Our Highlights For Music, Art And Culture At Sydney Festival 2026

Our Highlights

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Walsh Bay turns into a movie set for Live at Hickson Road: Effectos Especiales, a free outdoor spectacle from Argentinian filmmaker Alejo Moguillansky and choreographer Luciana Acuña. Expect live stunts, on-the-fly choreography and cinematic chaos where the crowd becomes part of the action. Stick around after dark for street eats, live music and dancing by the water.

Meanwhile, at Roslyn Packer Theatre, French director Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s LACRIMA makes its Australian debut—a multilingual epic that stitches together the hidden human stories behind a royal wedding gown. Also at Roslyn Packer, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Crown, The Kite Runner) takes the stage in Nowhere, a powerful solo show that fuses personal memory with global history and protest.

Down at Darling Harbour, sculptor Julia Phillips flips the script with Observer, Observed, an interactive artwork that literally turns your gaze back on you — broadcasting your eyes to a nearby screen in a sharp take on surveillance and power.

Then it’s time to lace up: Virginia Gay and Clare Watson transform Sydney Town Hall into a full-blown roller derby rink for Mama Does Derby, a heartfelt celebration of mothers, daughters and the power of reinvention (skates included).

The beloved Sydney Symphony Under the Stars moves to Tumbalong Park on Saturday 17 January for a one-off 50th anniversary show—complete with fireworks and feel-good orchestral magic.

And to close the loop on pure summer euphoria, London party band Hot Chip return to the Sydney Opera House for two nights of shimmering synths and indie-dance joy.

Marking the Festival’s 50th, Blak Out returns under the curatorship of Jacob Nash (his final program as Creative Artist in Residence), pulsing with stories of resilience, brilliance and community across three big weeks.

Anchoring the program is HELD by Yuwaalaraay Wirringgaa artist Lucy Simpson—a series of sculptural vessels on Barangaroo’s Stargazer’s Lawn honouring earth, fire, sky and sea. The works set the scene for the closing Vigil: Belong, on 25 January, led by celebrated musician–writer Nardi Simpson, with Uncle Matthew Doyle tending the fires as voices from every generation rise at sunset.

On Sydney Harbour, choreographer Joel Bray reimagines corroboree for a new generation with Garabari, transforming the Sydney Opera House Northern Broadwalk into a massive open-air dance floor with ethereal costumes by Denni Francisco (Ngali), driving beats from Byron Scullin and immersive projections by Katie Sfetkidis.

Music lovers are sorted: Emma Donovan brings Take Me to the River to City Recital Hall, reworking soul classics with powerhouse warmth; Ursula Yovich delivers a world-premiere tribute to Nina Simone; and A Night of Rock & Roll with Bogan Villea (the outrageous alter ego of Ben Graetz) lights up STC’s Wharf 1 with a high-voltage blend of rock, drag and Blak pride. Over at ACO On The Pier, don’t miss Gooniyandi/Walmatjarri elder Kankawa Nagarra, the AMP-winning blues icon behind 2024’s Wirlmarni.

On stage, Jannawi Dance Clan unveils the world premiere Garrigarrang Badu at the Opera House—an all-female work celebrating Dharug Country and the women who carry culture. Redfern Renaissance, curated by Angeline Penrith, honours the revolutionary National Black Theatre with readings and conversations that reignite the spirit of 1970s Blak activism. At Belvoir, Dear Son adapts Thomas Mayo’s powerful letters (brought to life by theatre-makers Isaac Drandic and John Harvey) exploring fatherhood, wisdom and strength across generations.

For families, Bangarra’s The Bogong’s Song: A Call to Country (by Yolande Brown and Chenoa Deemal, featuring Benjin Maza and Tjilala Brown-Roberts) invites kids on a magical journey through storytelling, shadow puppetry, dance and song—celebrating the tiny creatures that keep Country thriving.

Dance, Cabaret And Theatre

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Sydney Festival 2026 is pulling no punches on stage—from electric choreography to boundary-pushing cabaret and theatre that’ll make you laugh, cry and question everything in between. 

Leading the charge is Seoul’s avant-garde visionary Eun-Me Ahn with Post-Orientalist Express—a kaleidoscopic explosion of movement, satire and colour. Performed by eight dancers in 90-plus costumes designed by Ahn herself, it’s a wild, high-energy ride through Asian pop culture, tradition and transformation.

More highlights include Aussie dance icon Dan Daw with the Australian exclusive EXXY, a raw and magnetic exploration of queerness, disability and belonging. Stripped back and intimate, it’s a fearless piece about standing out, fitting in and owning every part of yourself.

Cabaret superstar Reuben Kaye isn't holding back—returning to the Sydney Opera House with enGORGEd: an 18-piece spectacle of filthy jokes, powerhouse vocals and unapologetic glamour. Over at Wharf 1, Dublin’s THISISPOPBABY turns the traditional Irish wake on its head in WAKE, a raucous, high-energy mashup of dance, acrobatics, poetry and party.

