Sydney Festival
2013
What's on at
the Sydney Festival? The top things to do and see at the Sydney Festival
- Saturday, 5th January to Sunday, 27th January
What
is the Sydney Festival?
 Rian
at the Sydney Festival 2013 (hopefully not a bad omen  )
You
might think that, after all the Sydney New Year's celebrations and world
famous fireworks, things might calm down a little bit in Sydney. Well,
you'd be right, they do, but not for long. The Sydney Festival takes a
hold of Sydney on 5th January and doesn't let go until the Australia
Day long weekend.
The
Sydney Festival - The most popular cultural festival in Australia
The
Sydney Festival draws in around a million people from far and wide making
it the most popular cultural festival in Australia. Many top Australian
and International artists will attempt to dazzle and mesmerize you with
an array of high quality offerings of dance, theatre, music and visual
art.
The
Sydney Festival is not what is was?
In
the past, much of the Sydney Festival was free, then we went through a
period where it was more about making money, then we switched back to
the free stuff, particularly with the Festival First Night.
The
Compact Sydney Festival
 David
Byrne and St Vincent
(see below)
The
2013 edition of the Sydney Festival is a little more compact (i.e. smaller),
a little less free and accessible, but still well worth picking out the
things you want to do and see. It's more of a 'cherry picking' exercise
than last year.
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Sydney Festival
Highlights
 Cantina
at the Sydney Festival
The big drawcards
include "Rian" at the Theatre Royal, "Cantina" at
the Spiegeltent Rokia Traore, Dance Donke and
Semele Walk at Sydney's Town Hall, the Water Boys, David Byrne (ex Talking
Heads) and St Vincent at the State Theatre.
2001: A Space Odyssey
with the Sydney Symphony and Sydney Philharmonica Orchestra
Listen to the Sydney
Symphony and Sydney Philharmonica play the soundtrack to 2001: A Space
Odyssey whilst you actually watch the film. Should be out of this world.
The
Free Sydney Festival First Night has been replaced by this:
.jpg) The
Sydney Festival Rubber Ducky
Apparently,
the demise of the very popular Sydney First Night was due to cut-backs
by the NSW Government. "We were 'taking a bath' with the cost of
the Sydney Festival's First Night" said an unknown spokesperson with
a rubber ducky "and we would have been quackers to continue to fund
it" .
Daptone
Super Soul Revue
All
is not lost, there will still be a super free concert in the Domain. A
Daptone Super Soul Revue no less including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings,
Charles Bradley, The Budos Band, Menahan Street Band and Sugarman 3, with
the super cool Binky Griptite from the Dap-Kings as MC for the evening.
If that doesn't grab you, have a look at the big rubber duck thing in
Darling Harbour. It doesn't do anything, but its big and the kids might
like to see it.
Sydney Festival
Free Stuff
There is more free
stuff to go to, not as much or as interesting as last year, but we can
hardly complain as it is free after all. See what you think:
Sydney
Festival Free Stuff
Sydney
Festival For Kids
The
Sydney Festival appears a little light this year on children's entertainment.
We have Lah, Lah on Australia Day at the Parade Ground, and in Parramatta
on the 19th January. Melbourne’s Listies are back for another year
at the Spiegeltent and Honda Festival Garden from the 15th to 19th January.
Urban
Colombia in Parramatta
Professional
skaters and BMX riders periodically spin into action at Dulwich Hill Skate
Park from 9th to 19th January. They will no doubt be 'wheely' good (but
a little expensive). Urban, the edgy street performers from Colombia,
will be performing at the Riverside in Parramatta from January 15th to
27th, but not for the under 10s.
Sydney
Festival Stage Highlights
 Murder,
at the Sydney Festival
'The Secret River'
- Sydney Theatre Company is said to be well worth seeing as is 'The Rape
of Lucrece' by the Royal Shakespeare Company. If you like Nick Cave, contemplate
'Murder' by the visual theatre magicians Erth, who were strongly influenced
by Nick's bloody song writing. For a little light relief, go on a blind
date with Bojana Novakovic and have some fun with her numerous potential
soul mates, or not, as the case maybe.
The Art Gallery
of NSW
The Art Gallery of
NSW likes to play it's part in the Sydney Festival. This year they will
host the first major Australian exhibition of Francis Bacon's work in
Australia. Over 50 paintings are up for your viewing pleasure as well
as archival material from his studio, films and photographs. "I've
made images the intellect would never make." says Mr Bacon
Sydney
Festival's Program
The
best way to approach this is to flick through the program (link below).
If you intend to see a few different things make use of the planner on
the Sydney Festival website.
Sydney
Festival Program
I Love the Nightlife
- Honda Festival Garden in Hyde Park
As you might have
guessed, Sydney will be alive and buzzing during the festival and it doesn't
stop till..well I'm not sure it does stop actually. Anyway, the Sydney
Festival has it's own bar in Hyde Park complete with all kinds of entertainment
to keep you in a Sydney Festival mood including "The Famous Spiegeltent".
Spiegeltent
During the day,
"The Famous Spiegeltent" is family friendly with "The Listies"
entertaining the kids. After dark, however, it is a different story, time
for the grown ups to have some fun.
Honda
Festival Garden
Paradiso at Town
Hall
 Richard
Hawley at Paradiso
The Paradiso at Town
Hall is open for ten nights straight with performances from international
and Aussie bands. Once the performance is over, you can keep on dancing
to two in the morning.
Paradiso Bar
As well as hosting
events, Sydney Town Hall boasts the Paradiso Bar on the terrace. The intention
is to feed you, as well as ply you with alcohol. The bar opens at 5.30pm.
Paradiso
at Town Hall
Parramatta Festival
- 19th to 26th January
Parramatta hosts
it own opening party on 19th January with 'free events galore' including
a free concert featuring Kashmere Stage Band and Rokia Traoré.
Maybe Parramatta is taking over the festival as there appears to be some
pretty cool things happening in Sydney's heart.
Parramatta
Festival
Top 100 Plus Sydney
things to do
There are a myriad
of things to do in and around Sydney which are not officially part of
the Sydney Festival. Once you have planned your Sydney Festival outings,
fill in the gaps with some top things to do in Sydney:
Top
100 things to do in Sydney
|
Top
100 Things To Do In Sydney, Australia 
