Sydney Events and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Sydney, New South Wales - NSW, Australia)

Sydney is very much a city of culture, with many regular exciting festivals and things to do all through the year. Countless sold-out concerts are regularly held at the Opera House, being performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and drawing crowds of some 2,600.

The city has also become known for its alternative rock scene and related live music events. Various music festivals have been staged here over the years, including the Big Day Out, which began its life in Sydney in 1992, before travelling all around Australia and New Zealand over subsequent years.

Of course, the aptly named Sydney Festival warrants a strong mention and lasts for some three weeks each January, being first held in 1977. This is now a huge arts fest with more than 100 different events taking place, drawing in excess of half a million people. Also of note are the spectacular Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations each February, based on Oxford Street, as well as the lively St. Patrick's Day festivities in March. Later in the year, look out for 'Sculpture by the Sea', held at Bondi Beach.

National Public Holidays

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• 26th January - Australia Day
• Good Friday / Easter Monday March / April - Easter
• 25th April - Anzac Day
• 2nd Monday in June - Queen's birthday
• 1st Monday in August - Bank Holiday
• 1st Monday in October - Labour Day (ACT, NSW, QLD, SA)
• 25th December - Christmas Day
• 26th December - Boxing Day

Sydney Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• Sydney Festival - throughout most of January, a variety of entertainment including music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Many events are free and performed outdoors
• Chinese New Year - late January, an exciting celebration featuring processions, fireworks and dragon dances
• Sydney International Tennis Tournament - mid January, this event features international tennis stars and is held at the Olympic Village at Homebush Bay
• Great Ferry Boat Race (or Ferrython) - 26th January (Australia Day), decorated ferries race from the Harbour Bridge to Manly and back again

February

• Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - end of February, culminating in a parade at the end of this month-long festival
• Tropfest Australia - an enormous short film festival first held here in 1993 and attracting over 100,000 people. The main screenings take place in Sydney, although many further related events are also staged in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne and Perth

March

• Golden Slipper Festival - late March / early April, an important horse race
• St. Patrick's Day - 17th March, a rather noisy celebration starting early in the morning and continuing into the early hours of the next morning

April

• Sydney Royal Easter Show - first two weeks of April at Homebush Bay, an agricultural show with numerous events, sideshows and exhibitions
• Sydney Cup - mid April, an extremely popular horse race

May

• Mercedes Australian Fashion Week - early May, held at Circular Quay, featuring a week of Australian fashion shows

June

• Sydney Film Festival - early June, a two-week local and international film extravaganza
• Manly Food and Wine Festival - first weekend of June, a food celebration with a host of food stalls and entertainment

July

• Carnivale - from July to August, an Australian cultural event with much food and folk dancing

August

• City of Surf Run - second Sunday in August, a 14-km / 9-mile run with over 50,000 competitors

September

• Festival of the Winds - second Sunday in September, a kite-flying fiesta with entertainment including dancing and music
• Rugby League Grand Final - a rugby competition to find the 'team of the year'

October

• Manly International Jazz Festival - first week in October, featuring numerous indoor and outdoor concerts

November

• Homebake - Australian band concerts
• Sculpture by the Sea - a local and international outdoor sculpture exhibition based at Bondi Beach since 1997, held during the first three weeks every November. The sculptures now draw crowds exceeding half a million, while a satellite indoor exhibition is staged within the suburb of Tamarama, where the art works are available for purchase

December

• Carols by Candlelight - second and third week of December, popular annual carol service
• Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race - 26th December, popular yacht race starting at the harbour
• New Year's Eve - 31st December, spectacular fireworks display over the harbour at the stroke of midnight