These Are the Ridiculous Gelato Messina Creations You'll Be Eating at Sydney Festival

Sydney Festival kicks off this week, and while we've been pouring over the events for months now, there's been one section of the program that's been hanging like a question mark over our hungry little heads: what food will we be eating? Or, more specifically, what ice cream creations will those crazy kids at Messina put together this time? Well, we've got out answer, and it includes doughnuts, fairy floss and those gelato hot dogs.

Yes, the gelato gods are once again gifting us with the goods for the duration of the 20-day festival, creating a seven-piece menu of stupidly creative (and delicious) ice creamery. Dubbed Il Carnivale di Gelato Messina, this year is all about carnie food — which means that tooth-rotting candy and deep-fried food on a stick features heavily.

Those who went along to the festival last year, will be happy to see the return of the Messinawiener (a Pluto Pup-like stick of maple syrup gelato coated in batter, deep fried, and dipped in plum sauce), and the milk gelato hot dog served in a brioche bun with all the 'condiments'. This thing looks so much like a real hot dog that some poor guy returned his last year saying it wasn't cooked properly. Bless.

New additions will include a gelato 'toffee apple' and The Bearded Lady: a cream cheese gelato paddle pop with a chocolate coating, red velvet cake crunch and red fairy floss floating around the outside. There'll also be a doughnut bar, serving up ice cream doughnut sandwiches like the Five Million Dough-Lars (a doughnut version of their Magic Mushroom cake), and The Biggest Gainer: a doughie with peanut butter gelato, fresh banana, a milk chocolate glaze, peanuts and bacon sprinkles.

If you're not already heading to Sydney Festival, this is good enough reason to get down there and check it out. Il Carnivale di Gelato Messina will be open every day of the festival from 12pm at the Festival Village in Hyde Park.

Sydney Festival kicks off this Thursday, January 7 and run until Tuesday, January 26. Check out our top ten gigs of the festival, and picks for the best bang-for-your-buck events.