Sydney Festival is set to take over the city once again for its 40th year in 2016, and organisers have a bumper program.
A season of theatre, dance, film, opera, circus, comedy, visual art and music will run in various precincts from Thursday January 7 until Tuesday January 26.
As usual, much of the action will be focused around the Festival Village in Hyde Park and its two venues, The Famous Spiegeltent and the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent. One of the biggest tickets in town, though, is free: The Flaming Lips‘ headline show in The Domain on Saturday January 9.
Elsewhere, the most visible of Sydney Festival’s installation pieces will move to new homes at Darling Harbour and The Cutaway at Barangaroo Reserve. The sites will host enormous buildings made of cardboard and tape, overseen by the artistOlivier Grossetête, under the banner ofThe People’s TowerandThe Ephemeral Cityrespectively. Adults and kids alike will be encouraged to help construct these temporary cities before helping in their demolition.
One of the highlights on the theatre program, meanwhile, isWoyzeck – a musical version ofGeorg Büchner’s challenging piece transformed by American music icon Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan and Robert Wilson. It will play at Carriageworks alongside a packed precinct schedule that also includes the popularAbout An Hourseries.
Opera Australia will take residence at Roslyn Packer Theatre forThe Rabbits, adapted from John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s picture book with composition by Kate Miller-Heidke, while the Sydney Opera House will hostCut The Sky, a fusion of dance, poetry, music and visuals directed by Rachel Swain.
For film fans,Birdmancomposer and decorated jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez will perform a live score during a film screening at the State Theatre. Other music highlights include Joanna Newsom headlining the Sydney Opera House on Thursday January 21, and sets by Dirty Three, the Mexican tribute band to Morrissey called Mexrrissey, Stu Hunter, The Chills, Kev Carmody, Jenny Hval and The Blackeyed Susans.
And to ensure there’s plenty of colour coming to Sydney Festival, the program regular Meow Meow will star inLittle Mermaid at the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent – a raucous cabaret set on the seven seas.
Photo: Jamie Williams
These are but some of the highlights on the sprawling Sydney Festival program, taking over the city in January. For the full program and ticketing details, visit the official website.
