The Rocks Australia Day

Overview

Head down to The Rocks this Australia Day, not only to get nostalgic among Sydney's oldest buildings but also to feast on the latest in local musical talent while sipping craft beer, playing croquet, picking up a unique handmade piece or two at the markets, and helping Triple J to countdown the Hottest 100. All for free.

The action will be strung out among The Rocks' secretive laneways, lush harbourside greenery and the George Street strip. On The Green at First Fleet Park, catch blues-roots charmer Benny Walker; fierce teen talent Thelma Plum, fresh from the release of Monsters; the dark, beautiful, Nordic-inspired tunes of Dustin Tebbutt; Melbourne surf-disco funksters Bombay Royale; and a dose of invigorating, dynamic soul from Saskwatch. For refreshments, The Rocks Brewing Company will have you covered, serving craft beers and ciders from an open-air bar.

Meanwhile, on The Laneway stage among the cobbled stones of Atherden Street, charismatic string band The Morrisons will deliver their fast-paced bluegrass-country-folk, followed by Motown-influenced pop 'n' rollers The Lulu Raes; folky Central Coast duo Winterbourne, whose EP debuted on iTunes at Number 9 last year; Darlinghurst's Fishing, with special guest Al of Cloud Control; and the haunting harmonies of Little May.

If all that gets your creative juices flowing, shuffle over to the newly AstroTurfed George Street, dubbed The Common, to partake in Sound Garden, an eccentric orchestra made of recycled materials, which invites the audience to test out their percussion skills. Alternatively, go head-to-head with your mates in a game of croquet or snakes and ladders, add another selfie to your collection at the instant photo booth or count down Triple J's Hottest 100, in the company of beatboxers Vanessa Caspersz and MC Izzy. The Rocks Markets will run all afternoon, serving up tasty food cooked onsite and an array of locally designed creations.