Solange has been announced as the first artist to perform at Sydney’s annual Vivid LIVE.
The shows will occur at the Sydney Opera House, where she’ll perform in the round, “offering audiences a 360° view of her cutting-edge choreography and bold staging,” according to a press release.
Her universally-acclaimed, Grammy-winning 2016 album A Seat at the Table was not only widely considered one of the best albums of the year, but one of the most important. The artist’s third full-length LP was a brilliant, beautiful and poignant statement about, and in celebration of, black womanhood.
While no other Australian tour dates have been announced, Solange will perform four nights in the Concert Hall: Friday June 1, Saturday June 2, Sunday June 3 and Monday June 4. Tickets range from $79 to $137 plus booking fee and will be available via ballot – more details can be found here. The ballot is open now until March 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0qrinhNnOM
Vivid LIVE will take place from May 25 to June 16, predominantly at the Sydney Opera House, amidst the wonderfully-illuminated city skyline. Each year tops previous years in terms of incredible artists, one-off performances and breathtaking music, with The Cure, Bon Iver, Brian Eno and St Vincent among the many impressive names who’ve played a big role in making Vivid one of Sydney’s premier cultural events. Keep an eye out for the full lineup coming mid-March.
Image: Supplied
It’s that time of year again. Sydney is braced for a bevy of bright lights and brilliant live music, as the annual Vivid Sydney Festival draws ever closer. As snap happy photographers ready their cameras, music enthusiasts our now licking their lips at the talent attracted down under, with the lineup for the festival released today. Here are just a handful of the shows that are certified “must-sees”:
Bon Iver
Justin Vernon has reemerged from his musical slumber and is set to bring Bon Iver back to Australian shores as part of the CERCLE series of performances. With only three prior Sydney shows to his name, this is a must for any music fan that can appreciate lyricism and talent in it’s rawest form. Attendees at the Sydney Opera House will be the very first in the world to see his new show premiered, and considering it was only recently that we learnt Bon Iver wasn’t actually done and dusted, news of his return is among the greatest musical announcement we’ll see this year!
Where: Concert Hall (Opera House)
Date: 27-30 May
Tickets Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE
Bjork
The eccentric songstress is headed back down under to showcase her newly developed Bjork Digital experience, an exhibition set to showcase: “five unique spaces that will premiere a new virtual reality project from the musician, alongside other collaborations with some of the finest filmmakers and programmers in the world.”
Bjork has recently dabbled with VR technologies, and her work looks set to culminate in Sydney as she tantalises our senses from all angles, an experience that is set to add yet another layer to the mystique of her performance, which will no doubt see the Australian live debut of music from her powerful, emotionally intense 2015 album Vulnicura.
Where: Carriageworks
Date: June 3
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWHpoJT3qK4
Polica
When Justin Vernon labels you “the best band I’ve ever heard” you can be certain that you are in for an aural treat when Polica take to the stage to unleash their unique fusion of electronic sounds and indie pop. Returning to Australia after a three year hiatus, we can only imagine that Polica is ready to take Sydney by storm all over again, performing from their gorgeous new album United Crushers, which came out earlier this month and has garnered stellar reviews.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Date: June 3
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl03afAqeFQ
New Order
The presence of the synth-pop legends at Vivid is sure to set tongues-wagging, with the group set to celebrate 35 years with a “live retrospective” performance that will undoubtedly satisfy even the most hardcore fans. Rejoined by synth wizard Gillian Gilbert, New Order will introduce a brand new generation to the wonders of their discography.
