Arts & Attractions
Guide
Fun for All at the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show – Accessibility & Inclusion
Your guide to accessibility and inclusion at this year's Show.
The 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show is here again, and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW look forward to welcoming you and your family back from 6 April – 17 April for another year full of laughter, learning and memory-making moments!
If anyone in your family has accessibility requirements or other concerns about accessibility around the Showgrounds, we want you to know that we’ve been carefully planning-ahead for you.
The Show is held at Sydney Showground and all permanent and temporary structures comply with Accessibility and Inclusion Guidelines, the Federal Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act (ADA), the relevant Australian Standards including National Construction Code Series (NCC), and AS 1428 Design for Access and Mobility.
This ensures compliant ramps and serving counter heights, and full accessibility to spaces across the whole site. Please see the below information and tips to make your time at the Show easier.
Getting into the Show
The Person with Disability (PWD) ticket is a discounted ticket to the Show and includes free public transport. You can also receive a complimentary Show ticket if you have a valid Companion Card and/or Vision Impaired + Attendant card. Note that only one Companion Card ticket per one purchase of a PWD ticket. You must bring the companion card with you as you may be asked to present it upon entry. You can purchase these tickets online, the only ticket you cannot purchase online is the accessible reserved seating tickets which must be done via contact with our call centre here. To purchase or find out more about this ticket option click here. Once you arrive at the Show, every gate has an accessible entrance for your comfort and ease, each pavilion, dome, and GIANTS Stadium also includes accessible entrances.
You can find these locations via the Show map or by asking one of our friendly volunteers who can be easily spotted in their bright green shirts.
Accessible Bathrooms
Everyone is more than welcome to use any of the toilets, parent rooms and accessible toilets that are in Sydney Showground. Accessibility toilets are larger and over 50% of these have small showers inside.
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs are allowed on site at the Show should you need one, as long as they are registered and have their permits. No other animals are allowed on site for safety reasons. This is due to the thousands of animals and people around the show walking across pathways which means it could be dangerous for any unregistered animals to attend.
Quieter days and quieter areas
Whilst everyone is welcome every day of the Show, we understand individuals with physical disabilities requiring a wheelchair, or people who have an invisible disability such as autism, may find the environment more challenging. The busier days of the Show are over the Easter long weekend (Good Friday, 7 April 2023 to Easter Monday, 10 April 2023) and with the high volume of people, the noise onsite increases.
You can check out the Quiet Locations, Quiet Days, Parking, Drop-off & Pick-up, Group Drop-off, and wheelchair & stroller hire information online here.
Fun for all at the Sydney Royal Easter Show
With the confidence that you and all your family members can access what you want to see and do, here is your first look at BRAND NEW & RETURNING FAVOURITES to the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show:
BRAND NEW Live Native Animals
In the history of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, this is the first time for a native Australian animal exhibit! Hop hop hop over to get up close with your favourite Aussie Bush animals. Over all 12 days of the Show, you can see everything from wallabies to koalas and more!
BRAND NEW Festival of Dog Sports
If you’re a dog lover, the NEW Festival of Dog Sports is not to be missed! Taking over the Dog Lawns once the competition wraps up for the day, the Festival of Dog Sports will see impressive canines show off their best tricks in ‘fly ball’, ‘scent works’ and ‘dance dogs’ displays.
RETURNING FAVOURITE Fancy Dress Class – Horses!
Last year’s inaugural Fancy Dress Class for Horses gave us non-stop Instagram moments with ponies and young riders in fancy dress costumes and get-ups. Open to horse riders between 6 and 15 years of age, this will be a highlight of the Show – don’t miss it! This event takes place at GIANTS Stadium and includes accessible seating and ramps.
BRAND NEW Pony Scurry
Watch with delight as Shetlands and pony teams pull a small cart around a set obstacle course, with their little legs running as fast as they can in a head-to-head competition to be the fastest (and cutest!) team of the day. 2023 is the FIRST YEAR for this invitational competition to be held at the Show! Scurry driving started in the United States in the 1950’s simply as an end-of-event entertainment, but now it is a sport in its own right. Come and cheer on these tiny yet powerful little horses as they give their all for their owners in a fast-paced, exciting race to the finish line!
