Sydney Christmas Markets & Fare

Photo by James Horan and courtesy of Sydney Living Museums

Christmas Fare at Hyde Park Barracks Museum

Christmas is a busy time for families in Sydney with loads of festive events to choose from. This December, the Hyde Park Barracks Museum will also join in the festive celebrations with their Christmas Fare. This event showcases seasonal, sustainable and locally made food which are hand-crafted by over 40 of Sydney's best artisans, producers, chefs and urban farmers. They will be serving up delicious baked, pickled, smoked, crafted and poured delights.

Some of the highlights include charcuterie from Steph's Gourmet Foods, cheese by Pecora Dairy, Pepe Saya's Australian cultured butter, traditionally crafted loaves from The Bread & Butter Project, authentic New York bagel from the Brooklyn Boy Bagels, Carlson's Handcrafted organic fruit cordials and conserves, classic crumbles by the Dessertmakers, Christmas pudding to rival grandma's from PUD Inc, tea blends from The Vegan Teahouse and many others.

Photo courtesy of Sydney Living Museums

In addition to the sampling and shopping, you can head over to the pop-up bar and food stalls. Gourmet food available include fragrant Vietnamese broth from Bar Pho, a reworked American classic by the boys from The Nighthawk Diner, and succulent glazed ham rolls from sustainable meat providores Feather and Bone. There's also the the Hyde Park Barracks Café for more choices.

For a gold coin donation, you can visit Christmas Fare and source unique festive food and gifts for your own Christmas celebrations. Your gold coin also grants you access into the World Heritage listed Hyde Park Barracks Museum.

When: 4pm - 8pm
Phone: 02 8239 2311
Where: Hyde Park Barracks Museum
Cost: Gold coin donation
Website: sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/events/christmas-fare-artisan-food-gifts-your-festive-table
Source: http://www.weekendnotes.com/christmas-fare-hyde-park-barracks-museum/



Twilight Christmas Markets

St John's Anglican Church Darlinghurst is holding its annual Twilight Christmas Markets on Thursday 11 December 2014, from 5pm to 10pm.

This festive market will transform St John's Darlinghurst to a Christmas wonderland, bringing the excitement and anticipation of Christmas to Darlinghurst with its collection of local market stalls offering a variety of unique Christmas gifts. Whilst browsing and shopping you can enjoy live music performances and rest and refuel with some festive food at the food stalls.

There will also be entertainers performing around the market and a range of interactive activities, including a petting zoo and the rare opportunity to ride a camel just as the Wise Men did so many years ago!

Don't miss out on this fun community event. It has something for everyone.
So come along and bring some friends along to enjoy live music, great food and market stalls where you can get your Christmas shopping done early.

When: Thursday 11 December 2014, 5pm to 10pm
Where: St. John's Darlinghurst
Cost: FREE
Website: www.stjohnsanglican.org.au
Source: http://www.weekendnotes.com/st-johns-darlinghurst-twilight-christmas-market/

Sydney’s New Year's Eve 2014 Fireworks Display

The annual Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks are about as good an advert for the city as it is possible to have.

Paid for by the local Sydney government, the spectacular display is one of the first New Year’s celebrations to be beamed around the globe every year.

The municipal authorities, not generally known for their modesty when it comes to Sydney’s charms, describe their city as “the New Year's Eve Capital of the World” – and they’re quite right in this instance. Each year brings a different (fairly broad) theme. Last year was “Shine”, the previous year was “Embrace”, and this year it is “Inspire”. 

It truly is one of the most memorable places you will find anywhere to welcome in the New Year, with the balmy Australian summer and the wonderful harbour setting making it ideal for spending the build-up outdoors in convivial company.

That said, its popularity does create its own problems – with some areas around the harbour throbbing with crowds. With a little bit of planning and insider knowledge, you can make sure you find the ideal spot to see in the New Year 2015.

Do I need a ticket?

The short answer is no. If you don't want to pay, you don't have to - there are plenty of vantage points that do not require payment. However, there are many ticketed events, many of which will be booked up well in advance. See here for the full rundown of what’s going on.

