As Vivid Sydney gears up for its biggest and most ambitious year yet in 2022, the Vivid Music program will also span a larger footprint than ever before, reinvigorating the city’s live music scene with more than 150 gigs. This includes shows at the Hyde Park Barracks, the Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Luna Park, beloved queer bar the Bearded Tit, Parliament House, Carriageworks, Cell Block Theatre, the National Art School, the mysterious new Phoenix performance space nested near the Central Park building, and an entire Vivid Live contemporary music program at the Sydney Opera House.
After a two-year-ish hiatus for international touring acts, Vivid Music welcomes artists from other great world cities. There’s highly influential UK space rock band Spiritualized, delivering their unmistakable sound live at Luna Park’s Big Top, with indie rock cult singer Baxter Dury making his debut Australian performance at the Metro Theatre. Emerging New York rapper Cakes Da Killa’s fusion of hip hop, house and electronic dance music will be taking the Oxford Art Factory by storm.
Carriageworks will present its seventh Vivid Music program, bringing together artists from all four corners of the globe. Estonian rapper and visual artist Tommy Cash will excite with his raucous and wild show in a Sydney exclusive, alongside American indie queer artist Perfume Genius, Japanese all-female rock band Chai, and Perth’s Alter Boy 'queerlectro' pop band also enlivening audiences.
One of the standout highlights from the 2021 Live program was the much anticipated new show by Zambian-born singer, poet and visual artist Sampa the Great. An Afro Future was set to be a trailblazing, fully-staged iteration of her four-time ARIA award-winning debut album The Return at the Sydney Opera House. Well, if you were as gutted as we were by missing out on the chance to see it last year, turn that frown upside down, because this landmark show will still be the jewel in the crown of 2022’s SOH line-up, and we are here for it.
In a Vivid Music exclusive, legendary Australian music icon Marcia Hines will enliven audiences with The Gospel according to Marcia, a world-premiere show for two nights only in the uplifting surrounds of St Stephen's Uniting Church. Marcia will be joined by a 12-piece band and choir set against an atmospheric bespoke lighting backdrop, celebrating the sounds of her gospel roots.
With all the eclecticism going on, a more apt name for this year’s ‘Music’ program might be Vivid Entertainment. A new addition to the festival will be bringing all kinds of live performance into the mix. Mary’s Underground will host the inaugural Vivid Sydney Supper Club every Friday and Saturday throughout the festival. These revue-style performances will feature musical theatre acts, cabaret, dance, drag, comedy, surprise guests, acoustic pop-ups, jazz, DJs – and that’s just for starters. Curated by beloved actor, cabaret performer, drag artist and Liza Minelli doppelganger Trevor Ashley, the gig series will be headlined by talents such as Mahalia Barnes, Emma Pask, Bob Downe and Tim Freedman.
The all-inclusive party starters of Heaps Gay are relaunching the debauched Qweens Ball after a two-year hiatus as a “twisted carnival” at Luna Park on the Queens Birthday long weekend. If that’s not enough elaborate party antics for you, Sydney alternative queer institution Club Kooky shimmies back onto the Northern Broadwalk at the Sydney Opera House with some secret special guests and amazing visuals for their biggest celebration yet with Club Kooky by the Harbour.
After some freebies to flesh out your festival experience? In a Vivid first, Tumbalong Nights presents an astonishing line-up of free live music events and short film screenings in Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park. Young and old can groove the night away to Stevan, a rising young R’n’B multi-instrumentalist and band, True Vibenation’s party vibes and uplifting afrobeat, and Donny Benet with his undeniably fun disco and funk. DJs at The Goods Line will pay homage to Sydney’s vibrant DJ heritage, with a free line-up of DJs every night including Ebony Boadu, Stereogamous and Soul of Sydney DJs, in another new addition to the program.
This music program is mind-bogglingly massive. Start putting together your wish list at the Vivid website.
