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FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT
SYDNEY CBD
JANUARY 5 2008
3pm-11pm FREE
Nobody throws a party like Sydney...
Festival First Night is a dream that has been brewing at Sydney Festival for the past two years and in 2008, it will finally arrive.
Festival First Night on Saturday January 5 is an opening night party to which absolutely everyone is invited ... a mass celebration kicking off three weeks of music, dance and theatre ... an epic party on a grand scale ... a chance to join together in the spirit of joy, optimism and fun.
Festival First Night is the night to put your dancing shoes on and enjoy the best that Sydney Festival has to offer - for FREE.
Sydney Festival has gathered over 200 artists for an unforgettable night in the city. Over six stages Festival First Night celebrates music from around the world that will get people up and dancing. Samba, salsa, step, disco, swing or body-pop your way from Martin Place to Macquarie Street and then finish your night at The Domain with the original sounds of the summer as Brian Wilson and his big band pump out Good Vibrations, God Only Knows, Surfin' USA and Fun Fun Fun into the night sky.
A whole range of musicians and bands from around the world will perform free- all of which will get you up on your feet for a night of dancing under the stars like never before. Joining us from New York will be Puerto Rican salsa kings, Spanish Harlem Orchestra; from Portland, Oregon, the smooth romance of Pink Martini; from Canada the irresistible retro-funk of Chromeo; from Scotland, the toe-tapping Ceili music of Shooglenifty; and from Australia the unmistakable ballads of Paul Kelly. And this is only the tip of the very large iceberg that is Festival First Night.
Festival First Night also includes Kids First, a series of afternoon events especially for kids. In Hyde Park, kids can make paper cranes and make a wish for the year ahead; in Martin Place they can learn about urban arts with hip-hop artist, Morganics; and French street theatre wizards Airvag will fill Hyde Park and Martin Place with their playful installations.
Three very lucky couples have also agreed to get up and get hitched in front of a crowd of thousands on Macquarie Street for Festival First Night Weddings.
We'll see you there!
WHAT BETTER WAY TO START A PARTY THAN LETTING THE KIDS TAKE CONTROL...
KIDS FIRST
Hyde Park North & Martin Place
3pm-6pm
From 3pm-4.30pm Festival First Night eases its way into Martin Place and Hyde Park with a range of activities for children and their families.
Working with a series of origami experts led by artist Matthew Gardiner, children are invited to gather in Hyde Park for one of the largest origami projects ever seen in this city. This project is inspired by the Japanese legend that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish. Origami experts will be standing by to teach and assist in the folding of paper cranes. For each crane folded, children are asked to make a wish for Sydney for 2008. As well as the many thousands of cranes folded by the children, Matthew Gardiner and his team of artists will create over twenty large origami crane sculptures, which will be suspended throughout Hyde Park.
From 3pm-5pm Hyde Park will play host to live music and interactive fun, suitable for kids of all ages, including French company Airvag with Rêve de Grenouilles (Frog Dream) - a huge, inflatable paradise for kids to bounce, jump and generally run around on.
From 3pm-5pm Martin Place will be a kid-friendly celebration of urban arts led by award-winning Sydney based hip-hop artist, performer and director, Morganics and encompassing two hours of b-boys, krumpers, MCs, graffiti artists, bellydancers and a performance by Maya Jupiter. These activities are suitable for children aged 8+.
Afternoon activities draw to a close with a special concert in Hyde Park at 5pm-6pm as the Festival teams up with Australian Children's Music Foundation to present a selection of the winners from the National Songwriting Competition. The ACMF is committed to creating opportunities for children by encouraging them to participate in music. The ACMF's vision is to use music to inspire Australian children and enrich their lives. The competition is a nationwide project, resulting in hundreds of children writing new songs. A selection of the winning entries will be arranged for Sydney Youth Orchestra and Australian Youth Choir by conductor, arranger and musical director George Ellis and sung by special guests including Jade MacRae.
