Festival Director: Fergus Linehan
After the incredible success of Festival First Night the year prior, the event returned with an equally impressive line-up headed by Grace Jones. Artists such as Fanfare Ciocarlia, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Santogold, Dan Zanes & Friends, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Chunky Move and A-Trak/Java performed all over the CBD.
Musical firsts were seen with All Tomorrow’s Parties on Cockatoo Island. A mini music festival curated by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, the event featured performances from Grinderman, Spiritualized, The Saints, Fuck Buttons, Harmonia, The Necks, Laughing Clowns, Robert Forster, Michael Gira, Silver Apples, Rowland S. Howard, Dirty Three, Bill Callahan and Dead Meadow amongst others.
Sydney Theatre Company presented The War Of The Roses Part 1 & Part 2, performed by the STC Actors Company and STC Co-Artistic Director Cate Blanchett, on stage in Australia for the first time in almost five years, and Robert Menzies.
A unique addition to the program brought crowds to Darling Harbour with iiNet Films Afloat: Movies And Music at Darling Harbour. The Bays performed alongside a screening Run Lola Run, Enter The Dragon screened with musical backing from Karsh Kale & Midival Punditz, and Ben Walsh & The Orkestra of The Underground performed with Fantastic Planet.
FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT
Grace Jones, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Santogold, Dan Zanes & Friends, Fuzzy Stages, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Chunky Move, A-Trak, Java
THEATRE
Lipsynch
Ex Machina and Théâtre Sans Frontières
Directed by Robert Lepage
Faith Healer
A Celebration of the Work of Brian Friel
The Gate Theatre Dublin
Afterplay
A Celebration of the Work of Brian Friel
The Gate Theatre Dublin
The Yalta Game
A Celebration of the Work of Brian Friel
The Gate Theatre Dublin
The War Of The Roses Part 1 & Part 2
by William Shakespeare
Sydney Theatre Company
The Tell-Tale Heart
Adapted and directed by Barrie Kosky
After Edgar Allan Poe
Malthouse Melbourne
Ivanov
by Anton Chekhov
Katona Jozsef Theatre
The Pianist
Company B
Being Harold Pinter
Belarus Free Theatre
No Dice
Nature Theater Of Oklahoma
The Smile Off Your Face
Ontroerend Goed
DANCE
Morphoses
The Wheeldon Company
CIRCUS
La Clique
MUSIC
All Tomorrow's Parties on Cockatoo Island
Curated by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Performers: Spiritualized, James "Blood" Ulmer, The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Necks, Fuck Buttons, Michael Gira, Bridezilla, Robert Forster, Silver Apples, Harmonia
Beck's Festival Bar: Disco Nouveau
Holy Ghost!, Idjut Boys, Theatre Of Disco, Nathan McLay, Canyons
Beck's Festival Bar: FBI Night
Buraka Sound System
Beck's Festival Bar: Four Tet
Beck's Festival Bar: Hyper-Dub
The Bug, Warrior Queen, Rhythm & Sound, Paul St Hilaire, Mark Pritchard, Sub Bass Snarl, Victim, Garage Pressure, MC Ozi Batla, MC Steve Spacek
Beck's Festival Bar: Java
Beck's Festival Bar: Mad Racket
Daedelus, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Ken Cloud, Zootie
Beck's Festival Bar: Popfrenzy Party
Metronomy, Pivot, Totally Michael
Beck's Festival Bar: Throwing Muses, Dappled Cities
Beck's Festival Bar: Z Trip, TZU
Bon Iver
Camille
Dawn Chorus
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs
Double Dream
Mikhail Rudy & Misha Alperin
Fanfare Ciocarlia & Special Guests
Festival Jazz: The Gypsy Queens & Kings
Fanfare Ciocarlia and special guests
Festival Symphony: Old World/New World
Sydney Symphony
Conductor: Richard Gill
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova: The Swell Season - Music From The Film 'Once'
Grace Jones
Masters Of Tradition: A Living History of Irish Music
Artistic Director, Fiddle: Martin Hayes
Vocals: Iarla ´O Lionáird
Fiddle: Cathal Hayden
Accordion: Máirtin O'Connor
Guitar: Steve Cooney, Dennis Cahill
Matthew Herbert Big Band
Reggie Watts
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Bill Callahan
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Bon Iver
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Joe Henry
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Juana Molina
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Kristin Hersh - Paradoxical Undressing
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Moscow Art Trio
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Secret Shows
Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: St Vincent
The Cinematic Orchestra
EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS
Play Me, I'm Yours
Luke Jerram
FILM
Festival Flicks: Dancing At Lughnasa
Festival Flicks: Iag Bari - Brass On Fire
Festival Flicks: Once
Movies In The Overflow
iiNet Films Afloat: Ben Walsh & The Orkestra Of The Underground/Fantastic Planet
iiNet Films Afloat: Karsh Kale & Midival Punditz/Enter The Dragon
iiNet Films Afloat: The Bays/Run Lola Run
AUSTRALIA DAY
AAMI Ferrython
TALK
Eat Drink Talk Art
FAMILY
Kids In The Garden
Dan Zanes & Friends
The Nargun And The Stars
ERTH - Visual & Physical
Music Is Magic
Australian Children's Music Foundation
Fluff
Christine Johnston
The Promise
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus
The Tragical Life Of Cheeseboy
Slingsby
