We are right in the middle of Lane Cove Festival and this weekend brings its biggest event, the Big Day Out at The Canopy + Made in Lane Cove Markets.
At the same time, thousands of people will be heading to Riverview for the annual Jesuit Mission Bazaar, the Lane Cove Fun Run takes over Longueville on Sunday morning and Lane Cove’s Sydney Fringe program continues at Pottery Lane.
There is also jazz, live music, markets, community events, bush activities, theatre and plenty for kids.
The Big One: Big Day Out at The Canopy + Made in Lane Cove Markets
If there is one Lane Cove Festival event to put in the diary this weekend, this is it.
The Big Day Out at The Canopy is Lane Cove Festival’s anchor community day and brings six hours of free activities, live performances, workshops and family entertainment into the centre of Lane Cove.
It also includes the first Made in Lane Cove Markets, with 21 stalls of locally made products and work from Lane Cove makers, producers and artists.
Expect a mix of art, handmade trinkets, a braille artist, dog portraiture, handmade pipe cleaner flowers and plants, crochet plush toys, ceramics, wine and artisanal liquors, all from local businesses.
The markets are very much in keeping with this year’s Festival theme, Made in Lane Cove, which celebrates the artists, performers, makers and creative people living and working in our own community.
Council says around 80 per cent of this year’s Festival events are produced, created or performed by locals.
For the Kids
Currambena will be offering face painting and arts and crafts across the day, and Lane Cove Council’s Food Waste and Bushland teams will be hosting stalls.
What’s On Stage
Six hours of live performance, almost all of it local.
| Time | Act | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 10am | Stringybark Jazz Band | Jazz |
| 10.40am | Gaspard | Lane Cove Youth Orchestra, flute and keyboard, classical |
| 10.55am | Reverse Revolution | Local punk rock trio performing covers and original music |
| 11.30am | Kersh Sivakumaran | Dance workshop with a local award-winning theatre producer |
| 12.30pm | Jazz Workshop Australia | Jazz |
| 2pm | Four Leaf Clover Band | Local band bringing authentic pop rock to the stage |
| 2.45pm | Noise Factory | Students from the Noise Factory music school |
| 3.30pm | Creative Sounds Studio and School | Students from Creative Sounds Studio and School |
Bring a picnic blanket, find a spot on The Canopy Green, browse the markets, watch the entertainment or grab something to eat from one of the surrounding restaurants and cafes.
The Big Day Out is back for its second year, while the Made in Lane Cove Markets are being held for the first time.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am to 4pm
Where: The Canopy, 2 Rosenthal Avenue, Lane Cove
Cost: FREE
Bookings: Not required
Find out more about the Big Day Out and Made in Lane Cove Markets.
Here’s the rest of our guide to what’s happening around Lane Cove this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday 11 September
The Judy Bailey Band: Jazz At Your Request
Lane Cove Festival continues on Friday night with an interactive jazz concert celebrating renowned Australian jazz pianist, composer and long-time Lane Cove local Judy Bailey.
The audience gets to help call the shots, with requests helping determine where the musicians take the performance.
When: Friday 11 September, 6pm
Where: Lane Cove Civic Centre, 48 Longueville Road, Lane Cove
Cost: $20
Spring Spotlight Walk
See what starts moving around Lane Cove’s bushland as the sun goes down.
This twilight walk at Tambourine Bay Park will look for nocturnal wildlife including possums, geckos and bats, with participants encouraged to bring a torch and sturdy shoes.
When: Friday 11 September, 5.45pm to 7.30pm
Where: Tambourine Bay Park, Riverview
Bookings: Required
See the In the Cove Events Calendar for event details.
All Things Must Pass: A Play About The Beatles
Lane Cove Theatre Company’s Sydney Fringe production continues at Pottery Lane on Friday night.
All Things Must Pass begins in the aftermath of John Lennon’s death and follows Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as they grapple with grief, friendship, fame and the legacy of The Beatles.
When: Friday 11 September, 7.30pm
Where: Pottery Lane Performance Space, Lane Cove
The production continues with two performances on Saturday and a final performance on Sunday.
Read our story on All Things Must Pass.
Project Mars Data Centre Community Meeting
Lane Cove Responsible Planning Group is holding a community meeting about the proposed Goodman Project Mars data centre and its potential impact on the local area.
When: Friday 11 September, 6pm to 8pm
Where: Blackman Park, Lane Cove West
Also on Friday
Gallery Lane Cove’s Dream and Reason: Paradoxes of the Sublime exhibition is open from 10am to 4.30pm and Lane Cove Library is open for its free HSC Study Night from 5pm to 8pm.
Saturday 12 September
Saturday is the monster day.
Big Day Out at The Canopy + Made in Lane Cove Markets
The Festival’s anchor event runs from 10am to 4pm at The Canopy, and it is free. Full details are at the top of this guide.
Jesuit Mission Bazaar at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview
It would be difficult to find another Saturday when two Lane Cove events of this size are happening at exactly the same time.
The annual Jesuit Mission Bazaar returns to Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, with thousands of people expected across the day.
The Bazaar has been running for more than 70 years and features carnival rides, international food, stalls, games, live music, raffles, auctions and plenty for kids.
