Sydney Elevates Water Ecological Sustainability

Just days after welcoming in 2023 with its first big NYE party since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sydney has welcomed its first annual drone show event – Elevate Sydney!

Held between January 3rd and January 7th, Elevate Sydney is an entertainment festival held on the Cahill Expressway but each night at 10:30pm, eyes looked skyward above Circular Quay for the Elevate Sydney Skyshow – the largest drone show in the Southern Hemisphere.

*Elevate Sydney SkyShow* 2023 Map
Map: *Elevate Sydney*

Containing 600 drones, the 5-minute drone show, with a theme of water & ecological sustainability, saw the creation of many images of sea creatures from Sydney Harbour led by an ‘anthromophic’ Benny the Seal. For international readers, Benny the Seal is a real seal who can be found occasionally sunbathing at the Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point between Vivid Sydney & September.

Elevate Sydney was first held in the 1st 5 days of 2022 thus making the 2023 edition the first consequentially held drone show over Sydney Harbour. Drone shows made their debut on Sydney Harbour in 2016 as part of Vivid Sydney, when a then-world-record-breaking 100 drones took to the skies of Farm Cove as part of a world record attempt by Intel. The world record is now currently around 5000 drones – a record held by China.

5 and a half years later, drones finally returned to Sydney Harbour for the 1st edition of Elevate, when they set the Southern Hemisphere-record up to 500 and since then, 3 other drone shows have been held – another one at Vivid Sydney to promote the Paramount+ streaming service (which broke the Southern Hemisphere-record to the now-equal 600), The Everest Barrier Draw, Art Up, a nightly drone show to commemorate the re-opening of the Art Gallery Of New South Wales (NSW) over 9 nights in early December and 2 Christmas-themed shows – 1 at Noel Sydney, a new Christmas event and 1 at Darling Harbour – both held numerous times roughly in the week before Christmas.

Elevate is more than just a drone show though. The entertainment festival on the Cahill Expressway takes up most of the day, held in 3 sessions each for a capacity of 3000 people. Therefore, it is a free ticketed event. However, since the event begun last year, the 3000 tickets get snapped up fast. All sessions contain roaming entertainment and a ‘gate/wait party’ in the portion of The Domain immediately west of the northbound Cahill Expressway on-ramp for those who missed out on a ticket and are waiting for capacity to improve. This was introduced after controversy was ignited in the inaugural edition when ticketholders failed to show up (due to line-up changes and understandably, COVID-19) but failed to return the tickets despite organisers urging people to if they can’t make it.

It begins at 10am with the 2.5 hour Elevate Family (formerly Kids). This session is targeted at children aged under 13 and their parents with the 2022 edition’s session being bookended by live interactive performances of the Australian world sensation television series, Bluey. Hosted by Play School hosts, Michelle Lim Davidson & Matthew Backer, who also run their own twice-held daily event segment called Story Salad, other Elevate Family content includes Monski Mouse (a disc jockey for babies), The Gagliardies and Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo. This session was not held on the first event day as it was in 2022.

In 2022, Elevate Kids was held earlier and longer for 4 hours from 8am. Hosted by children’s entertainment personality, Justine Clarke, each day began with a wellness session by former Wiggles dancer, Lauren Hannaford, before Ready, Set, Dance & disc jockey Romeboy take the reins. Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium & everyday item musicians, Junkyard Beats round out the entertainment which are headlined on the first event day by Australian global sensation, The Wiggles, and by Simon Wiggle & Friends on the latter days. The latest Australian global sensation, Bluey, also appeared on the first 3 event days before the characters of Kangaroo Beach appeared in Bluey‘s place on the final day.

Back to 2023 and the next 2.5-hour session begun at 2:30pm and it is called Elevate Social. This consists of 2 75-minute electronic music and/or disc jockey sets. Headliners each day from 4th January were, in chronological order, Young Franco, Anna Lunoe, Kito & The Jungle Giants. They were supported, again in chronological order, by Running Touch, Harvey Sutherland, Touch Sensitive & Kinder.

In 2022, Elevate Social was a completely different event. It was 3-hour variety event held from 2pm called Elevate Arena. Hosted by comedian Joel Ozbourn, it begun with interviews, conducted by former Sydney NYE television broadcast co-host Stephanie Brantz, with sporting personalities. This was followed by performances by The Drummer Queens, The Hula Queen, DB Freestyle (a freestyle football act) and The Tap Pack. On the first 2 event days, Worlds Collide, a multi-cultural music band was the finale while in the latter 2 event days, it was Barrio Soul. Sporting personalities interviewed included:

NSW dragon boat racing champion, Andrew Wong (final event day),
Under 23 Australian road cycling champion, Emily Watts (2nd event day),
A-League soccer runner-up goalkeeper, Jada Mathyssen-Whyman (3rd event day)
Australian (Rules) Football League runner-up footballer, Tom McCartin (4th event day),
A-League soccer champion, Rhys Williams (2nd event day),
Matilda, Remy Siemsen (3rd event day),
Matilda, Emily Van Egmond (3rd event day),
- 3-time Australian beach running champion, Ali Najem (2nd event day),
- Rugby League World Cup silver medallist, Brian To’o (2nd event day),
- FIBA World Cup silver medallist, Katie Ebzery (final event day),
- Rugby World Cup silver medallist, Micheal Hooper (3rd event day),
- Rugby League World Cup gold medallist, Tom Trbojevic (4th event day),
- Cricket World Cup gold medallist, Ashleigh Gardner (2nd event day),
- Cricket World Cup gold medallist, Brad Haddin (3rd event day),
- 2-time World Netball Championship gold medallist, Kimberlee Green (final event day),
- 2-time World Netball Championship gold medallist, Caitlin Bassett (4th event day),
- 3-time Cricket World Cup gold medallist, Shane Watson (4th event day),
- Paralympic silver medallist triathlete, Lauren Parker (final event day),
- Olympic silver medallist diver, Melissa Wu (2nd event day),
- Olympic silver medallist beach volleyballer, Mariafe Artacho del Solar (3rd event day),
- Olympic silver medallist high jumper, Nicola McDermott (3rd event day),
- 3-time Paralympic silver medallist rower, Erik Horrie (final event day),
2-time Paralympic gold medallist wheelchair racer, Madison de Rozario (4th event day) and,
5-time Olympic gold medallist swimmer, Emma McKeon (final event day).

