ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES

January 17 and 18

Conceived as a counterpoint to large, commercial rock festivals, All Tomorrow's Parties is a music event unlike any other. The event will take place on Sydney Harbour's Cockatoo Island and be headlined and curated by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.

GRACE JONES

January 11, 13-14

In this Sydney-only engagement at the Enmore Theatre, Grace Jones will remind audiences of the power of her remarkable back catalogue and introduce us to blistering new material from Hurricane, the next chapter in a truly amazing career. Simply unmissable.

GLEN HANSARD AND MARKETA IRGLOVA

January 27-29

The intimate film Once stars The Frames frontman Glen Hansard and classically trained pianist Marketa Irglová in a love story told largely through song. Hansard and Irglová will be joined on stage by The Frames to perform songs from the film and more.

MASTERS OF TRADITION

January 25-26

Artistic Director Martin Hayes draws together one of the finest line-ups of Irish musicians ever assembled in this celebration of traditional Irish music in its purest form.

MATTHEW HERBERT BIG BAND

January 24

Matthew Herbert's Big Band project combines the cream of the UK jazz scene - on trumpets, trombones, saxophones, piano, bass and drums - with Herbert's own electronic wizardry.

FANFARE CIOCARLIA

January 15-16

Fanfare Ciocărlia are the world's foremost Gypsy brass band. This explosive ensemble creates a furious Balkan funk that excites a fan base stretching well beyond world music.

THE PIANIST

January 16-18, 20-25, 27

Acclaimed concert pianist Mikhail Rudy read Szpilman's memoir, The Pianist, and dreamt up a dramatic retelling of his journey. The Pianist is a duet for two Szpilmans: Rudy on piano and a solo actor recounting the story.

CAMILLE

January 22-23

CITY RECITAL HALL: Quirky Parisian chanteuse Camille Dalmais is one of the hottest talents to have emerged from the 'new French chanson' scene. Her live shows are a tour de force of sophisticated song-writing and stunning vocals, imbued with her natural charisma.

BON IVER

January 21, 24

Soulful, intimate and gracious, don't miss Bon Iver play City Recital Hall Angel Place. His shimmering voice shifts smoothly from a spectral falsetto to deeply soulful, grainy tones, layered over and under his spare, atmospheric instrumentation.

THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA

January 21-23

One of the most innovative bands in the UK, The Cinematic Orchestra remix live source material into a seamless fusion of electronic sampling, live instrumental and improvised jazz.

DOUBLE DREAM

January 26, 28

Double Dream is Misha Alperin and Mikhail Rudy's concert for two pianos, consisting of partly written and party improvised 'recompositions', accompanied by a live video feed that highlights their playful interactions. A concert which both surprises and delights.

OLD WORLD/NEW WORLD - FESTIVAL SYMPHONY

January 24

Join us at The Domain as conductor and guide Richard Gill leads the Sydney Symphony through the work of some of Australia's most brilliant composers before taking us back to the beauty and inspiration of the giants of the classical canon.

THE GYPSY QUEENS & KINGS - FESTIVAL JAZZ

January 17

An epic celebration of gypsy life and song combining the power of the brass section of the legendary Fanfare Ciocârlia with the gitano guitars of Kaloome and the soul of the great voices of the roma community. Music made for a summer's night.

REGGIE WATTS

January 20-25, 27-31

Reggie Watts shakes new meaning into what you can do with a microphone and a loop machine. Exploiting a jaw-dropping ten-octave vocal range, he creates funky bass lines and soulful diva-esque vocals to underpin hilarious, off-the cuff riffs.

JUANA MOLINA

January 30-31, February 1

Delicate and worldly, Juana Molina's maverick style is an original blend of folk-ish acoustic sounds, ambient electronic beats and irresistibly warm, expressive vocals.

BON IVER

January 20, 22-23

Bon Iver's delicate, spare and atmospheric music showcases Justin Vernon's soulful and emotive falsetto to perfection, and the band's live show has both critics and audiences raving.

