Sydney Festival has announced its return for 2025, presenting a series of music events across the city this coming January. The music program was pre-empted by the announcement of Rufus Wainwright‘s Australian tour last month, with the Canadian-Australian balladeer’s show at the Sydney Opera House confirmed to be part of Sydney Festival. More information can be found below.
Other international artists set to visit Sydney as part of the program include New York rnb singer-songwriter Yaya Bey and Bristol future-jazz collective Ishmael Ensemble – both of which will be touring Australia for the very first time. In a press statement, the latter professed that they were “absolutely over the moon” to be coming to the country to perform. “We’ve been far and wide on this wild journey, but this one is gonna be extra special,” they said.
Yaya Bey – ‘Chasing The Bus’
On the front of Australian artists, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks will return to Sydney for their first headlining show since 2022 – playing a standing-room show at the recently-renovated City Recital Hall. Katie Noonan will perform a special Jeff Buckley tribute show, performing Grace in its entirety to celebrate its 30th anniversary, while Murrawarri artist Dobby will bring his ARIA–nominated debut album Warrangu: River Story to the stage with a full string ensemble.
Sydney Festival 2024 ran back in January, with a line-up that included Courtney Barnett, Julie Byrne, Anoushka Shankar and Nabihah Iqbal. In a review of the lattermost artist’s Sydney Festival show, Music Feeds noted that despite being “plagued by sound issues”, she was nevertheless “radiant and personable throughout”.
“Aware that this gig hadn’t been an optimal representation of her work, Iqbal promised to return to Sydney,” it read. “The size of the line at the merch desk after the show suggested the majority of the crowd would flock to see her play again.”
Sydney Festival 2025 Music Program
Saturday, January 4th – Sunday, January 26th – Various venues, Sydney NSW
ACO On The Pier
- Saturday, January 4th – Radical Son (6pm)
- Saturday, January 4th – Chela (9pm)
- Sunday, January 5th – Perry Keyes (4pm and 7pm)
- Friday, January 10th – Ganna
- Saturday, January 11th – JFDR (6pm)
- Saturday, January 11th – Dannielle de Andrea (9pm)
- Sunday, January 12th – Ganna
- Thursday, January 16th – Lotte Bettes-Dean (6pm)
- Thursday, January 16th – Mary Ancheta Quartet (8:45pm)
- Friday, January 17th – Parvyn
- Saturday, January 18th – Setwun
- Sunday, January 19th – Mary Ancheta Quartet (3pm)
- Sunday, January 19th –NoSax NoClar (6pm)
- Thursday, January 23rd – Allysha Joy
- Friday, January 24th – Hak Baker (6pm)
- Friday, January 24th – Ishmael Ensemble (9pm)
- Saturday, January 25th – Ruby Jackson (6pm)
- Saturday, January 25th – Dobby (9pm)
Art Gallery Of New South Wales
Australian National Maritime Museum
- Saturday, January 25th – New Beginnings Festival (line-up TBA)
City Recital Hall
- Saturday, January 4th – Yaya Bey
- Friday, January 10th – Chez Damier and Alton Miller
- Saturday, January 11th – Cash Savage & The Last Drinks
- Thursday, January 16th and Friday, January 17th – Jalen Ngonda
- Friday, January 24th – Not Drowning Waving
Moonshine Bar
- Sunday, January 5th – Cumbiamuffin
- Thursday, January 9th – Brendan Maclean
- Friday, January 10th – Aurus
- Saturday, January 11th – Dizzy Days
- Sunday, January 12th – Rakish
- Thursday, January 16th – Voli K
- Friday, January 17th – Freedom Sounds
- Saturday, January 18th – Soul of Sydney
- Thursday, January 23rd – Tijuana Taxi
- Friday, January 24th – Thunder Fox
- Saturday, January 25th – Akala Newman
Riverside Theatre
- Thursday, January 23rd to Sunday, January 26th – Rainbow Chan presents The Bridal Lament
Sydney Opera House
- Wednesday, January 8th – Rufus Wainwright
Sydney Theatre Company Wharf 1 Theatre
- Tuesday, January 21st to Saturday, January 25th – Katie Noonan performs Jeff Buckley’s Grace
Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden
Saturday, January 18th and Sunday, January 19th – 10am, 10:45am, 11:30am and 2pm
- William Barton & Véronique Serret
- NoSax NoClar
- Joseph & James Tawadros
- Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ VOX and Chamber Singers
- Maharshi Raval
Tickets for all programming are on sale now, with the full program available to peruse on the official Sydney Festival website, SydneyFestival.org.au.
Further Reading
Automatic: “The Kind of Music We Write is Always a Little Bit Sinister”
Rufus Wainwright – Taronga Zoo, Sydney 07/03/15
Chela Releases New Single ‘Cool 2B Queer’, Shares Statement Calling For a Musicians’ Minimum Wage
