Festival Director: Stephen Hall
The first ever Sydney Festival (then called Festival of Sydney) ran from 31 December to 31 January 1977. It was originally conceived by the Sydney Committee, the NSW State Government and the City of Sydney with a view to attracting people into the city centre during the holiday month of January. Its program of more than 180 events ranged from high culture and large-scale community celebrations to sports competitions and basic craft.
The Festival kicked off with a New Year’s Eve party at the Sydney Opera House and peaked at the end of the Australia Day weekend, when 40 events occurred in the CBD area, including the Grand Parade that worked its way through the city.
The Haymarket area had been cleared a year prior, making it the perfect location for the year’s festivities. Haymarket was transformed into an arts and crafts bazaar with art exhibits, market stalls, two theatres, a stage for concerts, craft demonstrations, workshops, audio-visual displays and food stalls.
The Festival brought new experiences to Sydneysiders and visitors, including Sydney’s first International Children’s Film Festival, the Qantastic Sydney Jazz Festival and the Festival of Folklife.
The Festival Club was born at the Löwenbräu Keller, though this venue would change over the years to come.
THEATRE
Tales from Hans Christian Andersen
Peter Williams Productions/The Cheryl Regan Dancers
Winnie The Pooh
The Actors' Company
And Now At Last, The Nibble Nobby's Nuts Show
The Actors' Company
The Great Australian Mark VI Do-it-Yourself Pantomime Kit
PACT Theatre
Abstractions
PACT Theatre
Rookery Nook
The Old Tote Theatre Company
A Nightingale Still Sings in Berkley Square
Peter Williams Productions/Colleen Clifford
Jeral Puppets
Jackie & John Lewis
The Surprising Soprano
Michael Aspinall
Dirty Linen
Nimrod Theatre
A Handful of Friends
Nimrod Theatre
Young Mo
Nimrod Theatre
Hands
Marionette Theatre
Roos
Marionette Theatre
The Magistrate
The Old Tote Theatre Company
Crisis, What Crisis?
Condell Park High School Drama Group
Hush, Rabbit, Buffalo
Buffalo Theatre
Shadow Puppetry
Theatre Of Light & Air
Treasure Island
Nimrod Theatre
St Mary's Kid
ATYP, produced by Youth Theatre Workshop
Crumpet & Co
ATYP, produced by Jigsaw Company
Air Supply
Times Wing'd Chariot
A Night in India
Tarantara Tarantara
Alice in Wonderland
Dr Jekyl, Hyde and Seek
Sydney Magic Puppets
Split Enz, Match Box, Pantha
Youth Theatre
Little Theatre
New Dance Theatre
Chloe’s Clowns
Pumpkin Paddy and His Mates, Alex Hood
Cartwheel Theatre
Woman Action Theatre
White Theatre
Ron Barry & Creole
Davidson High School Musical Drama
Midnight Sun Theatre Company
Modern Mime Theatre
New Theatre
Ensemble Theatre
Canberra Music Theatre Troupe
Paradise Theatre
FILM
Mrs Eliza Fraser
An evening of art films and films on Aboriginal Culture
Sydney Filmmakers Co-op
A selection of contemporary and independently made films
Sydney Film Makers Co-op Film
Twisties Kids Super Film Festival
Walt Disney Cartoon Features
DANCE
Dance Company of NSW
Kinetic Energy Dance Company
Latin American Dancing Evening
Scottish Highland & Country Dancing
Sedenka Folkloric Dance Company
Sydney Morrismen
Sydney Playford & English Country Dancing Club
MUSIC
Twilight Concerts
National Lieder Society of Australia
Bach Brandenburg Concert
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Christopher Hogwood
Handel Water Music
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Christopher Hogwood
Solos and Bible Readings
Soprano: Anne Robinson
Brandenburg and Water Music
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Christopher Hogwood
Salvation Army - Graduation and Salute Service
Salvation Army
Handel Fireworks Music
Massed Wind Orchestra
Conductor: Christopher Hogwood
Concert of Baroque Music with traditional instruments
Ayers Baroque
ACP Concert
Joseph Chendrens, classical guitarist with ensemble
Rock Dance
Little River Band, Stylus
Abbey Jazz Band
Anne Kirkpatrick
Band of the 2nd Military District, Australian Army
Blue Mountains Band
Bob Barnard Jazz Band
Burwood Concert Band
Col Nolan Quartet
Conservatorium Jazz
Crossfire
David Fennell & PowerPoint Jazz
Exponent Brass Quintet