ST. VINCENT

January 16-18

Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter St. Vincent's swirling indie-pop is a distinctly elegant fusion of the classical and experimental, the quirky and sophisticated.

BILL CALLAHAN

January 11, 13-15

Enigmatic singer-songwriter and pioneer of the lo-fi, US musician Bill Callahan's fractured music neatly epitomises the underground rock revolution.

MOSCOW ART TRIO

January 24-25

Misha Alperin's Moscow Art Trio picks up Moldavian and Russian themes, playfully mixing their character with spirited improvisation.

JOE HENRY

January 27-29

Joe Henry's poetic songs incorporate a broad swathe of American musical styles - rock, jazz, soul, folk-imbued blues and alt-country stylings.

JAVA

January 14

French multi-instrumentalists Java mix rap, hip hop, samba, reggae, ragga, rock, jazz, funk and electro with circus spirit and manic humour.

POPFRENZY PARTY

January 15

UK indie dance three-piece Metronomy are renowned for their robotic frivolity, ironic light show and synchronized dance routines.

THROWING MUSES

January 16

Throwing Muses' extraordinarily textured, tempo-shifting music, alongside Hersh's intuitive, dexterous singing, joins the dots between elliptical post-punk, harmonious folk jangle pop and rockabilly thunder.

Z TRIP

January 22

Widely considered to be the founder of the mash-up movement, Z Trip's (US) live sets are an eclectic, crowd-pleasing, tour de force of beat-matching artistry. Respected for their high energy shows, OZ hip-hop crew TZU, join the party.

DISCO NOUVEAU

January 23

Holy Ghost! is one of the most exciting acts in the nu-disco scene. Idjut Boys produce genre-bending dance floor stormers. Theatre of Disco play their angular indie disco and Future Classic DJs top it off alongside psychedelic nu-disco posse Canyons.

HYPER-DUB

January 24

Guest curators Inertia and Void program a night of deep future dub with The Bug featuring Warrior Queen, Rhythm & Sound feat. Tikiman, Mark Pritchard, Sub Bass Snarl, Steve Spacek and more.

BURAKA SOM SISTEMA - FBi NIGHT

January 30

Portugal's Buraka Som Sistema (DJ/ MC set) fuse the wild traditional beats of South West Africa with electronics, drum n bass, hip hop and dance.

FOUR TET - FBi NIGHT

January 28

Four Tet makes machine-based music with acoustic warmth, drawing on jazz, soul and folk and pitching it against intricate, funky rhythms. Live, he improvises in real-time, drawing on and feeding back the energy of his audience.

MAD RACKET

January 31

Daedelus is one of LA's most daring and prolific new artists. His trademark musicality contrasts intelligent, left-field hip hop cut-ups with samples from the 30s and 40s in a fun, quirky and energetic live set.

RUN LOLA RUN WITH THE BAYS

January 14-15

UK band The Bays make exhilarating live electronic music. Their seamless segues from hip hop and drum 'n' bass to ambient grooves challenge every old-school notion of a live band. Here, the band take iconic film Run Lola Run as inspiration.

ENTER THE DRAGON WITH KARSH KALE AND MIDIVAL PUNDITZ

January 16-17

New York City based composer, multi-instrumentalist and Bruce Lee fanatic Karsh Kale joins forces with New Delhi based electronica producers, The MIDIval Punditz, to perform their incendiary new live score of the 1973 martial arts classic Enter the Dragon.

FANTASTIC PLANET WITH BEN WALSH AND THE ORKESTRA OF THE UNDERGROUND

January 18

Take The Bird, Hermitude, The Crusty Suitcase Band and Ponyclub Massacre and you have the eclectic culmination of artists that is The Orkestra of the Underground. The Orkestra will weave together a live score to the animated film Fantastic Planet.

KRISTIN HERSH - PARADOXICAL UNDRESSING

January 17-18, 20-25

Lead singer for Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh's solo spoken word performance is funny, sad and candid. This wry and vivid work characterises Hersh as a shy artist who is simultaneously recognised for her brutal honesty in the spotlight.