The final, main session is at 8pm & last 3 hours. It is called Elevate Nights & unlike the other sessions, it is held every event day. Essentially, it is a nightly concert hosted by Sydney NYE concert television broadcast co-host, Zan Rowe. Headliners in 2023, in chronological order, are, Ya Girl Party B (2 sets), Spacey Jane, Amy Shark, The Veronicas and Sampa The Great. Supporting them are Client Liaison (1st event day), Thelma Plum & Ruby Fields (2nd event day), Mallrat & Becca Hatch (3rd event day), Betty Who & Drax Project (4th event day) and Northwest Party House & Wafia (final event day). All event days apart from the 1st one open with a house disc jockey.

Back in 2022, it started an hour earlier at 7pm (with the drone show being 30 minutes earlier at 10pm also to conclude the session) and was called Club Elevate. It was a slightly different event with theatre included with each night taking a different name (list below in chronological order):

Elevate First
Elevate Discotheque
Elevate Encore
Elevate Music
Elevate Sydney Final Night

As you can see above, they quickly ran out of unique names (Note: ‘First’ is a pun referencing both the first event night and First Nations) so it’s not surprising they stuck with a simple Elevate Nights label for all nights in 2023.

Elevate First begun with a Call To Country designed by Sydney NYE2008-2010 Creative Director, Rhoda Roberts, before performances were held by Indigenous artists, Electric Fields (support act) & Troy Casser-Daley (headliner).

Elevate Discotheque was headlined by Leo Sayer with support acts by Marcia Hines & Courtney Act, the latter who also acts as host. Elevate Encore is headlined by Lime Cordiale and supported by Peking Duk. Elevate Music was hosted by Triple J‘s Ebony Boadu and featured the following artists: BVT, CXLOE, Hauskey, L-FRESH the LION & Ngaiire, while Elevate Sydney Final Night was headlined by Tones & I, supported by Tim Minchin & hosted by Joel Ozborn after Courtney Act had to pull out.

One constant between the inaugural edition & the 2nd edition was that the drone show soundtrack was composed both times by DOBBY (Rhyan Clapham) featuring Uncle Matty Doyle. The 2023 soundtrack, which was available live online during the drone shows for the 1st time, also featured Kelsey Iris, who opened the soundtrack. All 3 artists are descendants of the Murruwarri people of north-western NSW.

The 2022 drone show had a generic theme of ‘Summer Sydney’ particularly as it was the first edition of the event. The 2022 event also had an augmented reality smartphone experience produced by Charles Clapshaw of Futures of Art and notably had strict COVID-19 protocols, given the public health situation at that time.

The inaugural Elevate Sydney SkyShow in 2022, themed ‘Summer Sydney’.
The 2023 edition is at the conclusion of this article below.

Something new in 2023 was the introduction of the world’s longest bar – the aptly named Long Bar! Stretching 127 metres along the Cahill Expressway facing the north over Circular Quay, this bar operated during the Elevate Social & Elevate Night sessions during the final 4 event days.

Whilst tickets to sit at the bar are free, each ticket is only valid for a 1-hour window. There are no tickets handed out for the Long Bar during Elevate Family sessions, particularly as there is, rightly, no alcohol service during that session but the bar is still available to be sat at any time for an unlimited time during that session (if a seat is available!).

Back to the Elevate Social & Nights sessions, an add-on food & beverage package costing $50 per person is also available, which includes a “glass of NSW beer or wine served with a grazing selection featuring the finest of NSW produce”. If you do not purchase the package, there is still other food & beverages being sold at the Bar during those sessions. Also, if you have a ticket for the Long Bar you enter via an elevator on the eastern Circular Quay promenade that is goes up to Expressway level! This elevator is not used during Elevate Family.

Elevate Sydney 2023 Entertainment Festival Map
Map: Elevate Sydney

Commissioned by Destination New South Wales to help with the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic & produced by AGB Events with producer Olivia Bradley, Elevate Sydney is the beginning of a new dawn in annual events over Sydney Harbour – the biggest since projection mapping was introduced in 2008 for Sydney New Year’s Eve, which later sparked the phenomenal success of Vivid Sydney, which began a year later. Chief Executive Officer & Creative Director of AGB Events, Anthony Bastic, said at the 2022 Elevate Sydney launch:

The coupling of technologies and applying them to outdoor public events greatly enhances the audience experience & will certainly set a benchmark for future events. This world-class initiative really positions New South Wales as a leader in event innovation, & what a stunning debut it will be over Sydney Harbour.

We are very grateful for the support & efforts of the many agencies who have worked with us to realise this project. This is an industry we really want to nurture and promote. The Intel pilots travelling to Australia and sharing their knowledge is an amazing opportunity to grow the expertise of local drone operators
Anthony Bastic, Chief Executive Officer & Creative Director of AGB Events

The 2022 edition’s Cahill Expressway sessions, which had a capacity of 3200, reached full capacity on the penultimate Elevate Kids session & the final 3 Club Elevate sessions. Sydney Spectaculars estimates no more than 63,000 people attended Elevate Sydney 2022 (average maximum 13,100 per day, that is day 2-5) including 18,000 around Circular Quay over the 5 nights to watch the SkyShow (average 3,600 per night) in addition to the maximum 3,200 watching from the Cahill Expressway. Day 1 of the event (New Year’s Day) had an estimated attendance of no more than 3,660 given it was only held at night and also, understandably, Sydney had a big night the previous night.

