MEDIA INFORMATION ATE 2013

Sydney and NSW Events Calendar

From food and wine fairs to surf events, grandstand sporting fixtures to celebrations of arts and culture, has an Annual Calendar of Events which celebrate the diverse facets of Australian contemporary life. is unrivalled in in its capacity to stage-manage exclusive events that have the whole world tuning in. Destination NSW has been at the forefront in creating and winning world-class events that put Sydney on the front page. These events deliver in excess of 6 million visitors to Sydney every year, and generate spending by those visitors of around $6.4 billion.

RECENT EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WINS FOR NSW will light up the harbour city from 24 May to 10 June with an electrifying program of light, art, music and ideas that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from interstate and overseas. Vivid Sydney celebrates Sydney as the creative hub of Australia and the Asia Pacific region, featuring immersive light installations and projections; free family events; music performances and collaborations; creative ideas, public talks, industry seminars, conferences, workshops and debates. Now in its fifth year, Vivid Sydney 2013 has a bigger than ever program across light, music and ideas including an expanded footprint in new precincts across Sydney. In 2013 the Vivid Sydney footprint extends to include , the focus of the Aquatique Show, a cutting-edge light, water and projection event synchronised to music. This is the first time a show of this complexity has been staged in Sydney, and Darling Harbour is the perfect location for the spectacular show that features a 60m-wide fountain filled with seawater and stunning LED lighting. Also for the first time, Vivid Sydney is lighting the western façade of the famous , a world-first feat as the general public controls the lighting. From an interactive panel located on the boardwalk beneath the bridge near Luna Park, visitors can select a section of the bridge, choose a colour and send a message via the latest technology and the illuminated creation appears on the ionic bridge for the world to admire. A highlight of this year’s Vivid Sydney, electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will perform in an exclusive series of concerts at . Renowned for their revolutionary role in electronic music history, these self-described ‘operators’ have influenced artists as unique and varied as David Bowie, Daft Punk, Kanye West, R.E.M, LCD Soundsystem and Joy Division. Top: New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour. Middle: . Bottom: Vivid Sydney 2013 Sydney will host the largest, annual, national Indigenous arts bringing five decades of artwork to Sydney with War Is Over (if and cultural festival in Australia’s history, Corroboree. This You Want it.) (late 2013 – early 2014) new annual festival will be held over 11 days and is being From its beginnings in the early 1990s at Darlinghurst’s put together by nine of Sydney’s major arts and cultural Tropicana café, has grown to become the world’s institutions which have strong Indigenous programs. It has largest short film festival. From these humble origins, unprecedented support from the Indigenous community. filmmaker John Polson, the originator of the concept, has (14-24 November) expanded the Tropfest brand to cities around the world in Australia’s soccer heroes will take to the field against Iraq in France, India, China, Arabia and the USA. 16 finalists are an Asian Cup Qualifier, part of the process that will decide chosen from several hundred entries and screened in this the national teams to compete in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in free, public festival each year in Sydney. (February) Brazil. (18 June) Since it began in 2012, Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour British Irish Lions Rugby Tour. NSW will host three 2013 has become a favourite fixture in Sydney’s cultural calendar. British Irish Lions Rugby Tour games including the final Test For three weeks only, Opera Australia performs one of at ANZ Stadium. (June-July) the classics of the operatic world on a shimmering stage floating on Sydney Harbour. Extravagant, romantic and Manchester United: An Australian exclusive match between staged for maximum effect, this is a perfect introduction for English Premier League giants Manchester United and an All first-time opera-goers. 2013 welcomed Carmen to the stage Stars team will thrill spectators at ANZ Stadium. Destination with fireworks, flamenco dancers, giant bulls and props on NSW, in partnership with ANZ Stadium, won this Australian cranes. 3,000 people each evening enjoyed Spanish food, and New Zealand exclusive. (20 July) local wines and an only in Sydney experience. (March) The Broadway smash hit musical comedy, The Addams The Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is the world’s largest Family, is currently playing to Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, celebration of gay pride, a feast of gay and lesbian arts, sport, introducing Sydneysiders to the scarilicious world of Gomez, culture and a riotous street parade that takes place along Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and Sydney’s Oxford Street. More than 100 individual events are Lurch. Australian actors John Waters, Chloë Dallimore and featured, spread over a three-week period. (March) Russell Dykstra star in the show. The Sydney Writers Festival is the city’s major literary Seen by more than 60 million people around the world, the event, attracting authors, poets, publishers and book lovers truly one-of-a-kind musical The Lion King comes to Sydney’s for a medley of provocative ideas, hilarious stories, ribald Capitol Theatre from December 2013. One of the world’s most adventures and irreverent anecdotes. (May) popular musicals, The Lion King has won more than 70 major arts awards including six Tonys. The Sun-Herald City to Surf is the world’s biggest fun run, attracting around 70,000 who sprint, jog or amble to the finish Strictly Ballroom The Musical will have its world premiere at line. Anything goes in this 14-kilometre race through Sydney’s Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in early 2014. eastern suburbs, and runners dress in a fantastic array of ANNUAL EVENT HIGHLIGHTS costumes, tuxedos to tutus. Although only a handful have a chance of breasting the tape in first place, nothing can stop Artworks decorate Sydney’s delectable coastline for the old, the young, the incredibly fit and the merely fantastic Sculpture by the Sea, when the sea-sculpted sandstone from taking part in one of the city’s favourite annual events. headlands between Bondi Beach and Tamarama become (August) the backdrop for this annual sculpture exhibition. This is Australia’s largest annual outdoor free sculpture show, The centenary of the arrival of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet attracting close to half a million spectators. The dramatic in Sydney Harbour will be celebrated with the International site encourages artists to unleash their imaginations and Fleet Review, featuring more than 40 warships from around construct works from the realms of fantasy. (Oct/Nov) the world, a historic tall ships parade open days at naval facilities, flypasts and aerial aerobatic displays. (3-11 October) The Art Series brings some of the world’s outstanding exhibitions exclusively to Sydney every Sydney Telstra 500 V8 Supercar Series: The event is about to summer. 2012-13 welcomed Francis Bacon: five decades to the enter a new and exciting era, with AMG Mercedes and Nissan Art Gallery of NSW as well as works by Anish Kapoor to the joining the series from 2013. The streets of Sydney Olympic Museum of Contemporary Art. 2013-14 promises to be a must Park will ignite over three days in December 2013 as V8 see with legendary artist, musician and activist Yoko Ono Supercars’ best drivers push the limits. (December) The Rolex Sydney Yacht Race is one of the supreme In the world of country music, the Tamworth Country Music spectator events of the sporting world, when the greyhounds Festival is a shining star, second only in its league to the CMA of the yachting universe sprint down the harbour for the Country Music Festival in Nashville. Encompassing more start of this blue-water classic. Sydney has prime spots on than 2,000 events held in over 100 venues around the city, both sides of the harbour for spectators watching the 1 pm the 10-day event casts its net wide to include every facet of start of this glamour event, and the Cruising Yacht Club of country music - lonesome cowboys, bush poets, campfire Australia, the race organiser, grants access to a number of fiddlers, wailers, crooners, square dancers and bootscooting charter boats. (December) line dancers. (January) Sydney’s celebrates New Year’s Eve with a bang heard around The city of Newcastle has spawned some of the supremos the world. As one of the world’s first cities to celebrate the of the surf world, among them Mark Richards, Matt Hoy, New Year, Sydney puts on a lavish fireworks spectacular Simon Law and Luke Egan and is home to Surfest, Australia’s with the Sydney Harbour Bridge as the centrepiece, seen by biggest surfing event. (March) hundreds to thousands on the city’s foreshores, and millions more who tune in around the globe.