LATE AT THE GARDEN

January 13-31

Late at the Garden's unpredictable collection of music's most eclectic offerings could not be more at home than in the Samsung Mobile Festival Garden. Keep the Festival party going well into the night.

SAMSUNG MOBILE SECRET SHOWS

Witness the magic of spontaneous performances and collaborations between Festival artists in the intimacy of the Bosco Theater.

DAWN CHORUS

January 10, 17, 24, 31

Few places can match the splendour of Sydney's beaches at sunrise. Add the angelic voices of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and you have a very special Festival event.

DAN ZANES & FRIENDS

January 13

THE FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT: Join Dan Zanes as he performs irresistible grooves for kids.

PLAY ME, I'M YOURS

January 11-31

The streets of Parramatta and Sydney's CBD will sound more joyous this January, as British artist Luke Jerram populates the streets with 30 pianos.

DAN ZANES & FRIENDS

January 11-12

COURTYARD, RIVERSIDE THEATRES: Having incited a pint-sized Beatles-like mania throughout the US, now Dan Zanes bring his family gig to Riverside Theatres.

MUSIC IS MAGIC

January 11

Led by the much-loved Maestro George Ellis, the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Australian Youth choir and a line-up of surprise guest performers present some of the highlight entries in the 2008 Australian Children's Music Foundation National Songwriting competition.

FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT - JANUARY 10

January 10

Join us for an epic, all-embracing celebration of our Festival and our city this January 10. The Festival explodes onto open-air stages, with major international artists from all over the world kicking off three weeks of inspiration, jubilation & perspiration.. and it's ALL FREE!!

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS

January 11

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are the unrivalled frontrunners of old-school soul and funk. The Ray Mann Three deliver a dynamic yet warmly intimate set.

MR. SCRUFF

January 12

Mr. Scruff's eclectic sound blends influences as diverse as soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, ska, disco, house and breaks. Katalyst, one of Australia's top DJs, joins the party.

UBER LINGUA

January 17

Parisian duo DuOud blend the ancient oud with modern electronics. Rio's Maga Bo uses street sounds and rhythms from Brazil, Morocco, India and beyond. Filastine and Uber Lingua DJs also play.

CAMILLE

January 27

BECK'S FESTIVAL BAR: French songstress Camille replaces traditional instruments with a spectacular soundscape of layered human voices, harmonies, rhythms and foot-stamping body percussion.

ALICE RUSSELL

January 29

Alice Russell's sound is unmistakably modern and classically timeless, encompassing everything from funk to gospel to jazz. Mark de Clive-Lowe blends jazz, ethnic music and urban grooves into a fresh 21st century flavour.

iiNET FILMS AFLOAT AT DARLING HARBOUR

Watch cult-classic films on a floating screen, as highly acclaimed musicians play especially composed, dynamic live soundtracks. Enjoy a free evening of live music and film under the stars. Plus see the best entries from the iiNet Get Animated competition before the film.

FESTIVAL AT THE DOMAIN

The Festival's annual free concerts in The Domain are among our most highly anticipated events. You and your friends and family are invited to join us for a summer evening of wonderful music - and best of all, it's free!

SAMSUNG MOBILE FESTIVAL GARDEN

Join us in The Famous Spiegeltent for La Clique, Eat Drink Talk Art, Kids in the Garden, a fantastic line-up of music early in the evening and late night at the Spiegel after dark. The gorgeous Bosco Theater also plays host to the Samsung Mobile Secret Shows.

FESTIVAL KIDS AT PARRAMATTA

Sydney Festival presents a special season of theatre and music especially for the young. Exclusive to Riverside Theatres, Festival Kids at Parramatta will delight and enthrall everyone in the family. All tickets $25.

BECK'S FESTIVAL BAR

For 14 nights, Hyde Park Barracks will be pulsating with the sounds of disco, dub, techno, Balearic, house, indie, rock, electro, hip hop, Carioca Funk and more from leading-edge artists from Australia, Jamaica, France, Portugal, Germany, US and the UK.