Intel, who did the drone show at The Games Of The XXXIInd Olympiad: Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony and the first Sydney Harbour drone show at Vivid Sydney 2016, did not return in 2023 with a local company, Mirragin, instead taking the reins.

While the 2023 attendance statistics are yet to be announced, all sessions sold out while the penultimate Elevate Social session was cancelled and the first Elevate Nights session finished early (the SkyShow still went ahead on time in the end, fortunately, though), both due to the weather.

This event is one to watch for the future.

Sydney is elevating!

Australia and New Zealand selected as hosts of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ will be staged in Australia and New Zealand, following a vote taken by the FIFA Council during its meeting held via videoconference, the result of which was announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The joint bid submitted by Football Federation Australia and New Zealand Football received 22 of the 35 valid votes cast by the FIFA Council members in the first ballot, with the Colombian Football Association having obtained 13 votes. The full voting results are available below.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ Voting Results

Following on from the astounding success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ in France and the subsequent unanimous decision by the FIFA Council, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will be the first edition to feature 32 teams and it will also be the first to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand and across two confederations (AFC and OFC).

Media Release: FIFA

Controversial Decision To Use Sydney Opera House As A ‘Billboard’ Sparks Massive Debate Amid A Day Of Political & Media Battles

It has been a long day but it ends with the sudden & controversial decision to use the Sydney Opera House essentially as a ‘billboard’ to promote the upcoming The Everest horse race, a horse race that, whilst being the richest turf horse race in the world, has only been held once.

This is, without a doubt, the most controversial decision in the history of ‘Spectaculars’ in Sydney.

Firstly, apologies to all the Sydney Spectaculars followers for not posting any stories and responding to queries received. In the upcoming month, a post will be made about the future of the blog as the past 9 months, we’ve been weighing up what to do with the blog. We will then also respond to the queries received. In any case, this story is too big not to post about.

So prepare for the most controversial decision regarding a Sydney Spectacular EVER.

The story has only erupted in the past 24 hours but as we follow stories about what we call as ‘Sydney Spectaculars’, we can actually say it begun just under a year ago but let’s begin 7 months prior to that to get the full timeline:

2 February 2017

Racing New South Wales (NSW) & The Australian Turf Club announce a new horse race, The Everest, which is to be the richest turf horse race in the world with AUD$10,000,000 prize money, which is funded by “subscribers” & the event’s revenue. It is to be run under weight-for-age conditions over 1200 metres on the Royal Randwick Racecourse on the 2nd Saturday of each October.

To enter the race, it costs $600,000 depending the result of an expressions of interest process. There are 12 spots available, which can be traded with other horse owners.

As referred by the Australian Turf Club Chairman, Laurie Macri:

…Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club…share a vision to see more Sydney racing on the world stage

Australian Turf Club Chief Executive Officer, Darren Pearce, said:

…The Everest furthers our goal to attract a global audience…

These 2 quotes emphasise why The Everest was created.

Australia’s most iconic race is the Melbourne Cup, first held just under 160 years ago and whilst is one of the richest turf horse races in the world, it’s prize money is $7,300,000. Sydney and Melbourne, the capital cities of the states of NSW & Victoria and the largest and 2nd largest cities in Australia respectively have long held a sporting rivalry.

10 October 2017

The barrier draw for the 1st edition of The Everest is held on a boat in Sydney Harbour’s Farm Cove.

14 October 2017

The Everest is held for the 1st time won by Redzel. 33,000 people attended compared to the Melbourne Cup‘s attendance of approximately 90,000, which was held just under a month later.

17 October 2017

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the parliamentary leader of the NSW Labor Party said that, if his political party wins next year’s (2019) state election (to be held on the 23rd of March), they will allow on the Sunday prior to the race, the Sydney Harbour Bridge to be closed and used for the barrier draw for The Everest, which would have formed part of new week-long festival centred around The Everest.

The article also mentioned that The Everest from 2019 might be held on a Friday night instead.

Closing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, home of one of Australia’s busiest and critical motorways, for an event like a barrier draw would have been unjustifiably disruptive. After all, the barrier draw held a week prior to the article’s publication was held on a boat on Sydney Harbour’s Farm Cove, which is in front of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. It was also televised globally. That was in an iconic location with the benefits outweighing the costs. Closing the Sydney Harbour Bridge would’ve undoubtedly have the costs outweigh the benefits.

Closing the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been done before but for more realistic events like protest marches, fireworks displays, Formula 1 car driving and historic commemorations but nothing that is nearly equivalent to a simple lottery draw that can be held in a smaller location with an equally iconic view.

At the time, the leader of the NSW Parliamentary Labor Party, Luke Foley, said:

If the government is focused on sitting down with Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club this could grow and grow and grow into just the greatest promotion for Sydney on the global stage

It is likely this is what has sparked the current situation particularly due to the state election to be held in just under 6 months.

21-24 August 2018

Friction in the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party leads to Prime Minister (at the time) Malcolm Turnbull (Leader of that parliamentary political party) to call a spill at a party meeting, which he subsequently wins but upon receipt of a petition containing a majority of signatures of party members, another extraordinary meeting was held where he resigned the parliamentary political party leadership. He later resigned as Prime Minister. Scott Morrison subsequently got elected by the party and appointed by the Governor-General to each of those positions respectively.

27 August 2018

Alan Jones, a radio broadcaster, revealed to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 7:30 program that he contacted 2 Members Of Parliament (MP) during the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party leadership spills that occurred earlier that month.

