Sydney Festival: First Night

Sydney Festival is an annual celebration of the arts in Sydney and is the largest arts event in Australia, including theatre, music, dance, visual arts, film and artistic performances spanning for about three weeks. The festival's First Night, being our largest art festival opening, kick starts the month of artsy shenanigans by shutting down sections of Macquarie and College st; filling St Mary's Cathedral's forecourt with food and bars; having Burlesque dancer Imogen Kelly perform a riveting enactment of Marie Antoinette; letting iOTA blast through Hyde Park and in general, letting people from all walks of Sydney-life come together and dance into the night. Indeed, we often get caught up with dreams of leaving our homes and travelling to distant shores, but Sydney Festival's Opening Night reminds us of the diversity and beauty that is around us every single day. 

Well organised, full of spirit and oozing with the contentment that comes from being surrounded by multitudes of jolly people - the night that Sydney stopped to celebrate art and more importantly, itself, this year's Sydney Festival First Night was the best yet. 

ps- Is anyone else eagerly holding out for their name to appear on John Baldessari's Your Name In Lights? 
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(click to make pictures larger)

 

the Dynamites featuring Charles Walker                                                                       Imogen Kelly

       

  

Smoke & Mirrors
Come Back For Me - iOTA (watch now)

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Sydney Festival 2011