Sydney Festival 2021: An all-Australian and Covid-safe celebration

Sydney is to be the canvas for 24 days of culture, fun and artistry once again, with Sydney Festival set to start the new year from 6-26 January 2021.

The 2021 program has been specially curated to showcase all things “Australian made”, with artistic director Wesley Enoch and his team lining up 130 events celebrating Australian art, performers and artists.

With so much to look forward to, and so much to learn from 2020, festival plans have keenly prioritised public health and audience safety, to ensure a smooth and Covid-safe festival experience.

All events and venues will deploy Covid-19 Safety Plans, there will be mandatory registration when required and monitoring of capacity and social distancing measures as per Department of Health regulations.

Of note, will be the enormous Covid-safe pop-up stage anchored at Barangaroo Reserve. “The Headland” stage will feature the festivals greatest theatrical performances and companies, with the beautiful Sydney Harbour in the background.

All events held at The Headland will be just $25 a ticket.

What to plan for:

For an evening at The Headland, expect acrobatic extravaganzas like “The Pulse” a new work by Australian circus company Gravity & Other Myths. The sizeable stage will also host Bangarra Dance Theatre and their storytelling work “Spirit: A Retrospective 2021”, which draws on stories spanning across the company’s 30-year repertoire.

Headliner music acts to see include electro-pop icon Paul Mac who will pay homage to George Michael in “The Rise and Fall of Saint George”, accompanied by some of Sydney’s finest singers. Not to mention Paul Capsis and iOTA’s “RAPTURE: a song cycle of Desire and Ecstasy, Murder and Mayhem” which will present a song saga spectacular exploring love, ecstasy and pain through tracks by Megan Washington, Deborah Conway, Deborah Harry and The Kinks.

If you’re looking for free and for the family, “Sydney Symphony Under the Stars” will return to Parramatta Park heralding the famous cannons of the 18th and 19th centuries. Meanwhile, Wiradjuri dancer Jo Clancy will share some cheeky, insightful stories about caring for country in “Under the Madhan”. With puppetry, song and movement in the mix, it’s set to be a favourite for all the family.

Parramatta Park will also host the roving and organic dance project “In Situ”. Created by Western Sydney’s Dance Makers Collective, and in cultural consultation with Darug elders Peta Strachan and Julie Webb, audiences will observe First Nations stories brought to life by Wakka Wakka/Kombumerri woman Katina Olsen and Wiradjuri woman Emily Flannery.

Sydney Festival Stand outs:

Blak Out
Initiated by Enoch, Syd Fest’s “Blak Out” program is set to dazzle and enrapture audiences. Spearheaded by First Nations voices and performances from Australia and New Zealand, the program will feature a collection of diverse stories – “Sunshine Super Girl” by Andrea James being one not to miss.

ALLOWED AND LOCAL
Sydney Festival has heard our pleas to bring back live music and is answering them with “ALLOWED AND LOCAL”. Taking over some of Sydney’s most treasured music venues, including The Lansdowne, Factory Theatre and The Vanguard, audiences will revel in the joys of live music once again, with performances by Alice Ivy, HANDSOME, Sui Zhen and E^ST, just to name a few.

Casey Donovan in Concert
Taking on the City Recital Hall stage, Casey Donovan will perform a songbook of iconic hits, delivering an evening of powerhouse vocals and power ballads. Expect crowd favourites from Joni Mitchell to Eva Cassidy, Adele to Ed Sheeran.

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Find more information about events, tickets and Sydney Festival prices HERE

Find more information about Sydney Festival’s Covid safe procedures HERE