I had the privilege of visiting St Mary’s Cathedral with an old friend – one of those friendships that doesn’t need warming up, even if time has passed. We stood together in the forecourt as darkness settled over the city, waiting with everyone else for the lights to begin.
When they did, the cathedral transformed.
This year’s projection told the story of The Little Drummer Boy -gentle, humble, and unexpectedly moving. The stone façade became a canvas: stars, desert skies, soft colours, and moments of quiet rhythm that felt slower than the world around us. There was something grounding about watching a simple story unfold on such a grand building, right in the middle of Sydney.
I noticed how still people became. Families, couples, tourists, locals -all pausing, all looking up. In a city that’s usually rushing somewhere, it felt like a shared breath.
Walking away afterward, I was reminded how fortunate we are to live here. Christmas in Sydney isn’t just about beaches or shopping or end-of-year exhaustion -it’s also about moments like this. Free, open, communal experiences woven through the city: lights on historic buildings, music drifting through streets, quiet conversations with old friends.
Just one of the many things happening at Christmas time in Sydney.