Sydney Opera House, Sydney Australia

Sydney, NSW · Summer

Sydney Festival

First three weeks of January

Sydney Festival opens the cultural year with three weeks of theatre, dance, circus, music and large-scale public art across the city each January. It has been running since 1977 and stages hundreds of performances, with a strong strand of free outdoor works built for summer evenings.

The program mixes international premieres with Australian commissions, and the free events make it easy to sample without a ticket. January in Sydney is hot and busy, so evening shows and harbourside venues are the comfortable way in. It pairs naturally with the city's beaches and the tail end of the school holidays.

  • Arts & Literature
  • Major Event
When
First three weeks of January
How often
Every year
Venue
Various venues citywide
Crowd
Approx. 500,000
Entry
Free + ticketed
Setting
Mixed
Public holiday
Australia Day period
Various venues citywideApprox. 500,000Official event site

Dates shown follow the event's typical pattern; exact dates change each year, so confirm on the official site before booking travel.

Getting there by bus

Tell us where you're starting from and we'll find coach options to Sydney.

One-way trip

Fares and timetables are confirmed on the operator's site before you book.

More events around Sydney