Many places will already have sold out – some of them with astonishing price tags.

When are the displays?

It’s not such a stupid question. There are, in fact, two firework displays in the Sydney. The first is at 9pm, a “family fireworks” event before the main event at midnight. If for some reason you’d rather watch the main event from your hotel television with children tucked up in bed (good luck with that), the early showing will allow you to get back.

Where should I watch it?

The "front row seats" – the area around Circular Quay and the Botanical Gardens – inevitably are the most popular. Many old Sydney-siders think you get a better perspective from the North Shore, as well as marginally less competition for a patch of grass to watch the show.

Those who like to toast the coming year should note that many vantage points do not allow any fizz (including the Central Business District). Some include alcohol in their ticket price. Others do not allow Bring Your Own (BYO) alcohol. If this is a New Year prerequisite for you, be sure to check.

On the water

Alternatively you could take a Harbour Cruise(newyearsevecruise.com.au). Note that you’ll be on the boat for a long evening – typically, setting off at 6pm and you usually have to bring your own food but you’ll have a great, uncrowded, view of the fireworks.

When should I arrive?

Get there early, or miss out (picture: Getty Images)

The broad advice is simply to get there early or you will miss out. Competition for spaces can be fierce. People even start camping out the day before the event in some places. Even in areas where pressure to bag a spot is less intense, plan on spending most of the day there - by noon, many places will already be full. The vantage points information on the official website will have live updates on whether or not they have reached capacity.

Specific information on vantage points will be published on the main website in November: Sydney New Year vantage points

Transport

Don’t even think about driving. Sydney – never the best city for traffic – is simply nightmarish at this time of year due to road closures and crowds.

Extra public transport is in operation to get spectators home after the event. Again, it’s worth planning your journey in advance. Do so attransportnsw.info.

The official Sydney New Year's Eve website also allows you to sign up for updates about road closures and transport disruption.

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Summer Sporting Extravaganza to Boost Australian Economy

In Australia, summer is all about sport. This season the addition of two major international events to the calendar is a big bonus, not just for sports lovers but for the economy as well.

Australians who don't enjoy sport turn off the television and head for the beach at this time of year.

For everyone else, there's a smorgasbord of Test and one-day cricket, PGA golf, an internationally famous yacht race, a grand slam tennis event, cycling and Formula One races.

The country is set to enjoy an unprecedented quantity of world sport worth an estimated A$320m ($267m; £172m) to the economy thanks to the addition of two major events.

The Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup - being held across five cities in January - and the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup, which will be played in Australia and New Zealand in February and March, eclipse other events in size and dollar value.

The Asian Cup is the biggest sporting event in Asia and the cricket World Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world after the summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

Australia's summer of sport

• December 9 - January 10: Four cricket Test matches, Australia v India.
• December 11-14: Australian PGA golf Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast.
• December 26-30: Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
• January 9 - January 31, 2015: Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup.
• January 16 - February 1: Cricket one-day international tri series, Australia, India and England.
• January 17-25: Tour Down Under cycling classic, Adelaide and South Australia.
• January 19 - February 1: Australian Open grand slam tennis, Melbourne.
• February 14 - March 29: ICC World Cup.
• March 12-15: Australian Grand Prix Formula One, Melbourne.

Every year, between 1 December and 1 April, there are five million tickets on sale for sport and entertainment events across New South Wales, according to state government body Destination NSW. For the same period in 2014-2015, there are eight million tickets on sale.

"That's what happens when you add an Asian Cup and a World Cup to the calendar," says Asian Cup chief executive officer Michael Brown. "There's going to be a lot more people spending a lot more dollars."

Test Cricket

Australia's golden summer begins with the first of four Test cricket matches between Australia and India on 9 December. The fixtures were rescheduled to start later in the month because of the sudden death in late November of 25-year old Australian Test player Phillip Hughes.

Golf

The first Test now clashes with the Australian PGA golf event, while the Sydney to Hobart yacht race - which organisers claim is the largest spectator sporting event in the world - competes with the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race

An estimated one million spectators will watch the start of the yacht race - about 300,000 of them from the water and another 700,000 lining Sydney's harbour and coastline, says chief executive officer of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Mark Woolf.