Where: Concert Hall (Opera House)
Date: 1 June, 5 June
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJZomwDhxQ
Oneohtrix Point Never
Described by organisers a “rock-inspired rampage set to stun audiences with cutting synthesizers and decimating bass,” we can breathe easy knowing that we probably won’t be able to hear properly for the rest of the night after catching Oneohtrix Point Never’s Vivid Live performance. Fans can of course expect to hear much of OPN’s stellar 2015 release, Garden of Delete (his seventh album to date), a Nine Inch Nails-inspired industrial, experimental, eclectic electronic album that featured on many end of year best-of lists.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Date: May 29
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td-e4i2BL_Q
Anohni
Performing an Australian exclusive premiere as part of Vivid, the astounding talents of Anohni, leader of Antony and the Johnsons, in the form of what is sure to be a stunning live staging of her fifth studio album Hopelessness. Anohni was the first performer announced for this year’s festival, and will no doubt provide a unique and soulful experience, as the self described ‘electronic record with sharp teeth’ takes its rightful place on centre stage.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Dates: 27 May, 28 May, 30 May, 31 May
Tickets: Here
These are of course just some of the headliners we can expect to see as part of the festivities, with a range of other masterful talents on display:
Deafheaven
And now for something a little different: off the back of their incredible 2015 release New Bermuda, and completely unlike anything else on this bill, heavy-hitting Deafheaven are set to bring their thunderous walls of pristinely complex noise to the Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre. While still a relatively new act in the scene, they have more than made their mark with their three studio records, and have quickly become one of the most important heavy bands in the world. This will be a simply breathtaking show – and for those who aren’t in Sydney, you can catch them on tour across the country.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Date: 2 Jun
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4tyCchDlhM
Hiatus Kaiyote with Sampa The Great
One of the absolute highlights of Australian music circulating today, two-time grammy nominees Hiatus Kaiyote will be bringing their immense talent and impeccably well composed jazz-infused tunes to the Opera House’s main stage. In tow will be Sampa The Great, who, in a nutshell, is Australia’s Lauryn Hill (except hopefully she’ll be a little more frequent with her music output and less so with her tax fraud.) Sampa has toured with Hiatus Kaiyote before, and even remixed a full series of their tracks last year. Arguably two of the best Australian acts around today, this is not to be missed.
Where: Concert Hall (Opera House)
Date: 31 May
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tErZ5LUJY
This is only the beginning of the Vivid announcements, with a myriad venues including Oxford Art Factory, Newtown Social Club, Freda’s, The Lord Gladstone, The Basemen, The Argyle and plenty more set to hold events throughout the festival. Needless to say, we probably recommend taking a couple days to relax and get some sleep before it all kicks off, because there’s something happening every single night.
While the light show and musical performances attract much of the attention and allure of the festival, let’s not forget some of the brilliant minds that are heading our way to deliver “Game Changer” talks. Director extraordinaire Spike Jonze, the genius behind Being John Malkovich, Her, and Adapation will be joined by none other than Beau Willimon (of House of Cards fame) and Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black) to inspire and motivate attendees as they bestow their creative wisdom upon us, sharing their insightful gems and anecdotes as they recount their storied careers.
Indigenous Australia is also set to be highly recognised by organisers, with the Sydney Opera House set to be lit up with the works of six prominent Indigenous artists, in a work entitled Songlines.
With 2015 numbers soaring to heights of almost 2 million attendees, we can be sure that this stellar lineup will see 2016 break new ground and further establish Vivid as one of the world’s most stellar culminations of culture and art.
Head to Vivid’s official website for more
Image: Vivid
Australia’s beloved festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney, is quickly approaching – and we’re impatiently counting down the days until May 22. This year’s musical line up is without doubt the biggest, best and most diverse yet – and that’s before we even start looking at the light displays and Vivid Ideas events. We recently had a chat with Vivid Music curator Stephen Ferris about how it all came to be, and we’re growing more excited by the day. Here are our top 15 choices for Vivid’s musical events, with info, ticketing details and more.
Squarepusher
Sufjan Stevens
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House (ONLY Australian shows)
Daniel Johns
Where: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House (ONLY Australian shows)
The Drones
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House (ONLY Australian shows)
Vivid at Oxford Art Factory
Where: Oxford Art Factory, Oxford St, Darlinghurst
Tickets: From $20
Tickets and more info here
The Basement
Where: The Basement, 29 Reiby Place, Circular Quay
Tickets: From $15
Tickets and more info here
Modulations at Carriageworks
Head to Carriageworks for live music, art, installations and more throughout Vivid. The program itself, Modulations, “looks at where music, art and design intersect, overlap and influence each other.” Included in the festivities will be a combined effort from three of Sydney’s top club nights – Kooky, Motorik! and Pelvis, featuring Trevor Jackson and Daniel Wang, as well as Grammy-winning Pharoah Sanders and many more to be announced.
