Whether you’re entertaining kids, treating yourself or looking to expand your mind, a host of options await around town.
To help you plan like a pro, we’ve fashioned a day-by-day breakdown of the week ahead - packed with stimulation, yet highly achievable.
What follows is a curated selection, rather than a comprehensive rundown, visit the Explore Events webpage for a full list of events happening in week two.
Go forth and be inspired.
Monday 15 January
Combat the drudgery of Monday with a visit to Hi-Vis, the sinuous, architecture-hugging sculpture that has taken a Walsh Bay wharf along the Festival’s Thirsty Mile.
In an Australian exclusive, British sculptor Michael Shaw uses the building like a mould to inform and form the geometry of his vibrant 46-metre-long installation, which provides a perfect dose of colour and ingenuity to start the week.
When: All day (until 28 January)
Where: Moonshine Bar (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: Free
NIGHT
Limber up for the final week of White Gold, a spectacularly hypnotic show performed by Cambodia’s Phare Circus troupe. Suitable for the whole family, White Gold has already earned rave reviews in its first week at the Festival - don’t miss a rare audience with some of the world’s best circus artists.
When: 6pm (until 21 January)
Where: Seymour Centre
Cost: $49-$69 + BF
Tuesday 16 January
Get in quick for the final night of Masterclass, a hilarious skewering of macho posturing from Dublin-based company Brokentalkers and multi-disciplinary artist Adrienne Truscott. A hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, Masterclass uses razor-sharp humour (and silly costumes) to unpack difficult truths about privilege and power.
When: 7:30pm
Where: Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre
Cost: $49 - $69 + BF
Roll up for opening night of Are we not drawn onward to new erA, an audacious Australian premiere from acclaimed Belgian theatre innovators Ontroerend Goed. As the palindromic name suggests, this is a heady work that blurs visual art, theatre, poetry and political protest into an unforgettable production.
When: 7pm (until 20 January)
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: $79 – $109 + BF
GURR ERA OP follows four mainland-born Torres Strait Islander women as they battle against the rising tide threatening their home, culture and identity. Created by award-winning choreographer and performer Ghenoa Gela in a years-long collaboration with Force Majeure, this powerful work is making its world premiere at the Festival.
When: 7pm (until 19 January)
Where: The Studio Theatre at Bangarra (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: $65 + BF
Wednesday 17 January
For one night only, multi-award-winning recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey undertakes a radical re-invention of the solo recital in Soliloquy. This performance sees Lacey joined onstage by contemporary dancer Stephanie Lake and 32 untrained dance participants moving in unison. Put simply, it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.
When: 8pm
Where: City Recital Hall, Angel Place
Cost: $79-$99 + BF
Coming off a career-best year, American indie-folk singer-songwriter Julie Byrne is bringing her thrilling, life-affirming music to the incredible acoustics of the ACO Neilson. Byrne’s 2023 album, The Greater Wings, was named one of the year’s best by Pitchfork, and her spellbinding songs are even more impactful live.
When: 6pm (also 19 January)
Where: ACO, The Neilson (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: $49 + BF
Thursday 18 January
Created by Australian Deaf dance artist and performer Anna Seymour, SPIN is an interactive dance event with three Deaf hosts and a DJ. This 1pm matinee is suitable for ages 3+, so young and old alike are welcome to join in the power of dance ritual.
When: 1pm (until 22 January)
Where: Moonshine Bar (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: $39 + BF
NIGHT
Make a beeline for Circular Quay to experience the Australian premiere of Arka Kinari. Free and open to all, the performance by Grey Filastine (Spain) and Nova Ruth (Indonesia) transforms a 70-tonne sailing ship into the backdrop for an exhilarating audiovisual experience.
When: 8:30pm (until 20 January)
Where: Campbells Cove, The Rocks
Cost: Free
Home to the Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Neilson is an expertly designed space that features world-class acoustics and beautiful details. While usually the domain of classical music, for one night only the venue belongs to Kee’ahn, the queer First Nations trailblazer whose mix of soul, pop and R&B is ever-evolving.
When: 6pm
Where: ACO, The Neilson (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: $39 + BF
Friday 19 January
Join in the fun at The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre for Hive Festival, two fun-filled days of hands-on art making, music, performance and play for children and families, Blacktown-style. If you’re coming from the CBD, you can travel by train accompanied by a kids-led audio adventure.
When: 10am-5pm (also 20 January)
Where: The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre, Blacktown
Cost: Free
NIGHTDirected by Amber Haines and Kyle Page, Dancenorth Australia join forces with three-time Grammy nominated Australian band Hiatus Kaiyote and sound artist Byron J. Scullin to create a soaring composition evoking pleasure and possibility. A kaleidoscopic fusion of dance, music and art, Wayfinder runs from Friday 19 January to Saturday 20 January.
When: 7:30pm (until 20 January)
Where: The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre
Cost: $49-$59 + BF
Be there for the opening night of Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World, a wild ride down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia and murder mystery podcasts. Inspired by the dazzling life and brutal murder of 1970s Iranian cultural icon Fereydoun Farrokhzad, the form-bending show is returning to the Festival after lauded previews in 2022.
When: 8:30pm (until 21 January)
Where: Sydney Opera House, Drama Theatre
Cost: $59-$89 + BF
Mutiara draws on diasporic connections to land and sea, South East Asian martial arts and Yawuru and Minangkabau dance forms to highlight the fluid power and resilience of the nomadic Malay. Drawn from the little-known history of Broome’s harsh pearl shell industry, the engrossing show is premiering at Sydney Festival.
When: 7:30pm (until 21 January)
Where: Seymour Centre, Everest Theatre
Cost: $55-$65 + BF
Saturday 20 January
Celebrate the full swing of the weekend at Sydney Symphony Under The Stars: Pictures in the Sky, a starlit summer concert featuring the didgeridoo magic of William Barton and more - including, of course, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Kicking off after sunset in the idyllic Parramatta Park, it’s a night out for the whole family.
When: 8pm
Where: The Crescent, Parramatta Park
Cost: Free
Two linchpins of Australia’s bubbling alternative soul scene – Melbourne’s Silentjay and Sydney’s Setwun - join forces for Nu Dialects, presented by Sydney’s reliable party-starters Astral People. The late-night dance is taking over the Moonshine Bar on The Thirsty Mile, right up close to the eye-popping splendour of art installation Hi-Vis.
When: 10pm
Where: Moonshine Bar (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Cost: $49 + BF
Sunday 21 January
This is the last chance to bring the fashionistas in your family down to the House of Fast Fashun. The interactive pop-up event invites you to discover your inner designer while also considering the colossal amounts of waste produced by the fast fashion industry. Participants are encouraged to showcase their creation in hourly runway shows - work it, baby.
When: 12pm
Where: Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour
Cost: Free
NIGHT
The femme-fronted spectacle Smashed: The Nightcap has taken up residence all Festival-long at Wharf 1. Liven up your Sunday night in the company of award-winning cabaret queen Victoria Falconer, who leads this romp through bawdy cabaret, exquisite drag and even some circus antics. With nightly surprise appearances from the Festival’s headliners, it’s the ‘in’ place to be.
When: 7:30pm (until 27 January)
Where: Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre (The Thirsty Mile)
Cost: $59 – $99 + BF
Enough delights to fill an exciting week, whatever your persuasion. See you out there.