Economic Ipmact

The economic impact, however, is incalculable, says Mr Woolf, because it is a free spectator event.

"The metrics that come out of this race are enormous," he says. "It's not a stadium event. We don't have a captive audience. But there are tentacles everywhere.

"There's the investment of transporting and accommodating 118 boats and crew for the start. The crews bring their friends and families. Then there's provisioning and fuelling and self-catering for spectator picnics.

"Even the NSW town of Eden gets an economic lift. It's the last safe harbour for boats to refuel and restock before crossing Bass Strait. Once they reach Hobart the boats and crews have to get back to Sydney.

"Then there's the impact of those TV pictures of a perfect Sydney harbour beaming into Europe and America in the middle of winter on their Christmas night. It's hard to quantify the publicity and future tourism impact."

Asia Cup Soccer

As the Test cricket ends the Asian Cup kicks off on 9 January, with 16 teams playing 32 matches in Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

According to Mr Brown, PricewaterhouseCoopers has said the event will pump A$225m into the economy. Asian Cup organisers target ticket sales of 500,000, with 50,000 international visitors expected to attend.

Three of Australia's top ten trading partners - China, Japan and South Korea - have qualified, which means hosting the Asia Cup is a unique tourism, trade and investment opportunity for the country and the region, he says.

"The Asian Cup is Asia's biggest sporting event and football is the biggest team sport and the most popular sport in Asia," Mr Brown says. "In Asia, football outstrips cricket as a sport."

Tourism Tsunami

But the Asian Cup will also have to compete for spectators and TV audiences with the Tour Down Under cycling classic in South Australia and the Australian Open grand slam tennis tournament in Melbourne.

ICC World Cup Cricket

Then, the biggest sporting event of the summer begins on 14 February. More than one million people are expected to attend 49 one-day matches featuring 14 teams playing in the ICC World Cup at venues in Australia and New Zealand.

ICC World Cup chief executive officer John Harnden says 500,000 tickets have already been sold and tens of thousands of international spectators are expected to attend, creating a tourism tsunami between the two countries.

"There will be a lot of travel between Australia and New Zealand, and then India, the UK and the US are the three primary points of origin (for spectators)," says Mr Harnden.

"It is a great opportunity to showcase ourselves to the world and benefit from that great word of mouth from all those tens of thousands of tourists saying what a great time they had. If the Australian and New Zealand teams do well, that will be an even bigger bonus."

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Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 Transport Info

Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 Transport Info

Date: Wednesday 31 December
Road Closures Map: www.sydneynewyearseve.com/road-closures-public-transport/

On New Year’s Eve there are many ways to celebrate, one way to get around. With over 4,500 extra services, public transport is the way to go this New Year’s Eve.

Use the Trip planner to plan your trip with up-to-date train, bus, ferry and light rail information. You can also use one of the many real-time apps to track your service.

Trains
There are over 1,000 extra trains running on New Year’s Eve, but large crowds are expected so plan to get into the city early to get your spot for the fireworks.
Extra trains to the Sydney CBD and North Sydney will run from 14:00 to get you to your New Year’s Eve celebrations and back home again.

Please consider the the following information carefully when planning your night:
Circular Quay: Between 18:00 and 01:00 you will not be able to get off at Circular Quay station. You can walk to the harbour foreshore from Wynyard, St James or Martin Place.

Domestic Airport and International Airport: Between 01:00 and 05:00, trains leaving Central will not stop at Domestic Airport and International Airport stations.

Milsons Point: After the fireworks the only entrance to Milsons Point Station will be from Ennis Road (off Broughton Street). If you are walking up Alfred Street you will be asked to continue walking to North Sydney Station.

Buses
There are over 3,500 Sydney Buses services to get you to and from the celebrations, but extensive road closures will be in place and bus stops will be moved.
Temporary bus stops and diversions will be in place from 15:00 in North Sydney and from 14:00 in the CBD until 06:00 on New Year’s Day.