Where: 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh
Tickets: Various
Tickets and more info here
Heaps Gay
Where: The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville
Tickets: From $35
Tickets and more info here
Royal Headache
Garage punks Royal Headache are returning home after two years abroad, with this show marking their homecoming. I caught them back in 2012 when they supported The Black Keys, where they could easily have been performing their own headline show. Packing more than a few punches, their reputation precedes them as a live act. They’ll be joined by their sonic family at Repressed Records, with more acts still to be announced, it’s advisable to pack from ear plugs – things are going to get very loud.
When: May 23
Where: The Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Tickets: starting at $35.00
On sale now
Tickets and more info here
The Preatures
It was their single Is This How You Feel? that thrusted The Preatures into the international spotlight, ahead of their debut album Blue Planet Eyes. Performing at some of the greatest stages in this country and abroad, The Preatures have reached something of “national darlings” status, and will no doubt continue their rise to the top this year. They’ll be bringing their good old Australian rock & roll to the Opera House this year, ticking yet another accomplishment off their ever growing list.
When: May 27
Where: The Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Tickets: starting at $35.00
On sale now
Tickets and more info here
FCX – 10 Years of Future Classic
Starting off as a vinyl-only imprint, Future Classic have always prided themselves on seeking out and delivering only the most cutting edge electronica, it’s been a long but successful 10 years for the Sydney based label. To celebrate, they’ll be descending onto the Opera House for a two night spectacular, showcasing all that they have become. Flume, Flight Facilities, Seekae, Touch Sensitive, George Maple, Hayden James, Wave Racer and Charles Murdoch will be playing over the two nights, with Flume and Flight Facilities performing on both. This is sure to be a night to remember!
When: May 29 and 30
Where: The Northern Boardwalk
Tickets: starting at $129 per night
On sale now
Tickets and more info here
The Hoodoo Gurus
Performing an exclusive one off performance, Australian living legends The Hoodoo Gurus will be playing at the Powerhouse Museum come late May. Titled Be My Guru: Evolution, Revolution, this performance will feature all eight past and current members as they relive their back catalogue in all it’s glory. Spoiler alert: the performance will end “with an all-in psychedelic, tribal finale featuring two drum kits, two basses and four guitars”, if you’re going to see a Vivid event, make it this one.
When: May 23
Where: The Powerhouse Museum
Tickets: starting at $62.50
On sale now
Tickets and more info here
Fractured Fantasies
Spoiled for choice? Looking for something a little different? Look no further than The Argyle, which will be playing host to three themed “Fractured Fantasies” for the full 18 nights of Vivid. The themes involved include Daft Punk inspired Discovery, which will feature a supposedly amazing tribute show, as well as Wonderland and Star Wars. There will also be salsa Wednesdays, a roster of DJs on rotation Vivid Sydney-inspired cocktails and plenty more to make any Vivid night fantastic!
When: May 22 – June 8
Where: The Argyle
Tickets: On sale soon
Tickets and more info here
RedBull Music Academy Presents: Astral People Feat. Robert Owens/Amir Alexander/Ben Fester/Preacha
Astral People are teaming up with RBMA for the third year running, taking over the Studio with one of their most exciting line ups yet. Chicago house golden age veteran Robert Owens will take to the decks alongside “next-gen hero” Amir Alexander in a one night only event, showcasing not only the prolific skills of both heavyweight names, but the undeniable knack of knowing what’s good that Astral People possess. Locals Ben Fester and Preacha will also be performing on the night, as it shapes up to be one of the most exciting events of the program.
When: 30 May
Where: The Studio
Tickets: $40
On sale now
Tickets and more info here
RedBull Music Academy Presents: Elefant Traks Feat. Joyride/Jayteehazard/DJ MK-1/Adit/Dggz
The RBMA fun doesn’t stop there! Elefant Traks will be treating the Opera House for the first time since 2012 with an all out hip hop/electronic invasion. Recruiting up-and-comer Joyride, Hilltop Hoods collaborator Jayteehazard, as well as DJ MK-1, Adit and Dggz also stepping up to the plate. From the crew that single handedly took homegrown Aussie hip hop and electronica from the suburbs to the national spotlight, responsible for The Herd, Hermitude, Urthboy, Horrorshow and Jane Tyrrell, this Elefant Traks takeover is going to be one of the wildest parties seen by any Vivid Program.
When: 31 May
Where: The Studio
Tickets: $40
On sale now
Tickets and more info here