The Sydney Festival is ready to take over the city’s gardens, parks, theatres and public spaces this January. And if their stacked program is anything to go by, it’s going to be a summer to remember. Among the many exciting events lined up is Sun & Sea — an award-winning opera performance set on the beach. And to make it a truly immersive experience, Town Hall will be transformed into a faux beach filled with 26 tonnes of sand.
Sun & Sea, Sydney Festival
Written and created by Lithuanian artists Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė, Sun & Sea has been around the global festival circuit. It’s most recent recognition came at the 2019 Venice Biennale where it was awarded the Golden Lion.
The English-language opera will also feature Sydney clubs, choirs and performances. The opera tackles serious topics like climate change with a tinge of humour and levity.
“In this apocalypse story, the world doesn’t end with a bang, but with a long, lazy afternoon whiled away at the beach,” according to the Sydney Festival website.
It’s coming to town this January along with a giant Frida Kahlo exhibition, a free classical concert by Sydney Symphony Orchestra and more. Excitingly Sun & Sea is coming to the festival as a Sydney exclusive so Sydneysiders will be the first to experience this funny and confronting production. Check out other Sydney Festival highlights and get planning.