Held on our most flag-waving day of the year, the all-day The Rocks Australia Day festival will feature live music from The Bamboos, Tijuana Cartel, Jones Jnr, Microwave Jenny, Ngaiire and Sketch The Rhyme, plus tonnes of pop-up interactive stations for our inquisitive Sydney-siders. We chat to Sofia Gibson, Head of Programming at Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority about what’s in store for us plus she offers a weighty clue on the event’s yet-to-be-announced headliner.
The Rocks Australia Day puts a city twist on the patriotic celebration, what is the ethos behind the event?
The ethos of the event is all about inclusion, community and shared celebration. Hanging out with your friends and enjoying a relaxed summers day filled with music, food and good-will. The twist is provided through the eclectic musical line-up as well as the opportunity to have some fun on the streets - belting out your fave karaoke tune in a cobblestone laneway, dancing in the middle of George Street, or playing a ‘thongaphone’ to your enthralled friends!
With live performances on two outdoor stages, pop-up bars, a games lawn, karaoke and a paddling pool, did you have to jump through many hoops in the form of council approvals?
Well it depends how you look at it, but we’re really lucky that we present a dynamic range of events and activations in The Rocks throughout the year, so we’ve become pretty resourceful at staging events in unusual places and finding creative solutions. It’s really exciting working in The Rocks as there’s always a new nook or cranny to stage some creative adventure.
You are heavily involved in many events taking place at The Rocks and Sydney Harbour Foreshore (Vivid's Fire Water, Santa Fest, Hoopla Circus etc); what can you reveal about the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority's plans for 2014?
2014 is going to be an exciting year for the Authority. We’ll be kicking off the year with a creative arts lab called Dirt Blood and Water, an international collaboration between three high profile organisations: GlasgowLife in Scotland; Urbane Kunste Ruhr in Germany and Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority in Australia. This will be closely followed by the development of some projects for The Rocks and Darling Harbour, which came out of our recent Aboriginal Interpretation Incubator. Not to mention the hugely popular events such as Aroma Coffee Festival, Village Bizarre and Santa Fest amongst others that we stage throughout the year.
The headliner won't be announced until January 7, what can you tell us about the act?Well we don’t want to give anything away, but, they’re an award-winning Australian indie rock band with a sound that blends elements of folk and psychedelic pop. They’ve taken Australia by storm and are now on a path for huge international success.
For more information head to the event page.
