Festival Director: Stephen Hall
1988 marked Sydney’s Bicentennial 200th anniversary, which was celebrated with a two month Bicentennial Festival of Sydney.
A late decision was made by the NSW Government to stage the Australia Day ceremony on the Sydney Opera House forecourt. The day kicked off with a breakfast party for invited guests followed by a formal commemoration, the Bicentennial Wool Collection fashion event, and outdoor concerts with orchestral,chorus, jazz and pop groups. On the harbour, visitors witnessed the Parade of Tall Ships that concluded with the evening’s spectacular fireworks display.
Elsewhere during the two months of festivities, the Festival celebrated the opening of a number of new venues including the Bicentennial Park in Homebush Bay, Federation Pavilion in Centennial Park, the Circular Quay and Macquarie Street precinct, the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, and the Powerhouse Museum at Darling Harbour.
The Festival stretched beyond the CBD with bicentennial concerts in Wollongong, Parramatta and Newcastle. Of course The Domain hosted a large free Australiana Concert with acts like John Schumann, Anne Kirkpatrick, the Flying Emus, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Collins and many more. Australia cinema took over the Sydney Opera House forecourt with great Australian films selected by Ken G Hall screened for free.
The extensive Australia Day celebrations were to continue in future years, for all to enjoy.
THEATRE
Playboy Of The Western World
Druid Theatre Company
A Singular Voyage
Sankai Juku
Faces In The Street
By Frank Hardy
Fascinating Aïda
Directed by Nica Burns
Asinamali!
By Mbongeni Ngema
Le Rail
Carbone 14
DANCE
Twyla Tharp Dance
Sun-Hunters
Dance North
MUSIC
Australia Ensemble at St Andrew's
Bicentennial Beethoven: Roger Woodward In Recital
Contemporary Music At Belvoir St: Kronos Quartet in cabaret
Contemporary Music At Belvoir St: Southern Crossings
Contemporary Music At Belvoir St: The Sydney Ensemble & The Sydney Mandolin Quartet
David Titterington
Geoffrey Saba
Leo Kottke with Liz Story
On Location: Sailing With The Sirius: Music At Garden Island
Bondi Pavilion Brass. COLLAGE, Peter Tahourdin, Vince Brophy, Shantyman
On Location: St Patrick's College Manly
Organist: Robert Ampt
On Location: St Philip's Church York St
Michael Dyer
On Location: St Stephen's Church Newtown
The Song Company, Plectra
Symphony Under The Stars
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Director, Chief Conductor: Stuart Challender
Guest Conductor: Richard Mills
The Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Alice Giles
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Dene Olding, Max Olding
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Elizabeth Campbell, Tony Fogg
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Lauris Elms, Gwen Halstead
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Sinfonye Early Music Ensemble
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Stephanie McCallum
Virtuosi In The Vestibule: Trude Aspeling
Australiana Concert
John Schumann, Anne Kirkpatrick, Flying Emus, Tommy Emmanuel, Mark Collins
Combined Military Bands Concert
Service bands of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force
Midsummer Jazz
Ricky May, Vince Jones, Galapagos Duck, Kerrie Biddell, Julian Lee, Adrian Ford Big Band, Crossfire, The Right Stuff, Don Burrows, Dale Barlow, James Morrison, Warwick Adler, Australian Jazz Orchestra
Rock Back The Clock: Australian Music Nostalgia Concert
Col Joye, Little Pattie, Lucky Star, Judy Stone
OPERA
Turandot
The Australian Opera, Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Maestro Carlo Felice Cillario
Sopranos: Rita Hunter, Joan Carden
Tenor: Kenneth Collins
ESSO Opera In The Park - La Traviata
The Australian Opera, The Elizabethan Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Stuart Challender
CIRCUS
Cirque du Soleil
FILM
BHP Steel Outdoor Movie Season
Selected by Ken G Hall
CELEBRATIONS
All Australian Gang Show
World Scouting
Celebration Of A Nation
Commemoration of the Founding of the Colony of NSW
Diners Club Picnic
Newcastle Bicentennial Concert
NRMA Motorfest
Opening of Bicentennial Park, Homebush Bay
Opening of the Circular Quay and Macquarie St Precinct and Bicentennial Street Parade
Opening of the Federation Pavilion, Centennial Park
Opening of the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
Opening of the Powerhouse Museum
Parramatta Bicentennial Concert
Perrier Writers’ Week
Street Distractions
Various artists including Death Defying Theatre, Styx, Legs On The Wall, Joe Gladwin's Punch and Judy, the Barbershop Quartet, the Black Stump Theatre and Etcetera
Wollongong Bicentennial Concert
Worship In The Park: Reverend Sir Alan Walker
SPORT
Kawasaki Jet Ski
Parade Of Sail
The Festival/Smith's Crisps Ferrython
The IBM Festival Schooner Race