Free Kata, Out To Lunch, Energy & Friends
Galapagos Duck
Geoff Bulls Olympia Jazz Band
Halcyon Singers
Harbour City Jazz Band
Hornsby Band
International Music Theatre Forum
Jeff St. John
Johnny Nicol Quartet
Jo Jo Zep
Kevin Borich Band, Dragon, Chariot
Lester Coombs
Magnificent Sydney Pops Orchestra
Noel Crow Jazz Men
Ol' 55, Punkz, City Strut
RAAF Band
R.A.N. Band
Ron Barry & Creole
Ray Burton Band
Ray Price Quartet
Ross Ryan and his band
Silver Studs
Singing Circus
Sound Celebration
South Harlem Concerto
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Sydney Thistle Pipe Band
Ted Mulry Gang, Angels, Cold Chisel
The Abercrombie Bush Band
The Col Nolan Quartet & Bob Barnard Jazz Band
The Graeme Bell Allstars & Judy Bailey Quartet
Verdi's Requiem Mass
Wind Chase (Sebastian Hardie)
Young Northside Big Band
OPERA
Lakme
Australian Opera
Conductors: Richard Bonynge, Peter Robinson
Aida
Australian Opera
Carmen
Australian Opera
Madame Butterfly
Australian Opera
Tosca
Australian Opera
Fantasy Exhibition (Mini Opera)
CIRCUS
Sole Bros Circus
SPORT
Ampol Bowls Tournament
Anniversary Meeting
Arrival of the Sun Kids Jogathon
Australian 18 Footer Championship
Bocce Demonstrations
Country Tennis Championships
Cricket Test Matches
Double Bay Sailing Club, Festival of Sydney Race
Drummoyne Sailing Club, Sydney Festival Marathon
Festival of Sydney Handicap, Balmain & District 12 Footer Flying Squadron
Festival of Sydney Tug-of-War Competition
International Speed Car Classics
Motorcycle Racing
NSW Side Car Championships
NSW State Swimming Championships
NSW Tennis Open
NSW Trotting Club Summer Carnival
Open Amateur Gold Tournament - Ben Hogan Cup
Parachute Jump
Parramatta River Yacht Club Festival Regatta
RANSA Festival of Sydney Regatta
Royal Sydney Flying Squadron
Sheffield Shield Fixture
Sydney Amateur Sailing Club, Festival of Sydney Yacht Races
Tattersalls Club Race
Tooheys Sun Festival of Sport
Twilight Meeting
Vintage & Classic Car Rally
Vintage Sports Car Race
Woollahra Sailing Club State Championships
CLUB
The Festival Club in the Löwenbräu Keller
POETRY
Australian Poets Old & New - The Compulsion of the Dew
Children's Poetry & Australian Verse - The Poet's Voice
Modern & Mystical Poems - Poetry In Motion
Poetry Reading - American Beat, British Underground
Poets Of The World, an evening of music and poetry readings
The Forgotten Generation - Poems of underground poets
CELEBRATIONS
Folk Federation Concert
Steam Shuttle, The Last Consideration Acoustic Band, Reedy River Bushmen, Abercrombie Bush Band, Fo'c'sle
New Year's Eve Concert
Blue Grass Society Concert
Road Apple, Johnny Hayseek, Ginger Rogers Blue Grass Band, Country Sound, Possum Trot School Exhibition, Razor Ruckus, Hokum - On Sombole Jug Band
Qantastic Jazz Festival
Don Burrows, Compared to What With Kerrie Biddell, Adrian Ford Orchestra, Galapagos Duck, David Fennell & Power Point, The Judy Bailey Quartet, Harbour City Jazz Band, Brian Brown Quartet, Jazz Coop, Last Straw, Paul Furniss and the Clips Alley Five, Dick Hughes, Geoff Bull's Olympia Jazz Band, Dave Stevens, Graeme Bell All Stars, Mother Night, The Dick Hughes Swingers, Dick Lowe's Little Big Band, Adrian Ford Jump Band, Tom Baker's San Francisco Jazz Band, Out To Lunch, Free Kata, Peter Boothman, Energy and Friends
Festival of Sydney Lions International Benefit Concert
Mardi Gras
John Paul Young and the All Stars, Carol Lloyd Band and bands from South America
COMPETITIONS
Chinese Cooking Demonstration
Flag Raising Ceremony
Mini Pipe Contest
Multi-National Cookery Contest
RAAF Dogs Obedience Display
The Rostrum-Festival of Sydney Public Speaking Finals
Yarn Spinning Competition
ART
Archibald, Wynne and Sulman
Centenary of the Telephone
Exhibition of Australian Art
Exhibition of One Hundred Years of Public Lending Service
Exhibition of Paintings by Ken Moore
Exhibition of Past Festivities in Sydney
Exhibition of Pottery With a Wine Theme
Exhibition of Rare Book Plates, of the Famous, the Not So Famous and the Infamous
Library of the Future Exhibition
Life in the Indian Himalayas and The Sringar Costume Exhibition
Lillium Flower Show
Royal Art Society Exhibition
The Ball and Chain Exhibition
Young Painters Exhibition
