Sugar Republic Sydney Review

Something sweet has hit Sydney and these two words will inspire cravings for any Instagrammer, pre-teen or child at heart… Sugar Republic! The candy inspired Aussie themed, art exhibition has already been ultra popular in Melbourne & Brisbane. So finally, in 2019, Sydney has got its turn! As soon as I heard it was coming to my home city, I knew I had to experience this for myself. Besides, I’ve never actually been in a ball pit before, so I would have FOMO’d out if I didn’t finally get to do this! Read on if you’re ready to inject a dose of sweetness into your life & your Insta feed…

What exactly is “Sugar Republic”?

Sugar Republic’s website notes it is “Australia’s first Insta-museum, celebrating iconic confectionary in a fun, inclusive experience”. Essentially it’s art pop-up exhibition specifically designed for the ‘gram and advertised as being targeted at ages 16 and older. The website also notes ”Sugar Republic was created for grown-ups to relive their childhood memories in a happy, photogenic space. It is not a children’s play space”.

When I visited it was full of an all-ages crowd with toddlers up to pre-teens, snap-happy mums and adults. This was the first ever Instagram-stylised art exhibition I’d ever attended, so I’m not really sure what I was expecting! In the effort of being transparent with everyone, please don’t be expecting museum like vibes with just adults here… think more like carnival theme park atmosphere minus the rides!

The pièce de résistance

But do be expecting an endless amount of awesome fun, free sweets and childlike photo opportunities! First up is the magical pink & ultra girly ball pit. Finally, after so many years I was going to be able to sink into one of these! This is one of the best parts of Sugar Republic’s exhibition; the ball pit designed for all ages! You’ve got a 10 minute time limit here which should be plenty of time to feel young again. It’s not a very deep pool of balls but takes a bit of effort moving around!

Up in lights

Just in front of the ball pit is an epic Sydney neon wall. In fact, before I even got into the ball pit, I was checking out this electro scene. It’s got images of Sydney – the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Centrepoint Tower and lots of candy related themes. Seeing this has definitely inspired me to see if I can work more neon signs into my Insta feed in the future, by opening up my creativity with photography. So stay tuned to see how I do on that plan!

Next up there is a maze of separate rooms which somehow connect to each other, yet each room is different. And this is where the anticipation builds because you never really know what to expect, as you leave one room to enter into the next. Here’s a quick rundown of some of my favourites:

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

If like me, you have always lusted after finding one of those elusive “golden tickets” then this is your chance! As soon as I wandered in to find a giant golden ticket I felt like I was 5 years old again! There is a stand with lollipops & candy canes set up for the perfect capture of your once in a lifetime moment.

Giant snakes, biscuits & iconic ice creams!

I grew up loving Allen’s’ brand of lollies, Arnott’s biscuits and adored iconic ice creams so this was truly like a trip down memory lane for me. There’s an Allen’s lollies decorated wall and giant red snakes to pose with. And on the other side of the room you can find a giant Bubble O Bill, Golden Gaytime and a Rainbow Paddle Pop ice creams!

Jump out of a giant cake!

Once of the most popular rooms here was the one filled with a giant cake. There was also a “Press for Confetti” blower which will shower the room with a rainbow of confetti! Right next door I spotted a giant Starburst themed “Wheel O’ Fruit” and a super adorable strawberries stand with jam jars.

All the flavours you can think of!

There are rooms dedicated to other things sweet like the bubble-gum room which has a giant fluoro pink stretchy beanbag designed to replicate bubble-gum. And an adorable licoricey themed room with a “Licorice twist” neon sign & tiny chairs covered in licorice all sorts covers. I’m pretty sure there may have been a few more rooms I missed out on too and plenty of artwork is plastered everywhere!

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Where is Sugar Republic?

Sugar Republic is on Level 6 in Myer Sydney City, right in the Sydney CBD. As soon as you come out of the lift and turn right, you won’t be able to miss the rainbow sign and gift shop at the entrance.

How long is Sugar Republic here for?

Sydney’s exhibition runs from February to 28th April. Tickets are available online currently up until 28th April 2019. NSW School holidays start on 13th April to 28th April 2019.

How much are the tickets?

Prices vary depending upon what day you visit as weekends are more expensive and group discount bookings are available. If you want to visit during school holidays then I’d definitely recommend trying to get a group together to take advantage of the discounted ticket prices. One ticket is valid for up to an hour visit. I paid about $40 for my ticket and you can purchase these online at Sugar Republic’s website, here.

Is it worth it?

Whilst I loved visiting here and had a lot of fun, I’m not sure I would attend another one, unless they changed up the themes and exhibition rooms. It’s great if you want to relive childhood memories and get some creative content though. Everyone of any age deserves to have some fun!

Social details

Once you’ve got your selfies and pics, don’t forget to tag in Sugar Republic on Insta!

Website: https://www.sugarrepublic.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarrepublic.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SugarRepublic.au/

My tips for visiting Sugar Republic

– Try to visit at low traffic times – think during school hours, not weekends or during school holidays. I visited at 10.30am on a Sunday, which was one of the earliest opening sessions and it was quite busy at that time.

– Bring along a friend with you and make sure you have your camera or mobile and that they are charged. It’s also an experience meant to be enjoyed and you will want to share the fun with someone!

– Take a pair of socks with you as some installations like the ball pit and the giant bubble-gum require you to wear them

– Bring some extra cash if you want to grab some sweets, candy inspired souvenirs, clothes or cute jelly styled bags at the gift shop

– Be confident! This is an art exhibition specifically designed for taking selfies and photos. So make the most of it, smile and get ready to take home some sweet memories!

What do you think?!

I hope you have enjoyed this article and photo tour of Sugar Republic in Sydney! Have you visited here yet or seen something similar? Is this somewhere you would love to visit? Let me know in the comments below!