For something deeply moving, Travis Alabanza’s BURGERZ transforms a transphobic attack into a fearless performance about resilience and identity—equal parts funny, heartbreaking and profound. And in Natalie Abbott’s Bad Hand, the Muriel’s Wedding star delivers a heartfelt musical debut charting grief, love and life’s biggest gambles.

Whether you’re after dazzling spectacle, emotional storytelling or a hit of queer brilliance, this year’s lineup proves that after 50 years of practice, Sydney Festival knows exactly how to put on a show.

Live Music, Opera & Immersive Arts

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The 2026 edition of the festival is hitting all the right notes with an eclectic lineup that’s both global and homegrown.

At ACO On The Pier, legendary American artist Lonnie Holley leads the charge with his genre-defying, improvised performances that blend blues, jazz and storytelling. Each night will be different, featuring one-off collaborations with blues matriarch Kankawa Nagarra and Sydney neo-soul star Yasmina Sadiki.

Also on the bill: Mongolian jazz singer Enji, whose hypnotic voice floats between long-song tradition and modern improvisation; Mare Advertencia, a powerhouse of Indigenous Mexican hip-hop, performing alongside Noongar rapper INKABEE; CHAII, serving Persian-meets-Aotearoa electronica; and Milan Ring, inviting you to lie down and drift through her dreamy, ambient R&B experience.

Over at City Recital Hall, UK sensation Paris Paloma brings her ethereal, feminist anthems to Sydney following her viral hit Labour. Meanwhile, Nooriyah, the DJ shaking up Glastonbury and Coachella, is spinning a high-energy set of SWANA beats and amapiano, joined by Habibi’s House founder DJ Habibeats.

The live music doesn’t stop there—Raf-Saperra brings his fearless fusion of Punjabi folk and UK drill to the stage, while Tibetan artist Tenzin Choegyal teams up with Western Sydney’s Wytchings for a stunning, intergenerational collaboration. Over in Parramatta, Undercurrent at Riverside Live celebrates the sounds of Western Sydney with three nights of Pasifika hip-hop, queer anthems and underground electronica.

And for a little sparkle? Disco Never Dies at the Hordern Pavilion delivers mirror balls, sequins and the hits of ABBA, Earth, Wind & Fire and The Bee Gees—all backed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Rounding things out, Opera for the Dead (祭歌) from Mindy Meng Wang and Monica Lim immerses audiences in a haunting blend of ritual, guzheng and electronic soundscapes, while Canadian duo Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim reimagine theatre as a live multiplayer video game in asses.masses.

And closer to home, Garage Party brings big Pasifika energy to Blacktown Arts Centre with karaoke, live music and community vibes, and Opera Australia gives Puccini’s Turandot a bold, modern twist under visionary director Ann Yee.

School's In For The Summer

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Curiosity takes centre stage this summer as Sydney Festival’s Summer School transforms the city into one big playground for ideas. Curated by Nithya Nagarajan, the program blends workshops, performances and hands-on experiences designed to get the wheels turning

At Carriageworks, the Conflictorium collective from India invites audiences to lean into difference with a living, interactive “museum of conflict.” Through art, sound and conversation, visitors are encouraged to transform tension into empathy and understanding.

Then, things get beautifully weird at Death By PowerPoint—a collaboration between queer collectives Life Rites and Queer PowerPoint that turns an actual funeral home into a stage. Expect heartfelt insight, dark humour and an unexpectedly uplifting take on life, death and everything in between.

For something slower and more spiritual, Latai Taumoepeau’s WansolMoana Lunar Assembly takes over McIver’s Ladies Baths for an intimate night of reflection, meditation and music celebrating feminine sovereignty and collective power.

Over in the family-friendly corner, Sydney Festival has the little ones covered too. The Censor at ATYP’s Rebel Theatre flips the script, handing creative control to kids in a funny, fearless performance about who gets to decide what’s “appropriate.”

At Bondi Pavilion, Legs On The Wall’s WAVERIDER blends acrobatics and surf culture on a giant inflatable wave—a visual spectacle that turns into an interactive seaside playground once the show wraps.

Keeping the theme alive, Rothar by Ireland’s Branar brings imagination to life through the adventures of two boys and their bikes, while Garden of Sound at Riverside Live lets kids literally make music through movement using motion capture and game technology.

Summer School and the program for young audiences showcase Sydney Festival at its most playful and thought-provoking—celebrating the creativity and curiosity of all age groups.

Grab early-bird tickets for just $49 across all ticketed shows—available until Saturday 29 November (or until sold out).

The Details

What: Sydney Festival 2026
When: 8–25 January, 2026
Where: 40+ locations across Sydney
Tickets: On sale from 9am AEDT, Thursday 6 November 2025 online.