The following temporary bus stops will be in place for New Year's Eve:

In Sydney CBD
Stop location	Bus routes
Elizabeth Street near Park Street	Anzac Parade and Bunnerong Road services
Park Street	Randwick Junction, Coogee, Clovelly and Kingsford via Gardeners Road (Route 343) services
College Street	Bondi Junction, Bondi Beach, New South Head Road and Elizabeth Bay services
Elizabeth Street near Park Street	Inner West suburbs and Ryde via Pyrmont (Route 501) services
George Street near QVB	Pyrmont, Balmain and Victoria Road (except Route 501) services
George Street near Martin Place	Chatswood and Eastern Valley Way services Castle Hill, Rouse Hill and Dural services
Carrington Street	Military Road and Northern Beaches services Castle Hill, Rouse Hill and Dural services
Clarence Street	Pacific Highway and Epping Road services

In North Sydney
Stop locations	Bus routes
Miller Street	Northern Beaches, Military Road and Eastern Valley Way services
Pacific Highway	Epping Road, Pacific Highway and Chatswood services Castle Hill, Rouse Hill and Dural services

While the Harbour Bridge is closed for the fireworks, all buses to Wynyard, the QVB and Railway Square will stop at North Sydney.

NightRide bus services
Night Ride services are operating on New Year’s Day to get you home.
Buses will leave from the following alternative locations due to road closures:
Routes N10 to N80 services run from Bathurst Street (between Pitt and Castlereagh Streets).
Route N90 services depart from North Sydney.
Route N100 services do not stop at Town Hall and Martin Place stations.
Sydney Buses services will be operating to a Sunday timetable on New Year's Day.

Hillsbus services
Hillsbus will be running extra daytime buses into the City and North Sydney. A New Year's Eve timetable will be available closer to the event date.
Due to the road closures in the Sydney CBD, City services depart from Clarence Street, Wynyard after 18:00.
Hillsbus services will be operating to a Sunday timetable on New Year's Day, with additional late night buses.

Ferries
Sydney Ferries will run until the harbour exclusion zone commences. The last service time from some wharves is as early as 17:35, so plan your trip ahead.
Ferries are expected to be very busy and are likely to reach capacity, so have a back-up plan in case services are full.
After the midnight fireworks, extra ferries will run on some routes to get you home. However they are expected to be crowded and may be delayed if the harbour exclusion zone time is extended.

Locations and departure times are as follows:

F1 Manly Ferry service
From Circular Quay	00:40, 01:00, 01:30, 2:10, 02:50, 03:30 and 05:00
From Manly	00:30, 01:30, 01:50, 02:20, 02:50, 03:30, 04:15 and 5:45
F6 Mosman service (does not stop at Cremorne Point)
From Circular Quay	01:00 and 02:00
F5 Neutral Bay service
From Circular Quay	00:55, 01:35 and 02:15
F3 Parramatta River service (special stopping pattern)
From Circular Quay	01:05 and 02:05
Circular Quay, Milsons Point, McMahons Point, Birchgrove, Greenwich and Woolwich. Returning: Woolwich, Balmain East, McMahons Point, Milsons Point and Circular Quay.

Cockatoo Island is closed to the public. Only customers with pre-purchased tickets (staying overnight) will be permitted onto Cockatoo Island. If you have a pre-booked ticket we strongly recommend you arrive at Cockatoo Island by 15:00 to avoid delays and large crowds.
Garden Island Heritage Centre will be closed. F7 Eastern Suburbs ferry services will continue to operate, but will not stop at Garden Island Wharf.

Some harbour wharves are currently closed as part of the Ferry Wharf Upgrade Program. For more information, see RMS Ferry Wharf Upgrade Program.

Light rail
Extra light rail services will operate every 7–8 minutes between 18:00 and 02:00.
The last light rail service to Dulwich Hill will leave Central at 02:00 on New Year’s Day, and the last light rail service to Central will leave Dulwich Hill at 02:00.
Getting home

Large crowds will be leaving the Sydney CBD and North Sydney at the end of the fireworks, and you may need to leave from a different location than you originally planned.
Staff will be on the ground to help direct you to your nearest transport location.
Leaving a little later might mean you avoid the crowd, but plan your trip to make sure you don’t miss your ride home.

