Easter can mean many different things to many different people. For some, it’s a celebration of faith, a chance to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For others, it’s all about the chocolate and the anticipation for the Easter Bunny’s arrival. In Bermuda, the people celebrate by flying homemade kites. In Norway, everyone curls up with a good crime book. In Sweden, children dress up as old witches and trade paintings, drawings and sweets. And in Australia, it’s all about the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is Australia’s largest annual event, attracting close to 900,000 people each and every year. It’s a celebration of Australian culture, from the rural traditions to the more modern-day lifestyles.
The Royal Easter Show first began in 1823 to raise revenue for the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS). Each year, RAS invests nearly $7 million in activities designed to promote agricultural excellence and keep NSW’s rural communities strong.
Something for everyone
There’s something for everyone at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, from the action-packed international rodeo to the carnival rides, fireworks, and live entertainment.
Highlights include:
District Exhibitions
Climbing the walls of the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome is the uniquely Australian District Exhibit.
Consisting of five regions, the District Exhibit represents the best produce of Southern, Northern, Western, Central NSW and South East Queensland. More than 10,000 pieces of fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, and pulses will be on display. Fresh produce will also be available for purchase each day.
CWA Tea Room
The Country Womens Association has long been a part of the Sydney Royal Easter Show’s history. A visit to the Show wouldn’t be complete without a serving of freshly-baked scones from the CWA Tea Room. Take a break from exploring the Show and enjoy tea and cakes from some of the state’s best bakers.
Rodeo
At night, witness the country’s best bull riders, steer wrestlers, bareback riders, and barrel racers as they perform as part of the Sydney Royal Rodeo Series. Featuring an AllStars competition, you can find it at the GIANTS Stadium at 6:00pm from 14 April to 19 April. Be sure to stick around for the fireworks after!
Entertainment
The Sydney Royal Easter Show offers entertainment to suit every age, and whether you like action-packed or smooth, mellow sounds, you’ll find it here at this year’s Show. Exclaim over the woodchopping and chainsaw challenge, a human cannonball lady, a wool industry showcase, and razor blade swallower. Have fun with talented whip crackers, or sit back and enjoy the sounds of live country and blues music available all day in the Woodchop Bar.
Competitions
Each year, close to 30,000 entries are received across 40 competitions which range from livestock and horticulture to arts & crafts and sustainability. The Sydney Royal Horse Show is a big highlight, which sees prizes for breeds, heavy horse obstacles, show jumping, team yarding, vaulting, and more. Another popular competition is the Showgirl competition, which sees young women battle it out to become a young female ambassador for rural NSW.
Showbags
No day at the Sydney Royal Easter Show would be complete without a visit to the Showbag Tent, a tradition of the Show since the 1920s. Traditional favourites include the Bertie Beetle Bag, which parents can pick up for a mere $2. Still, the list of available showbags grows every year.
Food and Drink
With a Snack Shack offering food-on-the-go for as little as $3, a series of exclusive ticketed events with industry experts, the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome and the Australian Women’s Weekly Theatre Kitchen, there’s almost too much food and drink to taste and experience at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show. Enjoy a beer in the Beer Garden, a milkshake in the Old Fashioned Milk Bar, and get just about anything on the end of a stick.
Getting there
The Sydney Royal Easter Show will be held from Friday 8 April until Tuesday 19 April at Sydney Olympic Park. Conveniently serviced by trains and buses, getting to the Show is a simple and easy process.
Car parking options are also available; however, Showgoers are encouraged to use flexible public transport. Visit Transport NSW for more information.
Remember to pre-purchase tickets!
Save time at the gate and pre-purchase your tickets before arriving. More information about tickets can be found here: www.eastershow.com.au/tickets
