From Luna Park to the Swans, no one loves Sydney more than Sydney Sweeney

Spare a thought for the team at Destination NSW, who no doubt spend countless hours (and valuable resources) figuring out how to get people to visit Sydney. They probably have boring strategy meetings and mind-numbing focus groups, all with one goal: selling this city to the world.

Then along comes a famous actress named Sydney, who has a really fun time in Sydney, which she shares with her 14.6 million Instagram followers, and just like that, she’s done their job for them.

No one loves Sydney, or the Sydney Swans, more than Sydney Sweeney.Credit: Instagram

If you haven’t been following the adventures of Sydney Sweeney in Sydney, then you’re doing yourself (and this city) a disservice.

For those requiring context: Sydney Sweeney is an American actress best known for playing brattish, layered, complex teenagers in two HBO series: Euphoria and The White Lotus.

The 25-year-old has been in town since late February shooting romantic comedy Anyone But You alongside Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell. But when she’s not hard at work, Sydney has been working hard to make even the most weathered Sydney cynic (it’s me, I’m the problem, it’s me) fall in love with this town again.

My stance on Sydney (the town, not the actress) is already on the public record, but watching Sydney (the actress, not the town) indulge in all the sights and sounds this city has to offer is making me reconsider my position.

Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes”, and each time Sweeney posts a glorious update from a familiar location, I understand what he was getting at.

I haven’t felt the urge to go to Luna Park since I was about ten, but after Sweeney visited and shared the picture on Instagram - “fun day at my park with my friends” - I thought I might quite like to go and have a fun time with my friends too.

The Luna Park snap prompted actress Kate Bosworth to comment on Sweeney’s photos and share her memories of living in Sydney.

“Isn’t Sydney the best??? I lived there for about a year when I was your age,” wrote Bosworth. “Best time of my life. Soak it in beauty.”

Next stop on Sydney’s tour of Sydney was Taronga Zoo, a place most locals associate with school excursions or overpriced concerts.

But scrolling through Sydney’s wholesome photos of her feeding a giraffe made me smile. Perhaps I’ve been too tough on Taronga - if it’s good enough for Sydney, it’s good enough for me.

Over the weekend, Sydney took things to the next level by attending the Sydney Swans match at the SCG. The star watched as the Swans pumped Hawthorn, even taking some time out to perform a cartwheel on the hallowed turf of the SCG. Fun!

Naturally, the social media team at the Swans were all over it, bringing Sydney into the dressing room for snaps and capitalising on a caption that was there for the taking: “When Sydney met the Swans.”

Of course, Sydney Sweeney is not the first celebrity to visit Sydney and catch the bug. From Natalie Portman to Busy Phillips, Matt Damon to Taika Waititi, Rita Ora to Ellen Degeneres, famous people love this place, but few seem to enjoy it with the same vigour that Sydney has.

How many Sydney icons can you fit in one picture?Credit: Instagram

Her love for Sydney, packaged up and posted to social media for the world to see, is the best thing to happen to this town since the 2000 Olympics.

It’s also worth pointing out how powerful the Sydney namesake gag is as a positive marketing tool.

People love Sydney, and Sydney loves Sydney, so let’s slap her name on everything and get her involved in selling the less glamorous parts of this city.

Imagine how much easier it would be managing another Sydney Trains delay if it was Sydney Sweeney delivering you the bad news. Council rates going up in the City of Sydney? That’s ok, Sydney Sweeney, take my money. Worried about the privatisation of Sydney Water? Allow Sydney Sweeney to explain why it’ll all be okay.

I think Sydney Sweeney would be open to all of the above, lending her star power to a city in need.

Especially considering it’s coming from the most reliable source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

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