New South Wales is the place to be this Autumn, with a world-class line-up of events set to take place in Sydney and in regional areas.
Opera on Sydney Harbour
Experience the joy and heartache of the world’s most popular opera La Traviata, from 27 March – 26 April, against the dazzling backdrop of Sydney Harbour. In 2020, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour presents the story that inspired Moulin Rouge. Fireworks light up the sky at every performance. A giant chandelier shimmers over the harbour stage. Verdi’s score offers soaring melodies, rousing drinking songs and heartbreaking duets. It is an unmissable event.
Art at its finest
See the most innovative, thought-provoking art from Australia and around the globe at the 22nd Biennale of Sydney. Bringing together 110 artists, creatives and collectives, NIRIN, which means “edge” in the language of the Wiradjuri people, is a first Nations-led exhibition of contemporary art that connects local communities and global networks. Free to the public from 14 March to 8 June 2020, it will be spread across six Sydney art locations including Cockatoo Island.
For more art inspiration, head to The Art Gallery of NSW from 11 May – 8 September for Australia’s most famous annual art exhibitions the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes where you can view the best of Australian portraiture and landscape painting for 2020.
Mingle with the fashionistas
Join Sydney’s fashion elite at the 25th Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, from 11-15 May, and be part of previewing the latest Resort Ready-to-Wear collections from around the world. Guests can take part in a series of seminars hosted by fashion industry leaders, enjoy a drink and bite to eat in the MBFWA Hub and grab a front-row seat to one of the array of local and international fashion shows.
The Powerhouse Museum is celebrating the best of Australian Fashion with a new exhibition Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson: Step into Paradise running until the 22 March 2020. This exhibition draws on more than four decades of Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson designs with over 150 garments, textiles and photographs.
Join in on the laughs
If you’re in need of some light comical relief, check out the Sydney Comedy Festival running from 20 April – 17 May. Featuring a dazzling line-up of the funniest international stars, Australian legends and next-big-things in comedy, audiences across Sydney will have their chance to enjoy world-class comedy at the Enmore Theatre, Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre and The Concourse in Chatswood.
9 to 5 The Musical is coming to Sydney!
If you love Dolly Parton, don’t miss the Australian premiere of the hilarious rip-roaring musical, 9 to 5, at the Lyric Theatre from 19 April until 28 June. Straight from the West End in London, this smash-hit musical is inspired by the film and features the Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-nominated score by the Queen of Country herself, Dolly Parton including her much-loved hit song, 9 to 5!
Calling all book worms
From 27 April – 3 May 2020, the Sydney Writers’ Festival is bringing some of the biggest names in literature to Sydney for one week of inspiring talks, panels and performances. Join the Festival as they present more than 400 events, stretching across Sydney, from the City Recital Hall and Sydney Town Hall in the city centre, into suburban Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Make sure you check out the full program.
World Premiere theatre productions and classics
Theatre buffs will want to explore Sydney’s many eclectic playhouses to experience their Autumn productions. See the World premiere of Sydney Theatre Company’s No Pay? No Way! a hilarious play, adapted by Marieke Hardy, at the Sydney Opera House from 10 February – 20 March. While at Belvoir St Theatre, Virginia Woolf’s 1929 classic A Rooms of One’s Own comes to stage from 18 April – 17 May 2020.
Be immersed in Lights, Music and Ideas at Vivid Sydney
You haven’t experienced Sydney if you haven’t visited the city during Vivid Sydney. Now in its 12th year, from 22 May – 13 June, this 23-day intersection of art, technology, music and creativity has become an unmissable event on the city’s cultural calendar. So much more than the famous Light Walk, which curates more than 50 radiant works into the largest gallery of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the festival’s program also includes three weeks of game changing ideas hands-on workshops and future facing talks along with amazing live music performances throughout the city and surrounds.
Sculpture at Scenic World 2020
Now’s the Time to Love NSW by booking a trip in NSW to support drought and bushfire affected communities. Sculpture at Scenic World in Katoomba, NSW, ticks all the right boxes for an ideal Autumn arts escape, with various weekend accommodation packages at local hotels and resorts on offer. Set in the heart of the World Heritage-Listed Blue Mountains, Sculpture at Scenic World, from 9 April to 10 May 2020 transforms an ancient rainforest into a stunning outdoor exhibition showcasing 29 artworks from local, national and international artists.
Sydney Autumn Accommodation
Visitors travelling to Sydney to experience the thriving arts and cultural scene can stay at QT Sydney, an edgy, inner-city hotel brimming with art, entertainment and style. Or, head to the re-developed Kensington Street precinct in artsy Chippendale, to stay at The Old Clare, a 62-room, boutique hotel set across two iconic, heritage-listed buildings. For the ultimate Biennale of Sydney experience, stay on Cockatoo Island, in the heart of Sydney Harbour to see the exhibition and soak up panoramic views. A variety of camping, apartment and heritage listing accommodation is available.
Travel Packages
Travel packages for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and 9 to 5 The Musical can now be booked through Viva Travel.
For more information on regional NSW travel packages and to book a getaway that gives back to drought and fire affected communities go to www.visitnsw.com
Media Enquiries:
Charlotte Greig, Destination NSW
Email:charlotte.greig@dnsw.com.au Mobile: 0417 322 945
For more information on autumn events in New South Wales go to www.visitnsw.com or sydney.com
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