Though one of the MPs is a friend of Alan Jones, the other likely isn’t particularly as he refused to name who that MP was. Access to MPs from their electors is extremely hard to get due to their busy schedule and to have such direct access during such extraordinary times questions how much influence he has over the current Coalition Government & in particular, the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party.

5 October 2018

Approximately 1:00am

The Daily Telegraph reports that NSW government officials rejected a pitch by Racing NSW to host the barrier draw on the side of Sydney Harbour Bridge without disrupting traffic sometime ago.

Clearly, from that, at some point, the NSW Labor Party’s plan (if it was initially their plan) was heard about by Racing NSW who proposed it to the NSW Government for the 2018 edition of The Everest. However, it was inevitably realised that closing the Sydney Harbour Bridge was never going to be an option so a projection show on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons became the newer option.

However, for some unknown reason, that more logical idea was rejected by NSW Government officials but, as compensation, offered Racing NSW to use the Sydney Opera House instead.

Negotiations then begun (sometime before mid-August as per the Sydney Opera House’s Sail Illumination Policy) between the NSW Government, Racing NSW & the Sydney Opera House Trust, which were still going at this point, to hold an hour long projection show on the Sydney Opera House next Tuesday (9th of October 2018) as part of the barrier draw.

It was to be “designed alongside the company behind the renowned Vivid festival”. Vivid Sydney has always been organised by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism agency. The Lighting Of The Sails, though, has been designed by numerous companies over the event’s history.

The projection show would coincide with the barrier draw, which lasts 5 minutes and show the names and colours of the 12 horses. For 55 minutes after the projection show, the horses’ colours would be shown. The Everest logo would also be shown the projection show, which would be recorded and used in promotional material all around the world.

The negotiations were mediated by the Sports Minister, Stuart Ayres, but the Sydney Opera House Trust kept refusing to allow the projection show.

The night prior to the article’s publication saw Racing NSW agreed to remove The Everest logo from the images to be used and instead replace it with a trophy.

Approximately 9:00am

Invited by Alan Jones, a radio broadcaster, the CEO of Racing NSW and the Sydney Opera House Trust go on The Alan Jones Breakfast Show via telephone, a program on the radio station 2GB.

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Alan Jones refers to ‘rugby’ in the interview. He is referring to the usage of the Sydney Opera House for the Wallabies logo during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which wasn’t held in Australia. However, it was held at the time of the projection, which lasted a few nights. This isn’t promotion for a future event though as the event was occurring at the time of the projection. According to Stuart Ayres at the time, it was used “to cheer the team on” and “to celebrate the Wallabies”.

Image credit: Destination NSW / James Morgan

Approximately 5:00pm

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the chief executive of the Sydney Opera House, Louise Herron, said she has received an “outpouring of support” in response to the earlier interview which showed the Sydney Opera House Trust’s resistance to the proposal. Ms Herron told the Herald:

The community regards the Opera House as its asset to be treated with respect, to be treated as the treasure it is. The accusation that this is in any way elitist is just so wrong, because the response is from the community. The racing community is a small part of the community… but does it get to dictate something to the rest of the community … when the rest of the community is saying ‘we absolutely don’t want this?’

Referring to the Sydney Opera House’s official Sail Illumination Policy, she said to the Herald that it was important to maintain such a policy:

What that means is when people come along and say ‘I want to advertise Chicken Tonight on the sails,’ we can hold firm because we never approve that.

If we said yes to this, ‘we’re fine put the Everest logo on there’ our policy is worthless to us, we’re just going to allow whoever comes along to use the Opera House as a billboard,’ we would lose our World Heritage status.

We would be seen in the global community as not respecting this jewel, this masterpiece of human creative genius that is the greatest building of the 20th Century.

The government wants something to happen. Something will happen, I have no doubt. At the very least the colours will go up. And that’s fine. We will support the government’s position… as we always do

When asked by the Herald what she thought of the proposal, she laughed and said:

Well what can you say? Just so inappropriate.

In response to the interview with Alan Jones, she said to the Herald:

I feel very supported by the board, I feel very supported by the government, and I feel very supported by the community. I wouldn’t feel that supported by Alan Jones, but by the rest I certainly do.

The Sydney Morning Herald claims Luke Foley, the parliamentary leader of the NSW Labor Party, supports the proposal.

Approximately 6:00pm – THE DECISION

The Sydney Morning Herald reports the NSW Government will instruct the Sydney Opera House Trust to agree with the proposal (including the trophy amendment). However, some more amendments are to be made, the word ‘Everest’ will be added but not the list of the participating horses.

The chief executive of Racing NSW, Peter V’landys, said to the Herald:

We are very grateful to the NSW Government and Sydney Opera House for their support. We look forward to promoting Sydney internationally via the world’s richest race on turf – The Everest.

The instruction will come from the NSW Arts Minister, Don Harwin, who the Herald understands to be disappointed with the decision.

To the Herald, a spokesman for the NSW Premier said “of course” Ms Herron had her support, but would not answer whether the Premier had spoken to Alan Jones that day.

During the interview, Alan Jones said he will be speaking with the NSW Premier in “5, 3 minutes”, which was after when his show concluded.

Main Analysis

The Sydney Opera House’s official Sail Illumination Policy states:

Requests for illumination of the Sails may come from time to time from Government to promote special events or encourage tourism. These requests will be responded to positively while maintaining the Trust’s policy of non-exploitation of the Sails.

It is the last 10 words of that policy section that is currently contentious – “while maintaining the Trust’s policy of non-exploitation of the Sails”.

The Everest is a ‘special event’ though and does ‘encourage tourism’ and based on that quote above, the Government can request but not instruct the Sydney Opera House CEO to accept this proposal. The Sydney Opera House CEO will respond positively but only if it doesn’t exploit the Sails. This has all been done.

The policy linked to this article is from 2012. It went under review in 2014 so we can’t be certain if it is the same but it is very likely the same.