Rides this year include dodgem cars, the YoYo, Sizzler, Giant Slide, Haunted House, Cup and Saucer and Swinging Chairs. Funds raised support Jesuit Mission programs in more than ten countries.
When: Saturday 12 September, 9am to 5pm
Where: Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, 115 Tambourine Bay Road, Riverview
Entry: Free, with rides and activities separately ticketed
Read our full Jesuit Mission Bazaar guide.
Come and Try Orienteering
If you would prefer to spend Saturday morning running around the bush with a map, you can give orienteering a go at Penrose Street Playground.
There are courses suitable for beginners through to experienced competitors.
When: Saturday 12 September, 9.30am to 12pm
Where: Penrose Street Playground, Lane Cove West
Saturday Sounds
Grab a coffee and stop by Lane Cove Plaza for some free live music, with Josie Grayden performing as part of Saturday Sounds.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am to 12pm
Where: Lane Cove Plaza
All Things Must Pass
There are two chances to see Lane Cove Theatre Company’s Sydney Fringe production on Saturday.
When: 2pm and 7.30pm
Where: Pottery Lane Performance Space, Lane Cove
Lego Club at St Leonards Library
For younger kids, St Leonards Library has a free drop-in Lego Club for children aged four and over.
When: Saturday 12 September, 3pm to 4pm
Where: St Leonards Library, 88 Christie Street, St Leonards
Cost: Free
Match Percussion Trio
Finish Saturday with something completely different.
Match Percussion Trio brings vibes, marimba and hand percussion to the Lane Cove Civic Centre, with a program influenced by jazz, African and Latin music.
When: Saturday 12 September, 7pm to 8pm
Where: Lane Cove Civic Centre
Cost: $25
Sunday 13 September
Lane Cove Fun Run
Sunday morning belongs to the Lane Cove Fun Run.
The annual community event returns to Kingsford Smith Oval with 2km and 5km events through the streets of Longueville.
The 5km walk or run starts at 7.30am, following a warm-up at 7.10am. The 2km LONGueville Family Dash starts at 8.30am, with its warm-up beginning at 8.10am.
Afterwards, stick around at Kingsford Smith Oval for coffee, food, children’s activities, local stalls and the awards presentation. The Fun Run is organised by local volunteers and raises funds for local school and community initiatives.
When: Sunday 13 September, from 7.30am
Where: Kingsford Smith Oval, Longueville
Find out more about the Lane Cove Fun Run.
A Heads-Up for Longueville Residents
There will be road closures around Longueville on Sunday morning for the Fun Run, with organisers advising that closures will operate from around 6am until 10am.
Participants are being encouraged to walk, cycle or scooter to the event, with parking available around Lane Cove village.
See the Fun Run road closure and parking information.
Hughes Park Community Garden Open Day
Hughes Park Community Garden is throwing open its gates on Sunday, with children’s planting and seed-growing activities plus a Garden History Gallery.
When: Sunday 13 September, 10am to 1pm
Where: Hughes Park, 314 Burns Bay Road, Lane Cove West
Tour of Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery
Take a guided tour through Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery and discover some of the pioneers of Lane Cove buried there.
This event is part of the Lane Cove Festival program.
When: Sunday 13 September, 10am to 11.30am
Where: Gore Hill Memorial Cemetery, St Leonards
Lee Benari: Acoustic Sounds at The Canopy
After Saturday’s Big Day Out, The Canopy settles into something a little more relaxed on Sunday.
Sydney singer-songwriter Lee Benari will perform a free acoustic set on The Canopy Stage, with Eat Street food and coffee nearby.
When: Sunday 13 September, 11.30am to 2.30pm
Where: The Canopy, Lane Cove
Cost: Free
The performance is weather dependent.
Final Performance of All Things Must Pass
Lane Cove Theatre Company wraps up its run of All Things Must Pass on Sunday afternoon.
When: Sunday 13 September, 3pm
Where: Pottery Lane Performance Space, Lane Cove
HSC Study Session
Lane Cove Library also has a free quiet study session for HSC students from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday.
A Little Further Afield
There are also a few events on the In the Cove calendar just outside the Lane Cove Council area.
Saturday: Northbridge Family Picnic and Planting Day
Northbridge War Memorial Reserve is hosting a free family planting day with gardening activities, a dried flower frame workshop and community picnic.
When: Saturday 12 September, 10am to 1pm
Where: Northbridge War Memorial Reserve, Northbridge
Sunday: North Sydney Wildflower Walk
North Sydney Council is running a guided spring wildflower bushwalk for nature lovers aged 12 and over.
When: Sunday 13 September
Where: North Sydney area
Find More Events in Lane Cove
This is only a selection of what’s happening locally.
You can search the full In the Cove Events Calendar for community events, classes, performances, workshops and activities happening around Lane Cove and the surrounding area.
And with Lane Cove Festival running throughout September, there are plenty more events still to come.
Read the In the Cove Lane Cove Festival 2026 Program Guide here.
In the Cove is paywall free. Every story we publish is free for everyone in our community to read, always.
If you value independent local news in Lane Cove, you can help keep it that way. Support In the Cove →