Vivid Sydney 2023Credit: Destination NSW
Views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney 2023, from the View Hotel in North Sydney.
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From street art and experimental artists to festivals that take over the city and grandstand international acts, Sydney is shaped by an innovative spirit and creative soul. It’s an ethos shared by the city of Austin, Texas, and its legendary festival, SXSW (South by Southwest). In 2023, Sydney became the first city in the world to host an international edition of this iconic event.
From 14-20 October 2024, Sydney will once again transform into a vibrant creative hub, welcoming the world’s most inspired thinkers to celebrate film, music, tech and culture. In the lead up and during SXSW Sydney 2024, discover why the Harbour City is the ultimate creative playground.
The world of art brought to Sydney
See why the city is a magnet for inspired thinkers every day of the year. At the sleek Museum of Contemporary Art, perched on the edge of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney International Art Series showcases the world’s great creative trailblazers. Over summer 2024/2025, it will feature exclusive shows from international icons Julie Mehretu, René Magritte and Cao Fei. The Art Gallery of NSW has recently completed the $344 million Sydney Modern Project, a work of unparalleled art, architecture and landscape. In Chippendale, the White Rabbit Gallery holds one of the world’s greatest collections of contemporary Chinese art.
A city celebration of cinema
At SXSW Sydney’s Screen Festival, ground-breaking visual storytellers showcase their ideas. Catch the premiere of leading feature films, hear Australian legends offer commentary over their most famous works or enter your piece in the Short Film Competition. In Sydney, the screen celebration continues with events like the long-running Sydney Film Festival, FlickerFest, and the Westpac OpenAir Cinema in summer.
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney.
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Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Friends arriving outside the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in The Rocks, Sydney.
Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new building Credit: Iwan Baan
Aerial view of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new SANAA-designed building, 2022
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Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new building Credit: Iwan Baan
Aerial view of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ new SANAA-designed building, 2022
Featuring huge names in music and the next names to be discovered
Emerging talent is firmly in the spotlight for the 2024 SXSW Music Festival, with up-and-coming artists from Australia, Asia Pacific and beyond taking the stage. The festival is centred around the inner-city suburb of Chippendale, with artists playing at The Landsdowne Hotel, The Abercrombie Hotel, The Lord Gladstone and The Chippo (outside of the festival, you’ll find live music and late-night good times at these iconic venues every weekend). The beat goes on over summer, with festivals like Listen Out, Monolith, Good Things and Harbourlife. And catch big names in concert over the coming months, including Coldplay, Olivia Rodrigo, Crowded House and Billie Eilish.
The city’s stages reserved for the biggest musicals
Be inspired by an impressive line-up of international touring musicals in Sydney’s historic theatres. March each year welcomes the dazzling Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, performed on an open-air floating stage. In 2025, the showgirls and gangsters of Guys & Dolls will sparkle against the glittering backdrop. The record-breaking SIX the Musical returns to the Theatre Royal Sydney from October and multi-award-winning Hamilton is playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until January 2025. MJ the Musical, celebrating the work of iconic entertainer Michael Jackson, will have its Australian premiere at the Lyric in February 2025. The outrageous musical comedy The Book of Mormon will be back for another Sydney season at the Capitol Theatre from July 2025. And for a night of Celine Dion celebration, snatch up tickets to see hit, Titanique.
Innovation in the fabric of Sydney
SXSW Sydney’s Tech & Innovation events will challenge your perspective as you learn from tech pioneers and party alongside the current and future game-changers. Beyond the festival, explore buzzing Chippendale: immerse yourself in bold design at Central Park, admire the blend of old and new at The Old Clare Hotel, catch a cutting-edge show at Phoenix and take a walking tour. In nearby Eveleigh, Carriageworks has a jam-packed multi-media arts calendar and a commitment to challenging the status quo that continues in the creative spaces of nearby Newtown, Surry Hills, and Paddington.
Titanique Credit: Titanique
Setting sail for Australia, Titanique will play a limited season, exclusive to Sydney at The Grand Electric.
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Titanique Credit: Titanique
Setting sail for Australia, Titanique will play a limited season, exclusive to Sydney at The Grand Electric.
MJ - The Musical Credit: Myles Frost as Michael Jackson in the original Broadway production of MJ_photo by Matthew Murphy
MJ - The Musical
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MJ - The Musical Credit: Myles Frost as Michael Jackson in the original Broadway production of MJ_photo by Matthew Murphy
MJ - The Musical
Mystery, history and the future converge
Listen to the stories of the city, from the first inhabitants to convict days and modern creatives, at the Museum of Sydney. Follow in the footsteps of legendary Australian explorer Ernest Shackleton in the immersive virtual reality experience Thin Ice at the Australian Museum. The new Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta is set to open in 2025 and will be a repository of Australia’s greatest artefacts of innovation and achievement, with a purpose-built STEM learning and play space and a food program dedicated to Western Sydney stories and food innovators.
It’s ‘game on!’ around the clock
The SXSW Sydney Games Festival will upgrade your playtime with live challenges, talks, demos, parties and a showcase of 120 brand new, independent games. Much of the action will take place at Fortress Sydney – Sydney’s massive, year-round gaming haven with arcades, state-of-the-art PC gaming, tabletops games and consoles, as well an epic esports arena. Battle your crew in a VIP booth before kicking on with a late-night feast at Chippendale’s laneway eateries on Kensington Street. Or rock on in the neon of Chinatown’s Dixon Street before exploring Haymarket, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo, and clinking glasses in the YCK Laneways’ cosy speakeasy-inspired small bars.
Melbourne artist JACOTÉNE performing at SXSW Sydney launch party Credit: Jess Gleeson
Melbourne artist JACOTÉNE performing at SXSW Sydney launch party. @sxswsydney, @jessgleeson, @jacotene
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Melbourne artist JACOTÉNE performing at SXSW Sydney launch party Credit: Jess Gleeson
Melbourne artist JACOTÉNE performing at SXSW Sydney launch party. @sxswsydney, @jessgleeson, @jacotene
Spice Alley, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink in Spice Alley, Chippendale.
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Spice Alley, Chippendale Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying food and drink in Spice Alley, Chippendale.
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Sydney pastry chef Reynold Poernomo.Credit: Destination NSW
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