So who is in the right? The Sydney Opera House Trust or The Everest organisers? You can be the judge.

In the end however, the Arts Minister can instruct the Trust to accept the proposal due to the Sydney Opera Trust Act 1961:

In the exercise and discharge of its powers, authorities, duties and functions the Trust shall, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, be subject to the control and direction of the Minister.

The bigger story out of this is the influence of media figures in politics particularly in light of the recent Liberal Party leadership spill, which saw a change in Prime Minister (and several other ministers – well nearly all ministers) as well as the resignation from the Australian Parliament of Malcolm Turnbull.

Dressing Up For A Very Surry Hills Christmas

Surry Hills is set to celebrate all things Christmas with decoration workshops, free gift wrapping services, a live disc jockey (DJ), kids’ entertainment & photos with Santa.

The village’s 1st Christmas festival, A Very Surry Hills Christmas, will bring together retailers, local businesses & the community to celebrate the festive season.

Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said the event was part of the City Of Sydney’s efforts to attract more shoppers to the area & support local businesses and the community.

very surry hills_xmas workshop

“Local retailers are part of what makes Surry Hills special & unique. This event is about boosting our support for those local businesses, residents & visitors who spend time in the area” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“We have worked closely with Sydney artist, Jeff McCann, to create a range of unique works for our Christmas event including wrapping paper, wreaths & spectacular Christmas trees that will decorate Shannon Reserve.

“A Very Surry Hills Christmas will light up and energise the village & I hope as many residents and businesses as possible come together for this celebration”

Surry Hils, Sydney - Sunday December 8, 2013: City of Sydney Christmas Concert, Prince Alfred Park (Photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

Gifts purchased from local retailers can be gift wrapped, free of charge, in distinctive McCann-designed paper created specifically for the event.

Visitors can take part in free workshops & learn to make their own Christmas decorations from floral wreaths & screen-printed coasters to personalised edible gingerbread gifts.

A live DJ will entertain crowds throughout the day & there will be face painting, free entertainment and photos with Santa for the kids.

Surry Hills xmas trees

A Very Surry Hills Christmas will be held from 9am–5pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday the 16th of December at Shannon Reserve, Surry Hills.

For more details, visit sydneychristmas.com.au.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

The Sounds Of Christmas Are Coming To The City

Shoppers, visitors, residents & workers can soak up the spirit of the festive season as the sounds of Christmas fill the air across Sydney.

Traditional Christmas carollers, including the Jingle Belles Singers, The Cleftomaniacs, Soulfood & Endeavour Harmony Chorus, will entertain passersby with favourite holiday tunes in Pitt Street Mall every Thursday, Saturday & Sunday night from the 25th of November.

In Martin Place, choirs, including the Australian Girls’ Choir, Sydney Philharmonia Choir, Circular Keys & The Salvation Army Band And Choir, will perform under the branches of the interactive Christmas Tree every evening from the 26th of November until Christmas Eve.

Sydneysiders can also enjoy a night of carol singing, festive music & readings at the annual Christmas At Sydney Town Hall concert on Tuesday the 19th of December. The magnificent grand organ & stunning sandstone surroundings make this very festive affair a memorable night for the whole family.

The City’s 2017 charity partner’s choir, Variety – The Children’s Charity Choir, will also perform as part of the Choirs In The City program. The lively, fun group of Aussie celebrities & kids, led by The Voice alumni, Darren Percival, will perform in Pitt Street Mall on the 14th of December & in Martin Place on the 20th of December.

“There is nothing quite like Christmas in the city. We are going to get everyone into the Christmas spirit with our Choirs In The City program, making Sydney as festive & fun as possible” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“The sound of carollers & choirs will ring through Pitt Street Mall & Martin Place, creating an exciting, festive atmosphere in Sydney’s main retail precincts”

City of Sydney Christmas launch, Martin Place, Sydney, 22nd November 2017. Photo by Damian Shaw / City of Sydney

Pitt Street Mall program – from 6pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT):

Leichhardt Espresso Chorus – 25th of November
The Cleftomaniacs – 30th of November
Northern Beaches Chorus – 30th of November
United Nesian Movement – 2nd of December
Australian Girls’ Choir – 3rd of December
Soulfood – 7th of December
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir – 7th of December
Australian Girls’ Choir – 9th of December
Circular Keys Chorus – 10th of December
Variety – The Children’s Charity Choir – 14th of December
Australian Girls’ Choir – 14th of December
Endeavour Harmony Chorus – 16th of December
Jingle Belles Singers – 17th of December
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir – 21st of December
Northern Beaches Chorus – 21st of December

Sydney Christmas 2013 choir singing in Pitt Street Mall, Sydney CBD, 19th December 2013. Picture by DAMIAN SHAW.com

Martin Place program – from 6pm AEDT on weekdays & 7pm AEDT on weekends:

Circular Keys – 26th of November
NuSom – 27th of November
Sydney Sings (With One Voice) – 28th of November
Australian Girls’ Choir – 29th of November
Erskineville Public School – 30th of November
SISTA! Quartet – 1st of December
United Nesian Movement – 2nd of December
Australian Girls’ Choir – 3rd of December
Jingle Belles Singers – 4th of December
Bondi Sings – 5th of December
Endeavour Harmony Chorus – 6th of December
Campbelltown District Marching Band – 7th of December
NuSom – 8th of December
Australian Girls’ Choir – 9th of December
Circular Keys – 10th of December
Jingle Belles Singers – 11th of December
Honeybees – 12th of December
Endeavour Harmony Chorus – 13th of December
Darlington Public School – 14th of December
Circular Keys – 14th of December
Circular Keys – 15th of December
Endeavour Harmony Chorus – 16th of December
Jingle Belles Singers – 17th of December
Sydney Philharmonia Choir – 18th of December
Sydney Philharmonia Choir – 19th of December
Variety – The Children’s Charity Choir – 20th of December
Sydney Philharmonia Choir – 21st of December
The Salvation Army Band And Choir – 22nd to the 24th of December

For all dates & details, visit sydneychristmas.com.au.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Concerts Bring Festive Cheer To Sydney’s Villages

Sydneysiders are invited to pack a picnic for a night of entertainment in some of the City’s best-loved parks as part of the City Of Sydney’s annual Christmas program.