FROM 7PM FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT WILL CRANK THINGS UP A BEAT...
MACQUARIE STREET
7pm-10.45pm
Macquarie Street is first off the ranks at 7pm-8pm with host Julie McCrossin and salsa kings, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, a powerhouse 13-member band directed by world-renowned pianist, arranger and producer Oscar Hernandez. Ferocious Afro-Carribean rhythms, hard-riffing horns, rippling piano and vocals at turns suave and flamboyant, Spanish Harlem Orchestra serve up an explosive musical hot-pot of New York, Puerto Rico and Cuba in a sizzling salsa extravaganza.
From 8pm-9.15pm it's time to roll out the red carpet to celebrate the Festival First Night Weddings of three lucky Sydney couples. Earlier this year, Sydney Festival put out a call for couples who would like to get married as part of Festival First Night. We asked couples to suggest how they would like to get married and after an interview process Holly & Dan, Avan & Greg and Imogen & Gerard emerged with some of the most imaginative, romantic and outlandish ideas we have heard. The weddings will happen consecutively and feature on-screen interviews with family and friends. Once hitched, the couples will head off to party with their families and friends.
From 9.15pm-10.45pm with our couples on their way, Macquarie Street will become a 'Ceili Mor' (pronounced kay-lee mor) - a giant celebration of Celtic music and dance led by Scottish band Shooglenifty. Combining their traditional roots with high-energy contemporary dance rhythms, Shooglenifty's organic blends of fiddle, acoustic guitar and banjo have won them a massive international following, exhilarating crowds for over a decade. Shooglenifty will be supported by a range of Irish musicians and in the crowd Scots on the Rocks will lead the dance in kilts and tartan.
MARTIN PLACE
7pm-11pm
From 7pm-11pm Sydney's outdoor party specialists Fuzzy are coming to the party in a big way, having curated an unforgettable music program for Martin Place. The emphasis is on fun and good humour with a combination of breaks, hip hop and electro funk, much of it with its tongue firmly in its cheek. At 7.30pm-8.30pm Montreal-based, electro-funk duo Chromeo will take to the stage, delivering tales of urban romance and memorable hooks with synth basslines and drum machine wizardry à la Cameo and Prince. Fresh from supporting Bloc Party and playing Sonar, Chromeo are vintage, funky and downright danceable. From 9.15pm-10.50pm Legendary UK breaks duo Plump DJs will take over the decks. With a swag of parties and festivals all over the world under their belt, the Plumps high-energy, body-moving performances are always hotly anticipated. These sets will be complimented by two dudes on decks, the superb Ajax at 8.30pm-9.15pm and young hotshot Ember at 7.00pm-7.30pm.
From 8.30pm-11pm Throughout Martin Place will be the extraordinary creations of French street theatre company Airvag. Roule Boule et les Ratatam is the company's spectacular work which has been seen in cities and towns all over the world. Roule Boule et les Ratatam features massive luminous claws rearing out of nowhere, including a 25metre high centrepiece, while bouncing inflatables trigger confetti explosions as a colossal horn rises up into the night sky.
PHILIP STREET
From 7pm-11pm
At 8pm-8.45pm Philip Street plays host to Lost Valentinos, a slick dance-rock band, with a successful international tour under their belt and a signing with elite label Mosquito Tweeter. These guys rock hard, delivering musical thrills, spills and chills, direct to the dance floor.
At 9.45pm-10.50pm Baltimore based Spank Rock will really get things moving with their mix of underground hip hop and artful, dirty rap. With a ferociously fun live show honed while touring with Beck and M.I.A., Spank Rock are a lewd, rude, call to the dance floor. The Philip Street line up is brought together by the irrepressible Funktrust at 8.45pm-9.45pm and Kato from 7pm-8pm.
HYDE PARK
7pm-11pm
Hyde Park, one of Sydney's most beautiful and romantic locations, will be dedicated to the 1930s, '40s and '50s, giving all of Sydney a chance to dress up and show off their dance moves. A huge dance floor will be built around the Archibald Fountain and the Park festooned with coloured lights.
