Sydney Festival opens today, marking its 50th anniversary with a city-wide celebration of theatre, dance, music, visual arts and immersive experiences. From today until Sunday 25 January, Sydney transforms into a living stage, inviting residents and visitors to gather, reflect and reconnect through a diverse program of performances and installations that honour half a century of cultural innovation while looking to the future.
This year marks the first Sydney Festival under the leadership of Director Kris Nelson. Speaking ahead of the opening, Nelson said, “Opening Sydney Festival’s 50th anniversary is an incredible honour. This festival has always belonged to the city – to the artists, audiences and communities who gather each January. We recognise that this year’s festival will be presented to a city still grieving from the recent atrocity in Bondi. Our hearts are especially with the Jewish community at this time, and with everyone across Sydney affected by this loss. As we begin this anniversary edition, we’re mindful of the moment we’re in, and we’re proud to open a festival that invites people to come out and reconnect with their city through art, culture and shared experiences.”
Minister for the Arts John Graham reflected on the festival’s milestone, saying, “The Sydney Festival is clearly not getting shy about its 50th birthday! Every year, right as Sydney hits the peak of summer, the festival unfolds with an amazing program. Happy Birthday to the Sydney Festival, here’s to another great 50 years of big colourful nights, where anything feels possible.”
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper described the festival as “the nation’s largest international arts and cultural event and a highlight of our summer in Sydney. Over the next few weeks our city is going to be abuzz with creativity and entertainment as we celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary. For half a century, Sydney Festival has enriched our state’s vibrant arts and cultural scene, showcasing NSW as Australia’s leading destination for world-class event experiences and this year will be no different.”
Opening this morning, two major public artworks debuted in Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. Lucy Simpson’s HELD, part of the 2026 Blak Out program curated by Jacob Nash, features sculptural installations honouring earth, sky and sea Country. These vessels will serve as the ceremonial focal point for Vigil: Belong, the festival’s closing ceremony on 25 January, where sacred smoke will rise at sunset as musician and writer Nardi Simpson leads singers from every generation.
Darling Harbour welcomes international sculptor Julia Phillips’ Observer, Observed, marking its Australian debut after a year-long installation on New York’s High Line. A pair of bronze binoculars transforms casual sightseeing into a reflection on surveillance, consent and spectatorship in the digital age.
Tonight’s opening performances place international works at the centre of the program. South Korean choreographer Eun-Me Ahn presents Post-Orientalist Express, a kaleidoscopic work performed by eight dancers in more than 90 costumes. Drawing on traditions from Okinawa, Bali and Manila, the piece satirically explores and challenges Asian stereotypes. At Carriageworks, British artist Travis Alabanza’s BURGERZ offers an immersive performance transforming trauma into resilience through storytelling, wit and social commentary.
The festival also premieres Thomas Mayo’s Dear Son, featuring twelve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, including Stan Grant, Troy Cassar-Daley and John Liddle. Adapted for the stage by Isaac Drandic and John Harvey, the work celebrates fatherhood, wisdom and masculinity within the world’s oldest living cultures.
Joel Bray’s Garabari reimagines the corroboree for a contemporary audience, transforming the Northern Broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House into an open-air dance floor. UK singer-songwriter Paris Paloma performs at City Recital Hall, while Jannawi Dance Clan premieres Garrigarrang Badu, celebrating Dharug Country and the role of women in cultural continuity.
American multidisciplinary artist Lonnie Holley returns to Sydney with improvised performances at ACO On The Pier. Holley’s evolving sets will feature collaborations with Gooniyandi and Walmatjarri Elder Kankawa Nagarra and Sydney jazz and neo-soul artist Yasmina Sadiki.
Outdoor performance highlights include Live at Hickson Road: Efectos Especiales, an Argentinian street cinema and performance project, which transforms Walsh Bay into an interactive spectacle. Local and international DJs, including Federico Puentes and Tina Disco, continue the energy with late-night sets.
Sydney Symphony Under the Stars on 17 January will present an all-Australian program featuring Nigel Westlake and Naomi Dodd, alongside world-renowned yidaki player William Barton performing Deborah Cheetham Fraillon’s Treaty. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s New World Symphony and a fireworks finale, celebrating 50 years of the festival’s history through archival footage and iconic artworks.
Opera, experimental sound and theatre feature prominently, with premieres including Caroline Guiela Nguyen’s LACRIMA, exploring the stories behind a royal wedding gown, and Virginia Gay and Clare Watson’s Mama Does Derby, blending sport, music and theatre into a participatory spectacle. Bangarra Dance Theatre’s The Bogong’s Song: A Call to Country introduces young audiences to the Dreaming through dance, puppetry and song.
The festival also champions queer and community voices, with performances such as Death by Powerpoint, Life Rites Funerals and Queer PowerPoint’s site-specific collaboration, and asses.masses, a seven-hour live multiplayer video game performance.
Sydney Festival 2026 runs until Sunday 25 January, continuing its legacy as a city-wide celebration of art, culture and shared experience.
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