The village Christmas concerts in December will feature live entertainment, carols, kids’ activities, tasty treats & a special visit from Santa.

Concerts at Alexandria Park in Alexandria, Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills, Reg Bartley Oval in Rushcutters Bay & Turruwul Park in Rosebery will delight children and adults alike & bring the community together to celebrate the festive season.

“Christmas is a time to enjoy with friends & family so we are inviting everyone to bring a picnic blanket & settle in for a fun evening of entertainment, music & food at our village concerts” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

Each of the concerts will run from 6:30pm to 8:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time & include a sausage sizzle, gelato and a glittering fireworks finale.

Santa stockings jam-packed with goodies will also be on sale for AUD$5 with all proceeds going to the City’s charity partner, Variety – The Children’s Charity.

Alexandria, Saturday the 2nd of December
Hosted by Jimmy Giggle & featuring children’s favourites Nay Nay Let’s Play, The Listies and The Australian Girls’ Choir along with Caravana Sun.

Surry Hills, Sunday the 3rd of December
Hosted by Jimmy Giggle & featuring Justine Clarke, Bananas In Pyjamas, The Listies and Brown Sugar.

Rushcutters Bay, Saturday the 9th of December
Featuring Master Of Ceremonies (MC), Emma Palmer from Play School & entertainment by Bananas In Pyjamas, Splashdance, The 7 Sopranos, Son Veneno and children’s entertainment legend, Peter Combe.

Rosebery, Sunday the 10th of December
MC Jay Laga’aia will introduce performances by Bananas In Pyjamas, Justine Clarke, The Australian Girls’ Choir & El Orqueston.

For all the dates & details, visit sydneychristmas.com.au.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Sleighbells Ring In Our Aussie Christmas

Sydney is set to celebrate Christmas like no other city, with a program of uniquely Aussie festivities & tradition with a twist.

Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, today launched the 2017 Sydney Christmas program at Martin Place, which features 30 days of events, light projections, concerts & choir performances across the city & its villages.

Artists including Kate Miller-Heidke, Justice Crew, Christine Anu, All Our Exes Live In Texas, The Australian Girls’ Choir & Jimmy Giggle will perform at 2 city concerts that kick off Sydney’s festive season this weekend.

“With a fantastic program of celebrations for all ages, this is a great time for people to bring their families to the city & celebrate the festive season” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“From live concerts & colourful projections, to great shopping & the opportunity for the kids to meet Santa, there is plenty for visitors, shoppers & locals to enjoy”

“It will be a wonderful Sydney Christmas,with sunshine, lively streets & long evenings, it is the perfect time for exploring our city with family & friends”

Sydney Christmas 2017 Program Highlights:

Martin Place Christmas Concert & Tree Lighting – Saturday the 25th of November, 6:30pm–8:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)

Hosted by Channel 7’s Mark Ferguson & Angie Asimus, the free Martin Place Christmas Concert & Tree Lighting is packed with entertainment the whole family will love.

The concert features live performances by Kate Miller-Heidke, Justice Crew, All Our Exes Live In Texas, Christine Anu, Australian Girls’ Choir & children’s entertainer, Jay Laga’aia.

The Lord Mayor & Santa will arrive by cycle-drawn sleigh to light the Christmas Tree & start the fireworks finale.

There will be pre–show entertainment from 5:45pm AEDT & Santa stockings packed with goodies on sale for AUD$5, with all proceeds going to the City’s Christmas charity partner, Variety – The Children’s Charity.

The Mutual Life And Citizens Centre & General Post Office restaurants, bars & a pop-up dessert bar with festive gelato, sweets and cakes will open during the concert.

Christmas On The Green at Hyde Park – Saturday the 25th of November, 6:30pm–8:30pm AEDT

Jimmy Giggle, Bananas In Pyjamas, The Listies, The Fairies & children’s entertainment legend, Peter Combe, will perform at the free concert in Palm Grove in Hyde Park North.

Christmas On The Green will be a lively, festive night perfect for families with entertainment suitable for all ages.

Concert goers can enjoy kids’ activities, food trucks, a gelato bar & AUD$5 Santa stockings. Santa will stop by for a visit & a fireworks finale will light up the sky.

Martin Place Christmas Tree

The interactive Christmas Tree in Martin Place provides a visual spectacle that invites visitors to share in the spirit of Christmas. Visitors can send a Christmas message to the 20 metre high Tree via sydxmastree.com.au & watch the words light up the interactive ribbon.

The city’s most-loved Christmas tree is decorated with 60,000 lights, 300 baubles and a 1.5 metre treetop star & will be lit every day from the 25th of November to the 26th of December.

Lights & projections

The Boulevard Of Light – an overhead canopy of 80,000 lights in Pitt Street Mall – will make late-night shopping trips sparkle.

From the 25th of November to the 25th of December, family-friendly projections at Customs House Square & Martin Place will transform the ground into a summer Christmas wonderland.

The Lights Of Christmas at Saint Mary’s Cathedral will capture the imagination of audiences with a spectacular light & sound show. Performances run each evening from the 6th–25th of December, starting at 7:30pm AEDT with a choir performance.

Village Christmas concerts

Free, family-friendly concerts at Alexandria (2nd of December), Surry Hills (3rd of December), Rushcutters Bay (9th of December) & Rosebery (10th of December) are always a big hit with the kids & packed with children’s entertainment, live music, fireworks & a visit from Santa.

