline Dr, Rhodes
💰 Free

KIDS
Glaze Galleria Kids Pottery Wheel Classes: School holiday pottery wheel classes in Drummoyne, teaching kids to throw clay in a structured, hands-on setting.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10:30am
📍 110 Lyons Rd, Drummoyne
💰 Ticketed

KIDS
Kids Creative Art and Craft Club Course: A drawing and painting workshop for kids aged 5 to 9 in Surry Hills, building creativity and fine motor skills in a relaxed class setting.
📅 Saturday 4 July, 10am
📍 507 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills
💰 Ticketed

KIDS
Space Play: Box of Birds turns Carriageworks into an outer-space play world for the little ones, built entirely around imaginative discovery.
📅 Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July, various times
📍 Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
💰 Ticketed

FAMILY
Family Tales: Songs, rhymes and stories for kids aged 0 to 5 and their carers, running across six Inner West libraries this weekend.
📅 Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July, 10:30am
📍 Multiple locations
💰 Free

KIDS
Bunnings Kids Workshop: Free hands-on DIY building activities for kids at Bunnings Rozelle.
📅 Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July, 11am
📍 Corner Parsons Street &, Mullens St, Rozelle
💰 Free

EATS & DRINKS

Lucky Prawn’s famous prawn toast

MONTHLY EVENT
Yum Cha @ Lucky Prawn: Hawke's Brewing in Marrickville pairs its brewery atmosphere with a monthly yum cha sitting, running the first Sunday of each month. Expect trolleys of prawn toast and dim sum favourites alongside a pint instead of a pot of tea.
📅 Sunday 5 July, 11am
📍 Hawke's Brewing, 45 Evans St, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

ONE TO TRY
Angus: A café at the industrial end of Marrickville, with a queue spilling out front most mornings because of its reputation for good sandwiches. My personal fave is the fish finger sandwich: a thick slab of golden-crumbed fish, dill-heavy tartare, American cheese, pickles and onion, all stacked into house-made focaccia. Get there early to find a table.
📅 Open 7am all weekend
📍 9 Meeks Rd, Marrickville

LIVE MUSIC

FRIDAY 3 JULY

The Riverview Hotel: Anna Weaving Collective, 6:30pm.
📍 29 Birchgrove Rd, Balmain
💰 Free

Native Rose Hotel: Simon Kinny-Lewis Band, 7:30pm.
📍 68 Victoria Rd, Rozelle
💰 Free

Camelot Lounge: Mark Williams: Down To The Bone, 7pm. Also: Stewart D'Arrietta Presents: Tom Waits For No Man, 7pm.
📍 19 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

Buddy's Bar: Sam Green 'Orange' single launch with special guests, 7:30pm.
📍 391 King St, Newtown
💰 Ticketed

Butchers Brew Bar: Adam Pringle & Friends, 8pm.
📍 499 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill
💰 Ticketed

Lazybones Lounge: Richard Ortega's Cuban Social Club, 8pm.
📍 294 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

SATURDAY 4 JULY

Sappho Books Café Bar: Jack Brennan & Damon Poppleton, 7pm.
📍 51 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe
💰 Free

The Merton Hotel: Blanchie's Blues Ensemble, 8pm.
📍 38 Victoria Rd, Rozelle
💰 Free

Vic on the Park: Tangled In Wires, 9pm.
📍 2 Addison Rd, Marrickville
💰 Free

Amera's Palace: SHIK SHAK SHUKRAN, live DJ and drum music with bellydance performances, 6pm.
📍 314–316 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

Leichhardt Uniting Church: ShakeDown Prophets, 6:30pm.
📍 3 Wetherill St, Leichhardt
💰 Ticketed

Camelot Lounge: Retrospective: The Best of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, 7pm.
📍 19 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

Gasoline Pony: SouthAmerican Smoko, 7pm.
📍 117 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

The Chippo Hotel: Jett Blyton, 7:30pm.
📍 87–91 Abercrombie St, Chippendale
💰 Ticketed

Butchers Brew Bar: Big Mama & Sexy Soul All Star Band, 8pm.
📍 499 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill
💰 Ticketed

SUNDAY 5 JULY

Polish Club: Bonnie Kay & The Sweet Patooties, 12pm.
📍 182 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield
💰 Free

Ashfield Bowling Club: Matt The Rumble & The Tremolomen, 1pm.
📍 81 Orpington St, Ashfield
💰 Free

Salisbury Hotel: Bayou Boogie Boys, 3pm.
📍 118 Percival Rd, Stanmore
💰 Free

Botany View Hotel: Geoff Bull & The Finer Cuts, 4pm.
📍 597 King St, Newtown
💰 Free

Union Hotel: Green Mohair Suits, 4pm.
📍 576 King St, Erskineville
💰 Free

The Merton Hotel: Finkt, 6pm.
📍 38 Victoria Rd, Rozelle
💰 Free

Enmore Hotel: Serial Pest, 7pm.
📍 199 Enmore Rd, Enmore
💰 Free

Chuck & Sons Brewing Co: Sam Green, 3pm.
📍 Unit 3E-3F/1-7 Unwins Bridge Rd, St Peters
💰 Ticketed

Butchers Brew Bar: The Patsy Recliners + Solomon Barbar & The ASP, 5pm.
📍 499 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill
💰 Ticketed

Lazybones Lounge (Level 1): Johnny Turner Sextet, 6:30pm.
📍 294 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

Miss Celie's Music Lounge: Bridie King & The Blasters, 7pm.
📍 17 Hercules St, Ashfield
💰 Ticketed

Factory Theatre: From The Jam (UK), 7:30pm.
📍 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville
💰 Ticketed

TRANSPORT

Public transport disruptions are constantly changing. Below is a guide based on available information at the time of publishing and specifically for impacted transport in the Inner West. Stay up to date at Transport NSW.

THIS WEEKEND: 3 - 5 JULY

  • T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line - Saturday 4 July, 6:30am - 10:30am: Trains run Liverpool-Lidcombe and Homebush-City only, some to a changed timetable. Affects Newtown, Petersham, Lewisham, Summer Hill, Ashfield and Croydon stations; change at Lidcombe to continue into the city.

  • T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line - Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July: Buses replace trains between Sydenham, Central and Bondi Junction. For St Peters, Erskineville or Redfern, use local buses from Sydenham.

  • T8 Airport & South Line - Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July: Buses replace trains between Sydenham and Central.

NEXT WEEK: 6 - 12 JULY

  • T2/T3 Inner West Line - from 10:40pm Friday 10 July until first service Monday 13 July: Buses replace Inner West trains between Strathfield and Central. Hits every Inner West station on the line, Ashfield through to Redfern. Last Inner West train leaves Central at 10:26pm, arriving Ashfield 10:44pm. City Circle trains also stop running from 10:40pm Friday.

  • M1 Metro - Sunday 12 July: No metro services between Tallawong and Sydenham. Replacement buses run Tallawong–Chatswood only; use trains between Chatswood and Sydenham.

If you’ve got this far, thank you. Just a reminder that events can change at the last minute, so be sure to check directly with the venue before heading out.

See you next week,

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