January · New South Wales · Sydney
Sydney Festival
Three weeks of music, theatre, dance and outdoor events across Sydney.
Sydney Festival takes over the city in January with a mix of free outdoor performances, major ticketed shows and thought-provoking contemporary art.
Sydney Festival runs for three weeks every January and is the largest summer arts festival in Australia. It was founded in 1977 and has grown into a programme of over 150 events spanning theatre, dance, music, visual arts and circus. Many events are free and take place outdoors in the Domain, Parramatta Park and Hyde Park.
The festival overlaps with the Australian Open tennis in Melbourne, cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the first week of the school summer holidays, making January a legitimately busy period for visitors to Sydney. Book major accommodation well in advance.
Standout regular events include the free Sydney Symphony Orchestra concert in the Domain, the outdoor Summer House sessions at Hyde Park, and the ticketed shows at the Sydney Opera House and Carriageworks in Eveleigh.
While you are there