There will be performances from children’s favourites including Jimmy Giggle, Justine Clarke, The Listies, Bananas In Pyjamas & Splashdance.

Carollers & choirs

Carollers in Pitt Street Mall will entertain shoppers with festive favourites while they do their Christmas shopping. Different groups will perform every Thursday, Saturday & Sunday nights from the 25th of November to the 21st of December including Variety – The Children’s Charity Choir, Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, Australian Girls’ Choir & The Cleftomaniacs.

Choirs will perform under the branches of the Martin Place Christmas Tree every night from the 25th of November until Christmas Eve. Groups include Jingle Belles Singers, Circular Keys, Sydney Philharmonia Choir & The Salvation Army Band And Choir.

A Very Surry Hills Christmas

Sydneysiders & locals are invited to A Very Surry Hills Christmas on Saturday the 16th of December.

Visitors can make their own personalised Christmas decorations at Santa’s Workshop & take advantage of the complimentary gift wrapping service for purchases from local retailers.

A live disc jockey will entertain crowds throughout the day & there will be face painting, free entertainment and photos with Santa for the kids.

The event will run from 9am to 5pm AEDT at Shannon Reserve, Surry Hills.

Rediscover George Street walks

Free seasonal walking tours will encourage Sydneysiders to explore their city on foot & rediscover George Street. The foodie walk will explore hidden laneway cafes & chocolate shops while a family-friendly Christmas lights walk will tour Sydney’s most Instagram-able window displays & illuminations. An evening architecture walk will reveal the city in a new light, highlighting the best buildings on George Street & their surprising history.

‘KIIS under the mistletoe’

KIIS 106.5 is inviting visitors to Christmas On The Green in Hyde Park to ‘KIIS under the mistletoe’ for a chance to win a AUD$500 shopping spree. Visitors snapped ‘KIISing their Christmas favourite’ under the giant mistletoe can use the #SYDXMAS hashtag to enter the draw. Little ones can also post their letters to Santa at the North Pole at the special Christmas post box.

Variety – The Children’s Charity

The City Of Sydney’s charity partner for Sydney Christmas 2017, Variety – The Children’s Charity, will sell merchandise & Santa showbags at the city and village concerts. The national charity provides funding & support to individuals, organisations & hospitals to improve the lives of children with disabilities & special needs.

Variety will also host a Xmas Walk at Pyrmont Bay Park on Sunday the 3rd of December.

For all dates & details, visit sydneychristmas.com.au.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Glittering Line-Up For Christmas In The City

Sydney’s festive season officially arrives on Saturday the 25th of November with 2 free concerts in the city centre featuring leading musicians and children’s entertainers, Christmas lights and projections, Santa Claus & fireworks.

The City’s annual Christmas program, including a Christmas concert and the official lighting of the Martin Place Christmas Tree & a family concert in Hyde Park, attracts thousands of families to the city for an evening of live music, carols & Christmas cheer.

Children will get their 1st glimpse of Santa on his new sleigh as he travels from Town Hall to the Hyde Park Christmas On The Green concert before arriving at the Martin Place concert.

Sydney - Thursday November 28, 2013: City of Sydney Christmas Concert, Martin Place, Sydney (Photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

“Sydney does Christmas better than anyone else & our events have something for all the family” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“As well as our city concerts, Sydneysiders & visitors can look forward to an exciting program of events in the city centre & our villages with Christmas lights, projections, carollers & choirs”

The concerts at Martin Place & Hyde Park will run simultaneously from 6:30pm to 8:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time, ending with a powerful fireworks display.

ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS

Mark Ferguson & Angie Asimus will ‘MC’ the Martin Place concert that includes live performances by Kate Miller-Heidke, Justice Crew, Christine Anu, All Our Exes Live In Texas, The Australian Girls’ Choir & Jay Laga’aia.

Santa & the Lord Mayor will arrive on the sleigh with children from Variety – The Children’s Charity, who will light the 21-metre interactive Christmas Tree when the concert finishes.

Justice Crew

Christmas On The Green in Hyde Park will be a more relaxed atmosphere for families. Master Of Ceremonies (‘MC’), Jimmy Giggle, will lead an evening of performances by Bananas In Pyjamas, The Fairies, The Listies & children’s entertainment legend, Peter Combe.

Over the coming weeks, there will be village concerts in Alexandria, Surry Hills, Rushcutters Bay & Rosebery featuring live entertainment, carols, kids craft activities, fireworks & a special visit from Santa.

As part of the Sydney Christmas program, family-friendly ground projections will light up Customs House Square & Martin Place; 80,000 lights will twinkle overhead in Pitt Street Mall’s Boulevard Of Light & shoppers will be entertained by choir performances in Pitt Street Mall and by the Martin Place Christmas Tree.

For all the dates & details, visit sydneychristmas.com.au.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Countdown Is On For ‘Sydney Christmas’

2 city centre concerts featuring top Australian performers will herald the start of a month-long program of Christmas festivities in Sydney.

The simultaneous concerts in Martin Place & Hyde Park on Saturday the 25th of November at 6:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) will feature performances by Christine Anu, a range of surprise artists & children’s entertainment from Jimmy Giggle, Bananas In Pyjamas and Peter Combe.

The concerts kick-off 30 days of festivities including concerts, light projections & carols to celebrate the Christmas season in the city.

Sydney - Thursday November 28, 2013: City of Sydney Christmas Concert, Martin Place, Sydney Photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

“Christmas is a special time for welcoming everyone to our city, bringing together our diverse community & spreading joy throughout the season” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“From the angelic sounds of choirs in Pitt Street Mall & free concerts in our City’s villages to Sydney’s biggest Christmas tree in Martin Place, there is something for everyone in the city this Christmas”

“Sydney sparkles with sunshine at this time of year & with dozens of events in the city and its villages, it is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy the festive season with friends, neighbours & family”

Sydney Christmas 2017 Highlights:

City Concerts – Saturday The 25th Of November

2 simultaneous concerts in the city will launch the City’s Sydney Christmas celebrations from 6:30pm to 8:30pm AEDT.