Road
There will be significant road closures and special event clearways in place in the Sydney CBD, North Sydney, Lower North Shore, Inner West and the harbour foreshore.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be closed between 23:00 and 01:00.

There are over 4,500 extra trains and buses running on the night, so consider the public transport options when planning your travel during New Year's Eve.

For specific road closure information and changes to regular bus stops, including an interactive map, visit www.sydneynewyearseve.com. You can also call 132 701.

Taxis
The demand for taxis will be high on New Year’s Eve, so be prepared for delays and queues at taxi ranks. Please be patient and considerate of others while waiting for taxis.

Taxi pick-up and drop-off may be restricted in some areas due to road closures.
Secure taxi rank locations and operating times from Wednesday 31 December 2014 to Thursday 1 January 2015 are as follows:

• Elizabeth Street, CBD: between Liverpool Street and Nithsdale Lane from 21:00 to 05:00.
• Darling Harbour: the northern end of Lime Street between 22:00 to 04:00.
• World Square: from 22:00 to 04:00.
• Oxford Street, Surry Hills: from 23:00 to 06:00.
• Bayswater Road, Kings Cross: next to Hugo’s Lounge from 21:00 to 06:00.
• Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross: next to the Empire Hotel from 21:00 to 06:00.
• For wheelchair accessible taxis please call 8332 0200 to discuss your requirements prior to New Year’s Eve.

For details of taxi networks servicing the Sydney area, visit NSW Taxi Council.

For more info & sources: http://www.transportnsw.info/en/transport-status/events/2014/12/sydney-new-years-eve-2014.page

Sydney Expecting 17 Million Tourists With Massive Line-Up of Events over Summer

Last year more than 16 million visitors flocked to Sydney between October and March. Picture: Destination NSW

Tourism is massive business in Sydney — last year’s 16 million visitors, from regional, interstate and international origins, stayed more than 48 million nights and added a whopping $8 billion to the NSW economy.

There are a host of premier sporting events taking place in the city over Summer, including the Cricket World Cup, the AFC Asian Cup and the Australian Open of Surfing.

These are in addition to the regular sporting smorgasbord that takes place in Sydney each season including a Test series against India, the Sydney International tennis and A-League matches.

But it’s not just sport that tourists will be able to enjoy.

Known the world over as throwing one of the best New Year’s Eve celebrations, Sydney will again put on an incredible fireworks display come January 31.

There’s also Tropfest, the Sydney International Art Series and Dirty Dancing.

“Summer in Sydney will once again give every visitor something to enjoy — from our beautiful beaches, fantastic food and wine, great shopping and of course our major events and festivals,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Troy Grant said.

“With over 20 Sydney events supported by Destination NSW, covering everything from sports, arts, entertainment and lifestyle, there’s plenty to choose from.”

EVENTS COMING UP IN SYDNEY

• Cricket World Cup
• AFC Asian Cup
• The Extreme Sailing Series
• Tropfest, Australia Day
• AACTA Awards
• Hurley Australian Open of Surfing
• Sydney International Art Series and
• Dirty Dancing

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NELLY plus Lupe Fiasco and B.O.B 2015 Australian Tour

Presented by: Epic Entertainment

Tickets On Sale: Thursday 30th October 10:00am at Ticketek: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=NELLYBOB15

Three of the world’s biggest names in hip-hop have confirmed that they will be embarking on an arena tour at the start of 2015. Double Grammy award-winning rapper, Nelly will join Lupe Fiasco and B.o.B for a show-stopping concert brought to you by Epic Entertainment. The power-house tour will see each artist play a collection of their greatest hits, both old and new this summer, with concerts in; Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Perth.

With over 21 million albums sold, the tour marks Nelly’s first visit to Australia in four years, and his first ever arena tour. Joined by Lupe Fiasco and B.o.B, the trio will perform global smash hits including; ‘Ride With Me’, ‘Hot in Here’, ‘Super Star’ and ‘So Good’ across Australia and New Zealand.

