MEDIA INFORMATION SYDNEY IN WINTER 2014 Hot tickets in Sydney this winter Sydney buzzes round the clock with a non-stop program of events. Music, fashion, sport or art – the choice of entertainment is endless. Vivid Sydney, which transforms the city into a spectacular canvas of music, lights and ideas, is a huge highlight, but with hundreds of events across the winter months, there is something exciting to see every day. Arts and culture The 19th Biennale of Sydney: You Imagine What you Desire, curated by Juliana Engberg, runs 21 March-9 June in venues across Sydney. It is Australia's largest contemporary and visual arts exhibition, filling the city with outstanding works every two years. With its world premiere at Sydney's Lyric Theatre on 12 April, Strictly Ballroom: The Musical is expected to be one of the most spectacular musical theatre releases in Australian history. The original creative team behind the classic 1992 film, including director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann, set and costume designer Catherine Martin, choreographer John "Cha Cha" O'Connell and co-writer Craig Pearce, have brought the production back to its stage origins. Sydney Comedy Festival, 22 April-17 May, celebrates its tenth year with its biggest program ever – more than 150 shows at venues including Sydney Opera House, Enmore Theatre, Metro Theatre and Seymour Centre. Sydney Writers' Festival, 19-25 May, is Australia's largest Top: State of Origin in NSW – a legendary annual rugby annual literary celebration and a landmark on the global literary league game. Middle: Installation at Vivid Sydney festival. calendar with more than 300 events and 80,000 visitors. Bottom: Sydney Film Festival. The festival's hub, right on the water at carnival rides, hours of free entertainment Walsh Bay, makes for a picture-perfect and more. backdrop. Mercedes Benz Australian Fashion Vivid Sydney, 23 May-9 June, will once Weekend Edition, 12-13 April, offers an again transform the city into a spectacular exclusive first look at the Spring Summer canvas of music, light and ideas after dark. Collections from Australia's leading For 18 days, creative practitioners, designers, with chances to see the Best of corporate professionals, families and #MBFWA Runway Show, as well as people of all generations take advantage of seminars, how-to beauty sessions and Sydney's mild winter weather and immerse talks from the world's biggest fashion themselves in a truly spectacular show, influencers. It will be the first time visitors with Vivid light free and on from 6:00pm to will have the opportunity to see the latest midnight every night. collections of the runway just days after the industry has viewed them. Sydney Film Festival, 4-15 June, is one of the world's longest-running film festivals, Grandstand sporting action and a major event on the NSW cultural calendar. The 12-day festival screens The inaugural Ferrari Racing Days from feature films, documentaries, short films 11-13 April at the Sydney Motorsport Park and animation from around the world in will play host to an estimated AU$200 venues across the city including the State million worth of Ferraris as well as the Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Ferrari Formula One team and one of the Dendy Opera Quays, the Hayden Italian marque’s star drivers. The supercar- Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne and packed event will include the second round the Art Gallery of NSW. of the 2014 Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific, a one-make series involving The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s the Ferrari 458. oldest and prestigious art awards, dating from 1921. Awarded to the best portrait The BMW Sydney Carnival, 22 March-26 painting, the Archibald Prize depicts a April, is Sydney’s premier horse racing who’s who of Australian culture – from carnival. As part of the event, The politicians to celebrities, sporting heroes to Championships on 12 April and 19 April artists. The exhibition runs 19 July- 28 will be the pinnacle of autumn racing at the September at Art Gallery of NSW. refurbished Royal Randwick Racecourse. Held for the first time, The Championships Leisure and lfestyle will comprise ten races – a combination of established and traditional races on the Sydney Royal Easter Show has been Australian racing calendar plus relocated bringing the best of the country to the city races from the other dates in the wider every year since 1823. From 10-23 April at autumn carnival. They also feature the Sydney Olympic Park you can sample world’s richest open sprint race at AU$2.5 Australia's best produce, see more than million, the world’s richest mile at 14,000 animals on display, and enjoy AU$3million and the iconic feature race, the AU$2million BMW Australian Derby. For more information and images: sydney.com, visitnsw.com images.destinationnsw.com.au Considered by footie fans as the zenith of Australian rugby league, the annual series Social media: of three State Of Origin clashes between Twitter: #ilovesydney, @sydney_sider Facebook.com/seesydney NSW and Queensland is a premier Instagram: #ilovesydney, @sydney Australian sporting event. The show of epic Media contacts: rivalry comes to Sydney with the second Jasmine Cook, Destination NSW match on 18 June at ANZ Stadium. +61(0)2 9931 1426 [email protected] Badminton's best of the best congregate in Corinne Cowlishaw, Destination NSW Sydney at the 2014 Australian +61(0)2 9931 1462 [email protected] Badminton Open at Sydney Olympic Park from 24-29 June. Champions from around the globe will challenge the Australian National Squad and play for prize money totalling US$120,000. Australia is gearing up to host fierce rivals USA and Canada in a four game International Ice Hockey exhibition series in July, with the fourth and final game in Sydney's Allphones Arena on 26 July. Italian soccer giants Juventus play Australia's A-League All Stars in a must- see glamour friendly at ANZ Stadium on August 10. The Sun-Herald City2Surf on 10 August is Australia's epic annual fun run – and the world's largest with a 14km course, 85,000 participants and new heroes made every year on the journey from the CBD to Bondi Beach. The V8 Supercars Sydney Motorsport Park 400 from 22-24 August is a weekend jam-packed with high-octane racing action, including 100km and 200km races. .