Martin Place will feature live performances by Jay Laga’aia, Christine Anu, the Australian Girls’ Choir & other surprise guests. The concert culminates with the arrival of the sleigh bringing Santa & the Lord Mayor to light the tree & start the fireworks finale.

Community Xmas in Hyde Park 2012

Christmas On The Green at Hyde Park will be packed with free entertainment for the whole family. Performers include Jimmy Giggle, The Listies, Bananas In Pyjamas, The Fairies & children’s entertainment legend, Peter Combe. Stockings filled with goodies will be on offer, Santa will stop by for a visit & fireworks will light up the sky.

Martin Place Christmas Tree

For 46 years, the centrepiece of the City’s Christmas celebrations has been the Martin Place Christmas Tree. Standing more than 21 metres tall, the Tree will be adorned with 60,000 tree lights, 300 baubles of up to half a metre in diameter & an illuminated 1.5 metre treetop star. Visitors can also share a festive message on the Tree for everyone to see.

The General Post Office Dessert Bar next to the Tree will offer festive, mouth-watering gelato, sweets & cakes each day until Christmas Eve.

Lights & Projections

The Boulevard Of Light will immerse Pitt Street Mall in the joy of the season as nearly 80,000 lights twinkle overhead every evening until the 2nd of January.

Family-friendly ground projections will light up Customs House Square & Martin Place from the 25th of November to the 25th of December.

Pitt Street Mall lights, City of Sydney Christmas. 10th December 2015. Photo by DAMIAN SHAW / CITY OF SYDNEY

Village Christmas Concerts

The village Christmas concerts at Alexandria (2nd of December), Surry Hills (3rd of December), Rushcutters Bay (9th of December) & Roseberry (10th of December) will be packed with children’s entertainment, live music, fireworks & a visit from Santa.

There will be performances from children’s favourites including Jimmy Giggle, Justine Clarke, The Listies, Bananas In Pyjamas, Play School’s Emma Palmer & Splashdance.

Carols & Choirs

The city will swell with the sounds of the festive season with the Choirs In The City program entertaining visitors & shoppers. Carollers will perform every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in Pitt Street Mall & every evening at the Martin Place Christmas Tree from the 25th of November to the 21st of December. The Salvation Army Band & Choir will perform at the Martin Place Christmas Tree from the 22nd to the 24th of December.

The renowned Christmas At Sydney Town Hall concert on Tuesday the 19th of December will be a memorable night for the whole family. Enjoy traditional carol singing, festive music and readings & the sounds of the magnificent Grand Organ in Centennial Hall.

KIIS Under The Mistletoe

KIIS 106.5 is inviting visitors to the Hyde Park & village concerts to ‘KIIS under the mistletoe’ for a chance to win a AUD$500 shopping spree. Visitors snapped ‘KIISing their Christmas favourite’ under the giant mistletoe can use the #SYDXMAS hashtag to enter the draw. Little ones can also post their letters to Santa at the North Pole at the special Christmas post box.

Variety – The Children’s Charity

The City’s charity partner for Christmas, Variety – The Children’s Charity, will sell merchandise & Santa showbags at all 6 Christmas concerts. The national charity provides funding & support to individuals, organisations & hospitals to improve the lives of children with disabilities & special needs.

Variety will also host the Xmas Walk (3rd of December) at Pyrmont Bay Park.

For all the dates & details, visit sydneychristmas.com.au.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Charity Partners Benefit From Sydney’s Biggest Events

The City Of Sydney will partner with 3 major charities for its biggest annual events to help raise funds to improve the lives of children with special needs and disabilities, advocate for children’s rights & provide services for the vision impaired.

The official charity partners are: Variety, The Children’s Charity for Sydney Christmas; United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Australia for Sydney New Year’s Eve & Guide Dogs New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory (NSW/ACT) for Chinese New Year.

The partnerships will provide the charities with opportunities to promote their causes through activities such as media exposure, donation collections, event activations, speaking opportunities & social media.

For the past 14 years, the City’s events have supported dozens of charities & helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a variety of causes including fighting children’s cancer, music education for children, treating people with visual impairment, helping children with disability, state emergency services, animal protection, alleviating global poverty & boosting humanitarian aid.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the enormous publicity generated for 3 of Australia’s biggest events would help communicate the great work of this year’s chosen charities to audiences worldwide.

“We are delighted to partner with these charities & support the incredible work they do for those less fortunate” the Lord Mayor said.

“More than 3 million people attend these major events & more than a billion people see or read about them across the world”

“By partnering with us on some of Australia’s largest events, these charities will have excellent opportunities to promote their cause on the national & international stage”

Variety, The Children’s Charity will partner with the City for its Sydney Christmas 2017 program. The national charity provides funding & support to individuals, organisations & hospitals to improve the lives of children with disabilities & special needs. Variety will coordinate a program of child-friendly activities that will feature as part of the City’s 6 outdoor concerts, choir program & associated Christmas events.

One of the world’s leading advocates for children’s rights, UNICEF Australia, will partner with the City for Sydney New Year’s Eve. UNICEF Australia campaigns for Australian children’s rights & supports UNICEF’s global mission to improve the lives of the world’s most disadvantaged & excluded children. The partnership will provide the charity with a platform to promote its cause to more than a billion people around the world.

The City’s Chinese New Year partner, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, aims to enhance the quality of life & mobility of the blind or vision impaired. The charity helps more than 4,000 people each year & provides all of its services free of charge.

Media Release: City Of Sydney