DON’T MISS EVENTS IN REGIONAL NSW Byron Bay puts on its best beads and tie-dyes for the East Coast Blues and Roots Music Festival, Australia’s largest international festival of its kind. Spread across the Easter weekend, the festival’s stages offer a non-stop diet of African, rap, jazz, Cuban and world music. (April) Orange F.O.O.D Week is one of NSW’s premier food and wine festivals, with more than 100 sensational events showcasing the region’s extraordinary array of fine produce. The event is held each April, coinciding with the Orange region’s harvest time. (April) Fine wine, wonderful food, art and music make the Lovedale Long Lunch in the Hunter Valley a weekend of well- polished pleasures. Visitors wine and dine their way around participating wineries over the weekend, with food and wine tastings at each. (May) Held each October, the Deniliquin Ute Muster is a riotous celebration of bush culture. Based around the venerable Aussie ute, short for utility vehicle, Australia’s own version of the pick-up truck, the Ute Muster holds the Guinness Book of Records world title for the most utes ever “mustered” in one place. It was recently awarded the best festival and event at the Australian Tourism Awards. (October) The Bathurst 1000 is Australia’s greatest race for production vehicles, held on the 6.2-km Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, which is actually a public road for most of the year. (October) Everyone gets out their blue suede shoes when Elvis impersonators and fans assemble for a weekend of hip- swivelling homage to The King in the Parkes Elvis Festival. There’s look-a-like and sound-a-like contests, an Elvis street parade, talent quests, memorabilia displays, concerts and markets. (January) WHO’S AT ATE13 Destination NSW. Booth 133. www.destinationnsw.com.au Art Gallery of New South Wales. Booth 125A. www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au Byron Bay & Beyond. Booth 91. www.byronbayandbeyond.com Central Coast Tourism. Booth 86. www.visitcentralcoast.com.au Coffs Coast. Booth 89. www.coffscoast.com.au Destination Port Stephens. Booth 87. www.portstephenstourism.com.au Destination Tweed. Booth 92. www.destinationtweed.com.au Greater Port Macquarie Tourism. Booth 88. www.gpmtourism.com.au Hills Hawkesbury & Riverlands Tourism. Booth 105. www.hhart.com.au Hunter Valley Wine Country Tourism. Booth 95. www.winecountry.com.au Lord Howe Island Tourist Association. Booth 81. www.lordhoweisland.info Opera Australia. Booth 174B. www.opera-australia.org.au Sydney Opera House. Booth 131. www.sydneyoperahouse.com

For more information go to visitnsw.com or sydney.com To access the image library and download images go to images.destinationnsw.com.au MEDIA CONTACTS: Tanya Bowes General Manager, Communications Destination NSW T: 61 2 9931 1436 M: 61 (0) 477 361 749 [email protected] Elissa Tyrrell A/Executive Manager, Media & Public Relations Destination NSW T: 61 2 9931 1426 M: 61 (0) 421 130 440 [email protected]