Sydney Festival marks its 50th anniversary this year with a diverse city-wide program that honours five decades of cultural transformation and looks ahead to the next generation of artistic innovation.
Bold theatre, dance, music, visual arts and immersive experiences will take over historic venues, pop-up spaces and unexpected corners of the city.
It is the first year for new Festival Director Kris Nelson, and while he has big shoes to fill, Sydney does quite literally become a whole city canvas on which he can paint his vision.
On the occasion of the Festival’s 50th anniversary, the Blak Out program stands as a powerful reminder that we gather because we must – it’s who we are. Over three weeks, the city will pulse with stories of resilience and brilliance under the curatorship of Jacob Nash, who shares his final program as Sydney Festival Creative Artist in Residence.
At the heart of the 2026 Blak Out program is HELD, a series of commissioned sculptural works on Barrangaroo’s Stargazer’s Lawn by Yuwaalaraay Wirringgaa woman Lucy Simpson.
In reimagining the corroboree for a new generation, acclaimed choreographer Joel Bray invites audiences of all ages to move together under the stars for a heart-pounding dance ritual on Sydney Harbour. Created in collaboration with Wiradjuri Elders and community, Garabari transforms the Northern Broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House into a massive open-air dance floor complete with ethereal costumes by Wiradjuri designer Denni Francisco (Ngali), driving beats by Byron Scullin and immersive projections by Katie Sfetkidis
Over at City Recital Hall, a series of Sydney Festival gigs will feature some of the world’s most exciting artists. UK singer-songwriter Paris Paloma has quickly become one of contemporary music’s most compelling feminist voices. Following the release of her debut album Cacophony and building on the cultural impact of her Gold-certified 2023 hit Labour, which garnered over 11 billion social media views, Paloma is celebrated for immersive, community-driven performances. Turning each concert into spaces of connection, defiance and joy, she has earned praise as the “natural successor to Florence + the Machine” and a new-generation Kate Bush (The Guardian).
A major new commission for Sydney Festival in 2026, Mama Does Derby takes over Sydney Town Hall, converting the iconic civic space into a full-scale roller derby track for a heartwarming and action-packed World Premiere work by Virginia Gay (Calamity Jane) and Windmill’s Clare Watson.
The show follows Billie, 16, and her mum as they navigate a new life in a regional town – and the sweaty, chaotic and rebellious world of roller derby. Blending theatre, sport, live music and immersive spectacle, Mama Does Derby is a hilarious and heartfelt celebration of resilience, reinvention and the bonds that hold a family together.
Blending ancient ritual with cutting-edge technology, Opera for the Dead 祭歌 by guzheng virtuoso Mindy Meng Wang and experimental sound designer Monica Lim is a powerful, multi-sensory journey through grief, remembrance and transformation. Drawing inspiration from Chinese mourning traditions, the work surrounds audiences with live music, electronic soundscapes, movement and light. As the space shifts between stage, cinema and dance floor, visitors are invited to move freely through an ever-changing world of sound and shadow.
Leading the festival’s return to ACO On The Pier is visionary American artist, Lonnie Holley. A multi-disciplinary creator whose work spans drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, performance, music and film, Holley has released seven albums, including 2025’s Tonky and 2023’s Oh Me Oh My, featuring collaborations with Michael Stipe, Bon Iver and Sharon Van Etten. In Sydney, his music and lyrics – always improvised – will evolve nightly, joined by AMP – winning musician, singer-songwriter, and elder Kankawa Nagarra for one special performance and Sydney’s own jazz and neo soul star Yasmina Sadiki for another, creating a unique local-international collaboration for each performance
A crowning achievement of contemporary theatre, LACRIMA unveils the hidden human stories stitched into the world’s most celebrated gown. As the Princess of England prepares to marry, designers and artisans across continents race to create a dress destined for history – from Parisian ateliers and the lacemakers of Normandy to embroiderers in Mumbai. In this Australian Premiere production, acclaimed French director and playwright Caroline Guiela Nguyen fuses meticulous research with cinematic scale and theatrical intimacy. Performed in French, Tamil, English and sign language with surtitles, LACRIMA is a breathtaking three-hour story of beauty, labour and belonging.
Making a return to Sydney Festival for the first time since 2018’s powerful Beast, Dan Daw takes us back to where it all began: a working-class Aussie childhood and the start of his long journey towards becoming an internationally celebrated, proudly queer and disabled dance artist. In the Australian Exclusive staging of EXXY (slang for “expensive”), Daw is joined by three extraordinary performers who move like him. Together, they echo, mirror and multiply his presence, conjuring the tantalising possibility of blending in after a lifetime of standing out.
In a high-voltage collision of rock, drag and Blak pride, A Night of Rock & Roll with Bogan Villea – the outrageous alter ego of First Nations LGBTIQ+ performer Ben Graetz – lights up STC’s Wharf 1 Theatre. With guest performances from some of Australia’s finest singers, dancers and drag artists, the show is a wild celebration that fuses the energy of AC/DC with the flamboyance of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
The beloved Sydney Symphony Under the Stars will take center stage in a spectacular new location in 2026: Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour. Taking place over the festival’s middle weekend on Saturday 17 January, this special 50th anniversary edition promises an unforgettable evening of music and community, bringing together festivalgoers under the stars in one of Sydney’s most iconic waterfront precincts. This year, Sydney Symphony Under the Stars honours Sydney Festival’s long legacy, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra celebrating its 50 year history through music and pictures.
The WansolMoana Lunar Assembly invites women and children to a night of reflection, renewal and spiritual connection at Sydney’s historic McIver’s Ladies Baths, one of the world’s last remaining women-only ocean pools. Led by Tongan Australian performance artist Latai Taumoepeau, this durational ceremony blends meditation, music and water-based rituals to celebrate feminine sovereignty and collective power. A low-sensory, accessible session will also be held at the Malabar Ocean Pools.
Taking over the Sydney Opera House with an 18-piece ensemble in his flashiest, funniest and most fearless endeavour yet, Reuben Kaye is bigger and better than ever in enGORGEd. For one night only, the fiery, filthy and fabulous comedian bares all, blending razor-sharp storystelling with powerhouse vocals and diva-worthy anthems. No topic is off-limits for this unapologetic cabaret superstar.
London’s most lovable party band, Hot Chip, return to the Sydney Opera House for two unforgettable nights of euphoric indie-dance brilliance. Celebrating 25 years together, the genre-defying quintet bring Joy In Repetition — a career-spanning live show that transforms melancholy into joy and dancefloors into shared catharsis. Steeped in classic house and shimmering synth-pop, and anchored by frontman Alexis Taylor’s unmistakable voice, Hot Chip promise a high-voltage celebration of rhythm, resilience and connection
For young audiences, WAVERIDER is a breathtaking new outdoor performance from physical theatre legends Legs On The Wall. Staged on a giant inflatable wave at the iconic Bondi Pavilion, this family-friendly spectacle fuses surf culture, acrobatics and ocean adventure into a high-energy celebration of Australia’s love affair with the sea. After the show, the wave transforms into a playful seaside installation for all to enjoy, making WAVERIDER the ultimate summer experience.
Sydney Festival runs 8-25 January 2026
• Tickets for all shows on sale now
• Visit sydneyfestival.org.au for more details