Since jumping on the scene with his infectious debut single, ‘Country Grammar’, Nelly has made a resounding impact in music that can still be felt to this day. Most recently, the multi-platinum, Grammy award–winning rap superstar released his seventh full-length album, M.O., featuring guest appearances by Nicki Minaj, Pharrell, Future, T.I. and 2 Chainz. However, his talent goes beyond music, expanding his brand into other arenas, including acting, fashion and even his own line of energy drinks.

Entrepreneurial rapper, songwriter and producer Lupe Fiasco joins the powerhouse trio on tour. Since blasting onto the scene in 1999, Lupe can be credited for global hits including ‘Superstar’ and ‘The Show Goes On’, whist racking up an impressive 12 Grammy nominations and countless other awards.

Breaking musical barriers, B.o.B redefines the term rapper with an impressive blend of lyrics, vocals and memorable hits; including one of 2012’s biggest hits ‘So Good’, which dominated the charts globally. He has collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, including Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Bruno Mars and even our very own Potbelleez.

Tour details: http://www.qantascreditunionarena.com.au/Events/Events%20Detail/Nelly.aspx
Presenter website: www.epicpresents.com.au

Little Dragon Laneway Festival 2015 Sideshows

Written by Marc Zanotti on 6th November, 2014

Not just content to tour as part of Laneway Festival 2015, Swedish quartet Little Dragon have announced two headlining sideshows to take place in Melbourne and Sydney. Little Dragon will play 170 Russell on Monday, 2nd February before heading up to Sydney for their first-ever performance at the Opera House on Thursday, 5th February.

By the time Little Dragon return it will only have been seven months since the band toured Australia. Visiting in August behind latest album Nabuma Rubberband, both of their headlining shows sold out. While in the country the band dropped in to Music Feeds Studiofor Music Feeds Live to deliver some sweet cuts off their new record.

As part of Laneway 2015 Little Dragon will tour with the likes of Royal Blood, St Vincent, FKA Twigs, and Flight Facilities. You can check out the full festival lineup here. Tickets for Little Dragon’s Laneway sideshows are on sale now. Full gig details below.

Little Dragon Laneway Festival 2015 Sideshows - On sale now:

Monday, 2nd February 2015
170 Russell, Melbourne
Tickets: via 170 Russell

Thursday, 5th February, 2015
Sydney Opera House, Sydney
Tickets: via Sydney Opera House

Ricky Martin - Live in Sydney

THE GRAMMY WINNING GLOBAL SUPERSTAR AND CURRENT COACH ON THE VOICE WILL MAKE HIS HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED RETURN TO ALLPHONES ARENA IN APRIL 2015.

Nine Live and Sony Music Entertainment are proud to announce that GRAMMY winning music superstar Ricky Martin will return to Allphones Arena next year for his One World Tour.

Ricky Martin delighted sold-out audiences with his first Australian tour in more than 10 years last October, and fans will sure to be delighted with the One World Tour.

“I am so excited to bring my new One World Tour back to Australia next year and see all of my loving & loyal Aussie fans once more,” says Martin. “I am looking forward to playing some new material that I have been working on this year, some of my classics and perhaps a few surprises!”

Ticket Prices:

Platinum $169.90
Gold $119.90
Silver $99.90

Event Venue:  All phones Arena

ALLPHONES ARENA is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney’s newest suburb (created within Homebush Bay). It is located in the geographic and demographic heart of Sydney, approximately 17km west of Sydney’s CBD. 

It is on Olympic Boulevard and is well sign posted when you reach Sydney Olympic Park.

Buy Tickets - http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=RICKYMAR15&v=SSD

Palace Hotel Sydney NEW Spring/Summer Menus

Palace Hotel Sydney NEW Spring/Summer Menus:

Palace Hotel Beverages Menu 2014

Palace Hotel Restaurant Menu 2014

Sydney Festival is Getting Ready for Summer

Sydney is gearing up for its annual summer event which has taken place every January since 1977, and 2015’s offering is set to be a corker.

The Sydney Festival promises to transform the city into a haven of the arts with a spectacular offering of dance, theatre, film, visual arts and music.

