Dancing the day away at the Sydney Festival (Photo: Prudence Upton)
Sure, Sydney’s been hitting record-breaking temps this summer, but the weather isn’t the only thing that’s sizzling this season. Every summer Down Under, Sydney springs to life with a captivating calendar of cultural events and fun festivals, designed to satisfy summering Sydneysiders during their traditional holiday break—and to offer those of us stuck battling the winter blahs on the north side of the equator with a warm-weather escape chockfull of Sydney signatures (à la beaches, nightlife, and a heavenly harbor front), capped off by culture galore. Herewith a roundup up five show-stopping Sydney summer events worth planning your visit around.
1. Sydney Festival
Held every January for more than three decades, Sydney biggest cultural hurrah bursts on the summer scene with the annual Sydney Festival, showcasing a dizzying array of some 300 ticketed and free performances highlighting theater, dance, music, film, and more. The massive event features more than 750 artists on stage in more than 50 venues around the city, and is known as a hotbed for Australian premieres and cutting-edge shows. Highlights from the 2013 event (which wraps up on January 27) include Semele Walk, mixing a modernized Handel opera with Vivienne Westwood couture; a stage show from Talking Heads' David Byrne; and Eraritjaritjaka, a theatrical performance combining music, design, voice, movement, and video.