Overview
Sydney Festival Director Olivia Ansell knows what it takes to present a world-class program — even in less-than-ideal conditions. When it was announced in 2020 that she would be taking the reins of New South Wales' flagship arts event from her predecessor Wesley Enoch, the world was gripped by pandemic lockdowns. Unable to travel internationally in search of exciting new works for her debut program in 2022, Ansell did what many resourceful creatives did to meet this unprecedented moment: she pivoted.
"That time, in 2020, was an uncertain time to come into any role," she reflects. "But without [international productions] the focus then became: how can we help the creative sector recover here in Australia? How can we work with the sector and restore livelihoods and make sure that artists are getting back to doing what they absolutely should be doing, which is writing new Australian stories, commissioning new work and seeing that work fly around the country. We worked really closely with our city and state stakeholders, our partners, and our supporters to make sure that artists could practise their art, could perform, could write these stories and dream."
Olivia Ansell, Wenndle Theodoro
Even after the end of lockdowns and the eventual reopening of international borders, Ansell has had to contend with torrential drenchings from a persistent La Niña washing-out al fresco performances and, most recently, the economic headwinds of the cost-of-living crisis. But much as she did in 2020, innovating past these problems has helped her shape a festival that fits with the times.
As such, affordability has been a chief concern in the development of 2025's program, which will be Ansell's final offering as Sydney Festival Director. To mark the fest's 49th year, some of the very best seats at headline productions are up for grabs for just $49, if purchased before December 2. Alongside these discounted early bird bargains, there are also plenty of free events, so Sydneysiders truly have no excuse to miss out on the creative bonanza that will sweep the city, January 4–26.
For Ansell, making the festival financially accessible to all is the best way to celebrate its (almost) half-century milestone.
"We've always been a festival deeply rooted in communities, that celebrates Sydney in summer and brings people together to experience compelling, groundbreaking new Australian stories, as well as international artists from all across the globe. It's our job to present work that challenges and inspires, and that invites people who have maybe never been to an arts event or a theatre production before. Making sure anyone who wants to can access a ticket or a free event is essential — whoever you are, wherever you're from, we can absolutely offer you a summer festival experience."
Here are just a few of Sydney Festival 2025's best shows with early bird tickets for just $49, discounted until December 2.
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Two of magic’s most outrageous luminaries take the spotlight for this romp through their unlikely rise to fame and their ultimately bloody fall. Their rags-to-riches story — escaping war-torn childhoods in Germany to become Vegas’ highest-paid act — is one of entertainment’s most remarkable tales. Through it all, Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn were inseparable — romantic partners, closest confidants and each other’s inspiration. However, their infamous casino residency brazenly toyed with tragedy as they took to the stage each night with their pet adult male white tiger Mantacore — a decision that would eventually prove to be wildly misguided. A Sydney Festival exclusive, this hilarious new opera, created by composer Luke Di Somma and director Constantine Costi with costumes by Tim Chappel, features powerhouse vocals from Kanen Breen and Christopher Tonkin, live magic and a helluva lot of Vegas-level razzle-dazzle.
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Milo Rau’s adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone reimagines this classical tragedy in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Here, the future of humanity and the planet is weighed in the balance. Rau is known for daring productions that bulldoze boundaries and howl for justice, such his 2021 staging of Orestes in Mosul, the former capital of the Islamic State, which explored the story of a woman defying the status quo to speak truth to power. Bringing together Indigenous groups, Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement and European actors, Antigone in the Amazon is an arrestingly powerful production that highlights the urgent global climate crisis. Rau is one of theatre’s most influential and provocative visionaries who continues to challenge norms with this dark, relevant and unflinching storytelling.
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Teen angst and disco balls, together at last! This rib-tickling and uplifting show about the complexities of teenage identity centres on Maya Wolfe, a 17-year-old with shaky self-esteem who is sent to a mysterious summer camp with a hidden agenda. There, she meets Bone, a rebel with a cause who wants to expose the camp’s dark intentions. Maya must decide whether to conform or break free, all while wrestling with her growing feelings for Bone. Written by Vic Zerbst with music by Oliver John Cameron, expect moving moments of queer self-discovery, relatable adolescent awkwardness and a pumping soundtrack of disco bangers.
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After wowing audiences with Timber! and Barbu, Cirque Alfonse returns for its third season with Sydney Festival with Animal — a surreal circus experience that flips farm life on its head with jaw-dropping acrobatics, comedic flair and an infectious live soundtrack of “agricultural funk”. Founded in 2005 by Antoine Carabinier-Lépine and his father Alain, the Québec-based Cirque Alfonse is a leading light in Canada’s impressive collective of contemporary circus troupes, which includes the internationally famed Cirque du Soleil. In just twenty years, Cirque Alfonse has matured from a small, regional outfit into a major player on circus’ world stage, touring major cities all over the globe. Expect daring juggling, tap dancing, and even a tractor doing wheelies. Founded in 2005 by Antoine and Alain Carabinier-Lépine, this Québec-based, intergenerational circus has toured the world with its unique, authentic style.
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This new work by the internationally revered Back to Back Theatre centres on three warehouse employees struggling with a seemingly meaningless task. As they physically toil, they also grapple with intellectual obstacles — questions of inclusion, identity and cooperation. This intriguing piece of contemporary storytelling reflects on the often-overlooked and vulnerable voices in a world where outrage and righteousness can be deafening. Winner of the 2024 Venice Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, Back to Back Theatre’s latest triumph pushes the characters on stage to challenge the limitations of their bodies and their capacity to care. Multiple Bad Things is a dynamic work that explores real-world struggles the way only truly innovative art can.