Come January 2022, lockdowns should be a distant memory as Sydney comes alive in spectacular fashion with the the latest iteration of the iconic Sydney Festival.
The celebration, which carries the theme of ‘Together Again’, will take place indoors, outdoors and online, so that everyone can enjoy what the Emerald City has to offer.
The crowning jewel of the festival will be a project titled ‘Thaw’ — a 2.7 tonne melting iceberg that will be suspended 20 metres above Sydney harbour, creating a powerful statement about climate change. The brainchild of physical theatre company Legs on the Wall, ‘Thaw’ will be accompanied by the music of Alaskan composer and environmental activist Matthew Burtner.
In other music news for the festival, artists such as Cat Empire, Amyl and the Sniffers, Gordi, Jaguar Jonze and William Barton will be performing at various venues over the course of the festival.
The 2022 Sydney Festival will also go beyond its usual confines of the Sydney CBD and Parramatta and feature events in Manly, Mosman, Penrith, Campbelltown, Casula, Blacktown, Bankstown and Cronulla, making the fun more accessible to everyone.
“We’ve made the festival indoor, outdoor and online so we feel like we’re absolutely ready for anything and we can cater to any visitor’s appetite and level of confidence,” said new festival director Olivia Ansell.
“If you’re not confident to go out we can bring the festival to you at home. If you are confident to go out we’ve got enough outdoor works to satisfy you, and if you’re ready for the full throttle and thirsting for culture and just want to get back inside that theatre, we’ve got a compelling theatre program too.”
That theatre program includes Qween Lear — a queer version of the Shakespeare’s King Lear which will be staged playing at the Hordern Pavilion, Girl From the North Country starring Lisa McCune at the Theatre Royal, Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran and The Museum of Modern Love.
For classical music lovers, Sydney Symphony Under the Stars will return to the festival, courtesy of the the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Parramatta Park.
Additionally, highlighting the importance and impact of First Nations artists and storytelling will be Wudjang: Not the Past — a collaboration between Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company as well as Jurrungu Ngan-ga which will see Indigenous intercultural dance company Marrugeku stage an examination of incarceration at Carriageworks.
And in very exciting news, hit play Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner will return to play across two venues, at the Darlinghurst Theatre where it enjoyed sold out shows in 2021 and Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre.
The Sydney Festival 2022 runs from 6-30 January and more information can be found at the event’s official website.
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