Sydney Festival :: Australia

While those of us north of the equator are settling our brains for a long winter’s nap there is a summer party like no other pounding the streets Down Under. Welcome to the annual Sydney Festival in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Started in 1977, this three week celebration of everything Sydney is the biggest event in Australia; attracting upwards of a million visitors every year. If you want to immerse yourself in the culture of this energetic, vibrant city, look no further.

Held each January and culminating on Australia Day, this festival is the epitome of summer in the city. The Sydney Festival is all about style and spectacle and nothing embodies that spirit more than the fabulous street party known as Festival First Night. The downtown streets are cleared and blocked off to make way for local artists and international stars like Grace Jones, Al Green, Philip Glass, and the National Theatre of Scotland. The best part of Festival First Night is that the entertainment costs you nothing. First rate fun and free of charge; what could be better? While the musicians, dancers, and artists are playing all around, be sure to check out the Spice Garden at one of Sydney’s most beautiful settings, Hyde Park. With mouthwatering foods and a circus-like atmosphere, it’s great family friendly enjoyment. If you are going with children, be sure to check out Kids Kicks with lots of great activities for the little ones and parents alike.

But the fun doesn’t stop with Festival First Night. The city is packed with indoor and outdoor attractions at theatres, galleries and concert halls like the Sydney Opera House, the Carriage Works, and the City Recital Hall. Outside there is the Festival in The Domain which boasts two free jazz and symphony concerts, often attracting up to 100,000 revelers each. As this is a celebration of Australian culture, expect to see lots of amazing local performers showcasing their talents in the visual arts, music, dance, and theater each conveying a little bit of the character and style of this vibrant city. In fact, Sydney Festival has now become famous for it’s premiers of up and comers becoming the jumping point for many of Australia’s hottest talent.

Make sure you dress for the weather, as it is the middle of summer you will need light clothes, sunscreen, and plenty of water for all of the outdoor activities. Also, plan ahead. Many of the attractions and performances require tickets in advance and these can and do sell out quickly. There are lots of hotels within walking distance of the different events, many of which offer special discounts to some of the shows; definitely enquire with the concierge. Wherever you end up, you are guaranteed to have the time of your life at this three week extravaganza of food, music, and fun!

Click image for full size

Related Articles:

• Sydney Opera House :: Australia wordpress plugins and themes One of the first things that come to mind when you think of Australia is the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is a performing arts center that was built in three stages from 1957 through 1973 after a great deal of planning and a...

• Dreamworld :: Queensland, Australia wordpress plugins and themes When most people think of a theme park, they think of it as being only for kids and thrill seekers. Not so with Dreamworld in Queensland, Australia. Opened in 1981, Dreamworld is now home to two parks: the original Dreamworld, and opened in 2006, Whitewater World....

• Lucerne Festival :: Switzerland wordpress plugins and themes Held three times a year, the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland is a celebration of sound that features some of the world’s most famous orchestras, conductors and virtuoso soloists. The three festivals are held during Easter, in the Summer and the “At the Piano” event in November....

• Monkey Buffet Festival :: Lopburi, Thailand wordpress plugins and themes Definitely on most top 10 lists of strangest festivals in the world, the Monkey Buffet Festival in Lopburi, Thailand celebrates the city’s most relentless and warmly looked upon pests. Lopburi’s population of macaque monkeys are well known for their fearsome appetites, stealing snacks from anyone who...

• Bumbershoot Festival :: Seattle, Washington wordpress plugins and themes One of the largest festivals of North America, Bumbershoot is an international music and arts festival that is held annually in Seattle, Washington over the Labor Day weekend. The festival is ideally held on the seventy-four acres of Seattle’s City Center that had originally been constructed...

• National Cherry Blossom Festival :: Washington, D.C. wordpress plugins and themes The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a wonderful springtime celebration that commemorates the gift of Japanese cherry trees as well as the friendship from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo. Mayor Ozaki donated 3000 cherry trees on March 27th, 1912 in an effort to enhance the growing...

• Sapporo Snow Festival :: Japan wordpress plugins and themes The Sapporo Snow Festival is a world famous winter celebration where hundreds of massive ice sculptures are created from packed snow and shaved ice and put on display throughout the city of Sapporo, Japan. To support the festival, over 30,000 tons of snow is trucked in...

• San Francisco Pride Festival :: California wordpress plugins and themes The 1960s and 1970s were a time of great leaps in the Civil Rights Movement, but none as great as that in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community. Much of the push for these changes came out of San Francisco, California. Since 1970, the San...

• Winnipeg Folk Festival :: Manitoba, Canada wordpress plugins and themes The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a wonderful outdoor music festival in Birds Hill Park, Manitoba. It is one of North America’s premier outdoor music festivals and is celebrating 37 years of summer fun and education. Each year it takes place over the second weekend in July...

• Gasparilla Pirate Festival :: Tampa Bay, Florida wordpress plugins and themes The Gasparilla Festival is the Tampa Bay area’s largest annual event. It is a large outdoor festival and parade that takes place on the streets of Tampa along Bayshore Boulevard and throughout downtown Tampa. The annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival includes several events throughout the day including...