Playing host to its largest lineup of international artists since 2019, the second program from Artistic Director Olivia Ansell features 18 World Premieres and 14 Australian Exclusives from across a full program of over 100 unique events – 26 of which will be free – featuring 748 performances traversing 54 venues.
Literally taking the city as its canvas, the 2023 program will encourage Sydneysiders and visitors to see Sydney differently with site-specific programming unfolding all over town, inviting audiences to revive the long-forgotten haunts of old-world Sydney, engage in familiar locations in different and unusual ways and immerse themselves in emerging spaces beyond their doorsteps.
The city's venues, gardens and urban sites will be reimagined and revitalised specifically for the festival – think an untouched 1970s underground cocktail lounge springing to life in the central CBD; Old Government House in Parramatta Park transformed by the stories of the Dharug people; or an operatic beachscape transported to Sydney Town Hall.
As in previous years, Sydney Festival remains a repository of diverse and cultural storytelling and performance, buoyed by specially commissioned works and collaborative projects and the event's distinct sense of place.
The 2023 program will champion women-led and female identifying creative representation, environmental advocacy and powerful truth telling. Of the 2023 event, Artistic Director Olivia Ansell said: "There is nowhere better than Sydney to experience an exhilarating summer of art.
Made possible by over 1,000 local and international participating artists and the rich diversity of stories and cultures shared. Please join us this January to see the city anew – from proud First Nation stories, inspiring international collaborations and remarkable one-off events to underbelly immersive experiences that only a city like Sydney could conjure."
Minster for the Arts, Ben Franklin said the NSW Government is proud to be the largest single financial supporter of the Sydney Festival, which is on track to attract thousands of people from Sydney, NSW, across Australia and internationally to support our creative and 24-hour economies.
"In 2023, the Sydney Festival presents an exceptional program, showcasing Sydney's magnificent art and cultural spaces. I invite you to indulge in what promises to be an unmissable festival, and enjoy the incredible homegrown and international talent," Mr Franklin said.
