The World’s Most Beautiful Cinema Returns to Sydney Harbour

Image supplied by Nixco

Westpac OpenAir, dubbed the world’s most beautiful cinema, has today announced a stellar program for its 30^th Sydney season, featuring a dozen premieres and preview screenings. Launching with the Australian premiere of Marty Supreme, the 2026 line-up includes a roll call of the new year’s most anticipated films, from Toronto Audience Award Winner Hamnet, to Neil Diamond tribute Song Sung Blue, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, and outstanding local production, Addition.

This year’s celebration of film and Sydney lifestyle will run until 24^th February at Mrs Macquaries Point.

Starring Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow, this year’s opening night presentation Marty Supreme tells the enthralling and wacky tale of a rambunctious young ping-pong champ from New York City, and is shaping up to be one of the favourites in the 2026 Academy Awards race. It will be rivalled in that race by Hamnet, which screens the very next night at Westpac OpenAir on 10 January. Starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, Hamnet soulfully imagines the life of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, and the circumstances that led to the writing of Hamlet. It won the prestigious Audience Award at Toronto, a bell whether for Oscar glory. Sydney to Hobart documentary feature True South premieres the following night, and then to cap off an amazing opening quartet, Bradley Cooper’s new film Is This Thing On? starring Will Arnett and Laura Dern premieres on Monday, 12 January.

Later in January, the red carpet rolls out when cast and crew gather for the premiere of the outstanding Australian film Addition, starring Teresa Palmer, and produced by the Made Up Stories team, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, and Jodie Matterson.

Then, in February, the Sydney Premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s acclaimed documentary EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, which brought down the house in Toronto, is closely followed by Chris Hemsworth’s new thriller Crime 101 (also starring Barry Keoghan and Monica Barbaro). Then on 12 February, the love story we’ve been longing for, when Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star as Catherine and Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s seductive Wuthering Heights.

Completing the season’s new releases, Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson charm us in the feel-good film of summer, Song Sung Blue, Glen Powell works his way up an inheritance list in How To Make A Killing, and on 22 February, Scottish charmer I Swear, which, with wonderful humour and tenderness, relates the inspirational story of Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson.

Some of the hottest films of 2025 will return to the big screen at Westpac OpenAir throughout January and February. Look out for Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman in the hit comedy The Roses, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem in F1, Tom Cruise’s last hyper-paced appearance as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, the current Box Office Number One Wicked: For Good, and the much-anticipated next chapter in the Avatar series, Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Also in the program: a selection of wonderful foreign-language films, including French favourite My Brother’s Band, Italian romance Somebody to Love, kooky Icelandic gem The Love That Remains, awards favourite from Norway Sentimental Value, and the hilarious, utterly charming tale of true love from Macedonia, DJ Ahmet. 

Putting fun and plenty of dancing into Friday nights, Westpac OpenAir will screen perennial audience favourites, Dirty Dancing, Mamma Mia, The Devil Wears Prada, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, and Ten Things I Hate About You as part of the discounted FEEL GOOD FRIDAYS series.  

Each evening from 6 pm, Mrs Macquaries Point comes alive as more than a thousand patrons gather to celebrate life in our beautiful city. While the sun draws long over the city, the buzz heightens as the event’s four harbourside bars and restaurants fill to capacity. This summer’s dining options include offerings from renowned local chefs Danielle Alvarez and Luke Nguyen, as well as a harbourside oyster bar.