In January, those attending can expect 179 events, of which 85 are free, while the others are ticketed. There will be a total of 495 performances to choose from across the 25 venues that are both indoor and outdoor.

Making The Sydney Festival even more exciting is that of the 974 artists performing, there will be 18 world premieres, 11 Australian premieres as well as 22 Australian exclusives that are not to be missed.

One of the world’s most famous circus performer, James Thierree, will be headlining with his fourth visit to the festival, with his show Tabac Rouge. It has been described as ‘an opium hallucination on a breathtaking scale’ in which Thierree plays a ruler who is held captive in a hall of mirrors.

The Griffin Theatre Company and State Theatre Company of South Australia will be offering the world premiere of Kate Mulvany’s adaptation of the much loved children’s book, Masquerade. Suitable for those aged nine and above, it tells the tale of Jack Hare who is in a race against time in which he must deliver a message of love from the moon to the sun.

Music lovers can expect an absoulte treat at the 2015 Sydney Festival as Brazil’s Seu Jorge will be offering his signature mix of transformative pop as well as the swinging songs that bring Rio’s colourful way of life to Australia.

On January 23rd and 24th, there will be a special screening of The Artist Live in Concert, which will see the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and composer-pianist Ludovic Bource bring the award winning film to life.

Metro Hotels are a Sydney Festival Accommodation Partner, and are offering great value Sydney Festival Accommodation Hot Deals

The Rolling Stones | Live in Sydney

The Rolling Stones today confirmed the rescheduled dates and venues for the postponed Australian and New Zealand leg of their ’14 On Fire’ Tour.

Ticket holders who are able to attend the rescheduled date need take no action, their existing ticket will remain valid and their location within the venue will remain unchanged.

Fans unable to attend the new shows are asked to secure a refund from their original point of purchase prior to 5pm (local time to the venue) on Monday 28 April, 2014. Refunds can be secured through:

Sydney | Ticketek.com.au | Ph: 132 849

Lead-up to the Tour Down Under:

Production manager Dale Skjerseth - who has been involved with the band since 1994 - says it takes a lot of work to get everything perfect.

"We’ll be up to around 200 (people) working today, tomorrow, up to the prep for the show and then of course the building will expand. Security ushers, and all the rest of the staff will come in," Dale said on Wednesday afternoon.

"It’s a well oiled machine but we all have to get the joints moving."

Dale says the crew won’t know the specifics of the set list until moments before the show starts.

"They’ve been rehearsing so many songs, we really don’t know what it’s going to be… Of course there will be the favourites and the things added in and stuff they haven’t done,"

"They look back at what they did before years ago when they played here. They think about it and it’s just gotten better every time they’ve gone out."

Promoter Tony Cochrane also confirmed that Jimmy Barnes will be healthy enough to support the Stones after the Cold Chisel singer underwent back surgery last month.

Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting Sydney

Australia's largest city is the jumping off point from exploring the country's vast landscape.  It's  also the city with the most inbound flights from North America. 

Here are some essential tips to plan and enjoy your visit.

Airfare tips

October to March is Sydney's busiest tourism period, when the weather is most pleasant. Airfares are cheaper for travel during Australia's winter months (the North American summer), and higher for the Australian summer, with the southern hemisphere's spring and fall being shoulder season. 

Getting through the airport

U.S. citizens must get an electronic visa online at least two weeks before travel https://www.eta.immi.gov.au/ETA/etas.jsp for AUD $20. If you have an "electronic passport" with a microchip, look for the kiosks at immigration for a quicker entry into the country. You need to fill out an immigration card on entry, as well uponleaving the country. The train from the airport costs $21, round-trip.

Getting around the city

Sydney is very walkable—it's basically flat, with no hills to climb, and the streets are well marked. (Warning: pedestrians do not jaywalk, and police are not hesitant to fine you for doing so.)  Newsstands sell the recently introduced Opal Card, a stored-value transit card similar to London's Oyster Card and the cheapest and most convenient way to access public transportation. The daily maximum you'll pay for travel is capped at $15 for adults, $7.50 for children, or $60/$30 for a weeks' worth of travel, which includes busses, trains and ferries. As for taxis, they are metered and in egalitarian Sydney, where everyone is a "mate," people still ride in the front seat with the driver. Uber has come to town, and is gaining popularity. 