BRAND NEW: Woolworths Ag Discovery Pavilion
Discover everything you need to know about food and fibre at the NEW Woolworth’s Ag Discovery Pavilion. Offering hands-on activities, interactive displays and educational fun, the pavilion exhibits explore the future of farming with a range of new ag-tech exhibits, even six-foot drones! Don’t miss this exciting pavilion experience happening every day of the Show! This is a great pavilion for individuals who enjoy different sensory experiences.
BRAND NEW Large Steel Animal Sculpture Displays
The Davison Lawns will come alive with a range of exquisite animal sculptures created by amazing Australian artists. On display all 12 days of the Show, you can admire these hand-crafted masterpieces, many of which utilise recycled scrap metal materials to form life-size exhibits!
BRAND NEW Kings College School Farm Experience
Students from Kings College Sydney will be showing off their best animals at a NEW School Farm Display. Students will be on hand every day of the Show to chat about what it takes to raise and care for their animals. This is one not to be missed!
Sydney Royal Cattle Competition
Attracting the biggest and most beautiful beasts from across the country, the Sydney Royal Cattle Show is one of Australia’s most prestigious beef and dairy competitions. A Sydney Royal Ribbon or Championship not only provides immense pride for exhibitors but also contributes to increased sale prices. Some of the trophies awarded annually at the Show date back to 1911. The Hordern and Urquhart Trophies are the ultimate accolade in the cattle industry.
Talk & Taste: Calling all Foodies – Guided Tasting!
Take a seat at the Producer’s table and learn from some of Australia’s finest food and beverage artisans at these delicious, entertaining and interactive sessions. Hosted by Show favourites Lyndey Milan and Ed Halmagyi, each session will feature two award-winning producers who will share their expertise while leading you in a guided tasting. Products on offer will change daily and will be available for purchase after each session.
Sydney Rock Oysters and Cooked Prawns are back at the Show. Judging will be a public facing event, on Monday 17 April 2023. This is a unique opportunity to see the Sydney Royal judging process!
Sydney Royal Goat Show
Who doesn’t love the Goat Show? Attracting over 1000 entries every year, this is the Goat Show that butts all others out of the way! As one of the oldest domesticated animals in the world, goats are bred for milk, fleece, fibre and meat production. Each breed also has their own unique characteristics. Dairy Goats are intelligent enough to be taught their name and come when called, while miniature goats are wonderful, affectionate creatures who make awesome pets!
After such a successful debut last year, the adorable miniature goats are returning for two full days!
Sydney Royal Pig Show
After a brief hiatus last year, one of the largest and most prestigious pig shows in Australia is returning. First held at the 1858 Show, the competition showcases the best pure breed stud pigs in the country, with eight different breeds all competing for the ultimate title of Best Pig in Show.
The 2023 feature breed is the ‘Large White’. With their pale, hairless skin and distinctive prick ears, they are one of the cutest and most recognisable breeds. Despite their reputation for mud wallowing, pigs are very clean and are among the smartest of all domesticated animals – even smarter than dogs!
Stop on by the Pig Pavilion for NEW Pig Washing & Pig Handling Demonstrations!
Heritage Pavilion – Travel Back in Time
This year the Heritage Pavilion will be ‘vibing’ its way back in time to the 1970s with flares and platforms, loud music, and even louder colours. Going for a motor down memory lane, we’ll be focusing on how Showgoers made their way to the Show fifty years ago, showcasing antique buses, trains and cars. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the ‘70s while you climb aboard the double decker Leylan Atlantean on loan from the Sydney Bus Museum.
Just to mix it up, the horse drawn Caleche carriage which carried Queen Elizabeth on its maiden voyage for the RAS in 1970 will be on show, alongside a funky FC Holden taxi used to ferry more humble participants to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
EVENING ENTERTAINMENT The Thunder of a Thousand Hooves
When the sun begins to set, be sure to head over to the main arena for this year’s show-stopping evening entertainment THE THUNDER OF A THOUSAND HOOVES that will literally have a thousand horse hooves thundering through the arena! State-of-the-art tech brings the night to life. You will ooh and aah and be wow-ed at the amazing, breath-taking sights! And that’s before the Fireworks!
We look forward to seeing you and your family back for the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show, where you can take in all these new exhibits and demonstrations, and see all your yearly Show favourites: Showbags, carnival rides and selfie-moments that last a lifetime!
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The Sydney Royal Easter Show is transforming Sydney Showground from Friday 6 April until Tuesday 17 April 2023. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.au.
