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One of the best ways to make your Sydney vacation more entertaining and worthwhile is by attending one of its many festivals. In fact, this vibrant city has numerous festivals that will appeal to everyone looking to have a good time. There are a lot of festivals to choose from in Sydney, depending on your arrival date. Be sure to include any Sydney festivals in your itinerary once in the area, and be prepared to dance, sing, party all day and night long and survive your holiday travel! Listed below are 7 fun festivals you should attend when in Sydney:
1. Vivid
At Vivid, you can have a great time being part of the only winter festival in Sydney! Although only about three years old, Vivid has already found a permanent home on the city’s calendar. Its tagline, “lights, music, and ideas,” paints a clear picture of what to expect there. You’ll have plenty to do, including witnessing the transformation of the Sydney Opera House into a psychedelic canvas. Each year, a new curator will select the different programs and shows available at Vivid, which guarantees you’ll never get bored going year after year.
2. Sydney Festival
Don’t miss out on your chance to participate in the most attended cultural event in Australia, the Sydney Festival. Every January, the city is turned into a summer wonderland because of this lively festival. You will always have something to do each night and be able to watch the epic performances of the artists invited. It’s something to look forward to every January and somehow seems to keep getting better every year. If you visit Sydney in January, definitely add the Sydney Festival into your itinerary.
3. St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival
St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival surprised everyone when it started back in 2006. Since then, this tiny festival has grown and became a popular event all over the country and even to those from neighboring countries like Singapore and New Zealand. Its success is due to the consistent line-up of spectacular acts at gorgeous locations. You can expect this relaxed event to take place sometime in February every year, and you’ll be grateful to have attended St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival at least once in your life.
4. Lost Paradise
One of Sydney’s freshest music festival, Lost Paradise features an eclectic set of musicians and performers that all types of festival goers would love. This annual 3-day camping event transforms the grassy terrain of Glenworth Valley into a microcosm of love, friendship, fun and community. Don’t forget to bring your yoga mat for a unique Shambahala experience while also enjoying various roving performers and colorful art installations.
5. Return to Rio
This event in the North of Sydney is a 3-day camping festival that promises a memory no attendee will forget. Experience a no nonsense music festival filled with camping, booze, lively music, and plenty of sunshine. Sip cocktails by the pool or jam out to your favorite band – it’s up to you. Return to Rio is a bi-annual event to commemorate the beginning and end of summer, so if you can’t make it to the first festival of the year, you can always check out the second festival.
6. Days Like This
If you hate camping at music festivals, there’s always Days Like This. This one-day event has become famous among Australians and foreign travelers alike because of its focus on high quality underground and techno music. Organizers always bring out the best mix of performers from famous artists like Dixon, AME, The Black Madonna, and more. If you’re into It would be a waste of you miss this great Sydney festival.
7. Secret Garden Party
They say that what you don’t know won’t hurt you, but when it comes to music festivals, Secret Garden Party is the secret that every music lover should know about. This quirky music festival not only showcases talented bands and solo artists, but they also let attendees dress in flamboyant and colorful costumes creating a wild jungle party vibe.
There are tons of festivals and parties that you can check out in Sydney, and they all do a great job of showing how fun-loving Australians are. Each festival offers a unique experience, so check them all out if you can. And if you’re still craving for more parties in Sydney, then here are more festivals suggested by DriveNow that you can check out.
Nothing truly beats being able to party with old friends, make awesome new friends, sing out loud, dance like nobody’s watching, and enjoy the outdoors when you are attending a festival. So, make sure you check out these 7 fun festivals when you’re in Sydney, and get ready for a one-of-a-kind Sydney escapade!
A big thank you to Eunise Quintano for this insightful and fun sponsored post on a region of the world we have yet to explore.
Vivid sounds like a fun festival Eunise because winter festivals are a needed change up to me. Don’t get me wrong; I love a good summer fest. But seeing a winter deal opens my eyes to a new experience, in crisper, cleaner surroundings. I love it.
What an awesome list of festivals! Sounds like there is always something going on in Sydney. Vivid sounds awesome, I would love to see the Opera House in those colors!
There are so many festival options in Sydney, it would be hard to choose just one! So I guess I’ll just have to try them all when I get to Australia. I love good music festivals with all the lights…so I think I might have found my tribe with The Secret Garden Party!
Gone are my music festival days but Vivid is something I’d love to visit! I’ve always wanted to see the Opera House- to see it in so many colors would be amazing! Lost Paradise sounds like another fun one too.
Thanks for this post. These festivals look like so much fun. Didn’t know this side of Sidney. The return to Rio festival sounds great.
Wow these are all pretty cool festivals! I love how the Opera House lights up with all those colours during Vivid. However, my favourite one to attend would be Return to Rio, and it’s nice that it happens twice a year so you have an option to see which one you may be able to attend! I will be in Sydney in early March next year but I guess I will miss out on all these events! Will look up the dates for 2018 for Return to Rio anyway. Thanks for the guide!
Well you never think of festivals mainly when you are planning holidays but it’s surely nice to get a few tips before you go so you can take advantage. The vivid festival rocks my box. The visuals are great as well. Never thought there would be so many festivals down under. Thanks for sharing.
Sidney seems to abound in fun and engaging festivals, Eunise. I’d love to explore Sydney but also attend at least one of these festivals. The Sydney Festival indeed seems very lively!
Wow! I was not aware that there is a lot of festival happening in Sydney. Will definitely consider scheduling our next visit during these days.
Whoa! Whoa! The psychedelic lights projected on the Opera House looks just Wow!!! I’ve seen something like this in a smaller scale in London called the Lumiere London! This one is just fascinating.
Lost Paradise looks interesting too. I wouldn’t miss the Cultural events of Sydney Festival. If I plan a trip to Aus, I’ll make sure to do it in Jan….
Thats a lovely list of some amazing music festivals. Though haven’t attended any such music festival till date, but I would really love to attend the secret garden party. The wild jungle vibes really intrigue me.
It will be very exciting to attend one of those festivals. Sydney is always travelers top of the list. I did not know all about those festivals. Those 7 festivals is a great attraction for adventure lovers from all over the world. I am excited to explore the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival. I am planning to fix my next trip to Sydney. Thanks for sharing this amazing matters about Sydney. 🙂
Wow, that looks great. It’s always been one of the big regrets that I’ve never been to Sydney.
This looks incredible! I had never heard of it before but would love to check these out
Such a wonderful collection of festivals.
Definitely worth to enjoy these great fun filled adventures!
Wow, that looks great. It’s always been one of the big regrets that I’ve never been to Sydney.
Exciting article!
I hope that I can travel to Sydney in the future.