You had me at Hot Chip
Sydney Festival is turning 50 next January, and the city-wide program under new director Kris Nelson is going big.
Across 8–25 January, over 500 artists will take part in theatre, dance, cabaret, talks, and of course, music.
Music fans have plenty to get excited about. Hot Chip return to the Sydney Opera House for two big nights celebrating 25 years together, performing Joy In Repetition, a career-spanning live show guaranteed to turn melancholy into joy and dancefloors into shared catharsis.
Visionary American artist Lonnie Holley leads the festival’s return to ACO on the Pier, with evolving collaborations featuring AMP-winning First Nations elder Kankawa Nagarra and Sydney neo-soul star Yasmina Sadiki.
UK singer-songwriter Paris Paloma makes her Australian debut at City Recital Hall following her viral hit Labour, while First Nations powerhouse Emma Donovan honours soul classics in Take Me to the River.
Ursula Yovich brings a world-premiere tribute to Nina Simone, and South London fusion trailblazer Raf Saperra comes to Sydney for the first time.
The festival’s Blak Out program, curated by Jacob Nash, continues to centre First Nations voices, featuring works by Joel Bray, Lucy Simpson, Nardi, and Bangarra Dance Theatre’s The Bogong’s Song.
Electronic music fans aren’t left out either: UK DJ Nooriyah and Palestinian DJ Habibeats team up for a high-energy club night after standout festival sets overseas.
The festival also doubles down on iconic outdoor events, with Sydney Symphony Under the Stars at Tumbalong Park celebrating the festival’s 50-year legacy and a massive street takeover at Walsh Bay transforming live music, theatre, and action cinema into a citywide party.
With everything from indie, soul, and punk to hip-hop, electronic, and experimental sounds, Sydney Festival 2026 promises a music program as diverse, ambitious, and unforgettable as the city itself.