Recommended hotels

As with airfares, hotel rates go down in winter (the North American summer). The highest rated lodgings with the most reviews, according to TripAdvisor.com, are two serviced apartments rather than hotels: Merton Serviced Apartments Campbell Street and its sister property Merton Serviced Apartments World Tower. Accommodations include full kitchens and washer/dryers. In the luxury category, the 155-room Sydney Park Hyatt gets top marks, but the prices are a splurge (in the $700 per night range). But perhaps the best value, say TripAdvisor groupies, is the Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbor, which recently advertised rates at $160 per night.

Top eats

There's no "traditional" Australian or Sydney dish or cuisine other than, perhaps, "shrimp on the barbie," made famous by actor Paul Hogan's appearances in those tourism television ads. But Sydney now has a considerable food culture, even though it's only been in existence for about 30 years. Australian beef is an especially tasty option, and you'll find lamb dishes on many menus. For fine dining, two highly recommended options are Nomad, 16 Foster Street in Surry Hills, with its Mediterranean-inspired menu sourced with local Australian ingredients, and long-running Rockpool, now in a new location at 11 Bridge Street in the Central Business District, where chef Neal Perry also provides tasty menus for Qantas.

Top attractions

Tours of the Sydney Opera House (sydneyoperahouse.com/tours), which, amazingly, took 17 years to build, are extremely popular and a great photo opportunity. The standard tour takes one hour, while the backstage option lasts two hours. For many who do it, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge is a highlight of their trip. Do it at sunrise or twilight and, of course, bring a camera. Even jaded locals are amazed by the experience.

 Annual festivals

Every January the Sydney Festival brings stages around 400 contemporary cultural performances: around140 events performed by more than 1000 artists in more than 30 venues. In October, the annual Good Food Monthhttp://www.goodfood.com.au brings street food festivals and other culinary events to Sydney.

Off the beaten track

 Don't be confused when Sydneysiders talk about "suburbs"—these are what you and I call "neighborhoods," inner-city enclaves similar to Sunnyside, Queens in New York City and there are hundreds of them; they include virtually anything outside the Central Business District. For an unusual insider's tour of "emerging" 'hoods such as Redfern and Darlington and hidden scenic spots that few tourists see, in a beautifully restored 1964 Holden sedan, sign up with My Sydney Detour, a unique private tour run by native son Richard Graham. A half-day tour costs $299 for up to three people and includes lunch.

One thing to bring back (that you can't find anywhere else)

Tim Tam Chocolate Biscuits. According to the company, 1 in every 2 Australian households has a packet on hand. Lambskin rugs are also popular shopping finds, although you can often get them at IKEA for less.http://www.arnotts.com.au/our-products/products/arnotts-tim-tam.aspx

 Exchange rate

The U.S. dollar currently fetches 1.14 Australian dollars.

Tipping

Tips are not customary nor are they expected, perhaps because the minimum wage is $17 an hour.

Electricity

Voltage is 220, and you will need both an outlet adaptor and a voltage converter if you're using appliances without built-in converters (you don't want to fry your curling iron or WaterPik). Even many top hotels, airport lounges and other venues lack 110-volt outlets, although they usually provide adaptors on request or you can get them from housekeeping, but it's best to bring your own.

Useful apps

Locals give high marks to the TimeOut Sydney and Australia Good Food Guide apps. The Sydney Official Guide app from Destination New South Wales is also highly rated. Arrivo Sydney (Android) and NextThere (iTunes) are useful public transit apps.

Useful websites

Destination New South Wales http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/

Airfare listings to Sydney

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/cheap-flights/to-sydney-australia/1941/

Qantas http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/home/am/en

Air New Zealand

http://www.airnewzealand.com/

Virgin Australia

http://www.virginaustralia.com/us/en/specials-offers/flight-specials/view-best-fares/

TripAdvisor Things to Do in Sydney

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g255060-Activities-Sydney_New_South_Wales.html