We’re treated to two incredible art exhibits here in Sydney every six months or so: May’s Vivid and October’s Sculpture by the Sea. The latter, a bit warmer and sunnier, is the perfect way to welcome spring and get back to the beaches.

We’ve been to about 15 of the pop-up art shows now and haven’t gotten tired of it yet.

What is Sculpture by the Sea?

Now in its 29th year, Sculpture by the Sea is an outdoor exhibit of dozens of sculptures that line the coast from Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach for two weeks every spring. This year, there’s a total of 100 different pieces to see along the way.

Over the years, thousands of works have been displayed along the 2km walk between the two Eastern Suburbs beaches

The sculptures

Tucked into eroded sections of sandstone, sitting atop the headland and lining the bits of coast between Bondi and Tamarama, dozens of artworks are on display each year in Sculpture by the Sea.

And they’re all completely different. There’s no strict rules about what type of sculptures can be created by artists, as long as they can withstand the sometimes-harsh coastal environment. (The walk can get pretty windy!) You’ll see some pretty inventive displays along the way, made from some pretty inventive materials.

Blue Water Rocket by John Eager (near the beginning, at Bondi) uses common items made of polyethylene, steel, aluminium and rubber and One Moon by Maj D (at Tamarama Beach) is made up of more than 5,000 pieces of recycled glass, badminton shuttlecocks, metal, ceramic, plastic.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Tim Storrier AM is back with another bronze sculpture with Wayfarer and Yoshio Nitta’s I Thought About Transporting the Moon in a Small Boat is a beautiful blend of copper, bronze, corten steel, stainless steel and an olive tree.

The walk

Part of the iconic Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, the section from Bondi to Tamarama is the setting for Sculpture by the Sea every year. Although the exact locations of the sculptures changes, you can always rely on them being along this stretch.

In total, it’s about 2km each way. If you walk back to where you’ve started, it’ll be a 4km return walk. Wandering around the field of sculptures at Marks Park may add an extra few hundred metres.

The walk itself is completely paved, except when walking around the grass in the park. But, there are quite a few steps along the coast. Therefore, it’s not wheelchair or pram friendly, unfortunately. It is dog-friendly, though. And expect plenty of them to be running around.

About half-way, at the south-west corner of Marks Park, at Marks Lane and Kenneth Street, there is a toilet block if needed.

When is Sculpture by the Sea in Sydney?

In 2026, it runs from 16 October to 2 November. The dates change slightly every year, but it always runs for two weeks, starting on a Friday and ending on a Sunday.

While the first event was held in May, it now sticks to a mid-October start. And it’s the perfect time, too. For those checking it out during the day, the sizzling summer sun hasn’t quite arrived. It’s late enough in the year that it falls after daylight savings starts too, so there’s plenty of time in the day to check it out from dawn until dusk.

Best time to go to Sculpture by the Sea

After more than a decade of walking along the coastal exhibit on a busy weekend, we found this year we were short on time and went after work. And realised it the best time to go!

We got to Bondi around 5:30 and started the walk at Icebergs. We had plenty of time to wander around and get pictures in the beautiful golden-hour light.

At this time of day, too, there was hardly anyone around compared to a busy Saturday or Sunday afternoon. There was no waiting in line to take pictures, and the runners were actually able to get in their evening jog.