From 7pm, Melbourne's Swing Patrol will hold a massive group dance class to get everybody in the mood. Hosted by Festival artist Meow Meow, the night will also include samba, waltz, salsa, rumba and more.
Onstage at 7.30pm-8.45pm will be Festival favourites The Shuffle Club with a special big band brass section. Expect dance hall mayhem, pin stripe suits with a glimpse of suspenders and a fiery blend of swing, blues, jazz and boogie as you hit the dance floor.
Headlining the Hyde Park stage from 9.15-10.30pm is Pink Martini, the supremely talented 12-piece from Portland, Oregon who have been mining the melodies and rhythms of musical traditions the world over. Finally, at 10.30pm-11pm the delightful DJ Brame (G-Swing) will wind things up with a combination of electronica, house and jazz to reinvent some of swing music's most memorable tracks from 1935-1945 for a new era of dance-goers.
ANGEL PLACE LANEWAYS
7pm-11pm
Inspired by recent discussions about making creative use of Sydney's laneways, this precinct will bring the Angel Place laneways alive with cutting edge beats and finely honed visuals from around the planet.
From 7pm-11pm, Uber Lingua Sound System and featured DJs, VJs, instrumentalists and a crew of dynamic multi-lingual MCs will truly revamp Angel Place, delivering a post-planetary laneway party of epic proportions.
Dance to Brazilian and pan-Asian beats, or explore the rhythmic connections between ancient Indigenous sounds and modern electronic music. Embrace the feisty fusion of Gypsy strings and brass with reggae guitar riffs and Macedonian vocals, or take a trip from Africa to Turkey via Paris with a distinctively Aussie attitude.
Uber Lingua's visual delights offer a specially-sourced array of still and moving images from around the world as well as self-made animations.
THE DOMAIN
8pm-10.45pm
The Domain has long been the soul of Sydney Festival and it is fitting that it will play a central role in this special night, hosting a concert for all of Sydney to cherish with performances by two iconic artists, Brian Wilson and Paul Kelly.
From 8pm-9pm, Paul Kelly, one of Australia's most highly regarded songwriters, will perform some of his best-loved songs. With a career spanning four decades and an astonishing body of work, this will be a concert for all Sydney to cherish.
From 9.15pm-10.45pm Festival First Night wraps up in The Domain with The Qantas Finale, hosted by James Valentine and led by one of the great figures of 20th century popular music. God Only Knows, Fun Fun Fun, Good Vibrations - the list of hits goes on and on. Often hailed as the greatest American composer of popular music of the past fifty years, Brian Wilson is one of music's most deeply revered figures and the main creative force behind The Beach Boys. From their formation in 1961, The Beach Boys went on to become the most successful American rock band in history. In recent years Wilson has performed at some of the world's largest outdoor festivals including a legendary performance at the Glastonbury Festival, proving that his music still connects to large audiences in a big way.
So get your dancing shoes on, sling on that Hawaiian shirt, and come on down to The Domain for an extraordinary night as Brian Wilson and his band pump out all-time favourite Summer sounds.
EVERYBODY IS WELCOME
Be sunsmart: wear sunscreen, a hat and drink plenty of water.
All areas are wheelchair accessible. We recommend leaving the following items at home: alcohol, glass, pets, skateboards and rollerblades. Sites may close as they reach capacity.
NO BYO ALCOHOL. GLASS IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE CBD
Food and beverages will be on sale at most Festival First Night events and venues.
LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME
Extra trains and buses will be operating on the day. CityRail will be operating a special timetable with additional services until 2am. Sydney Buses will be operating additional bus services on major routes. For detailed public transport information visit www.131500.info or call the Transport Infoline on 131 500. For information on road closures and special event clearways visit www.rta.nsw.gov.au
Proudly sponsored and supported by the Botanic Gardens Trust Sydney
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