CHECK OUT THE SYDNEY FESTIVAL DATES FOR YOUR DIARY HERE.

The Harbour City will once again come alive in January 2010 with the sights and sounds of the Sydney Festival. The city-wide takeover stretches from 9 to 30 January, with many musical highlights for the balmy summer nights. The Beck’s Festival Bar, Festival First Night and a rich selection of theatre shows will ensure Sydney is the envy of the rest of the country.

FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT
Sydney Festival opens on Saturday 9 January with a – œre-imagined’ Festival First Night. The singular Reverend Al Green is set to headline on the Domain Stage in his first-ever Australian appearance, which should provide a spectacle to match 2009’s drawcard Grace Jones. Elsewhere, the Fuzzy stages have been dispensed with in favour of less frenetic fare from the likes of New York swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. The city’s laneways will also be animated by art, video, installations and music.

BECK’S FESTIVAL BAR
Beck’s Festival Bar is where the Sydney Festival magic happens for most revellers. In 2010, Hyde Park Barracks will be fitted out with a new marquee and the usual high-class mix of acts across 14 nights. Full line-ups will be revealed in late-November, but already confirmed are Brookyln quartet Grizzly Bear, Scottish masters of delicate indie-pop Camera Obscura and a night of Australian cult heroes with Severed Heads and The Reels. Here’s what is confirmed so far, with plenty more to come…

January 10 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (USA), Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
January 13 – Grizzly Bear (USA), The Middle East
January 14 – Severed Heads, The Reels, Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire), DJ Set
January 15 – Vieux Farka Touré (Mali), The Mess Hall, Dan Sultan
January 21 – Camera Obscura (UK), The Slow Club (UK), Popfrenzy DJs
January 22 – Trevor Jackson (UK), Yen (live), Future Classic DJs
January 27 – DJ Yoda’s National Video Vacation (UK), DJ Sampology
January 28 – FBI Night: The Very Best (UK), Radio Clit (UK), Ro Sham Bo DJs
January 29 – Breakestra (USA), J-Rocc (Beat Junkies), Space Invadas, Soulshaker DJs

THEATRE SHOWS
After his Festival First Night curtain-raiser, Al Green will play two sure-to-be-astounding shows at the State Theatre. Over at the City Recital Hall, the revered Neko Case will do back-to-back nights, as will Grizzly Bear.

The Forecourt of Sydney Opera House will be transformed into a pirate party on Saturday 28 January for the Rogue’s Gallery event. A truly intriguing line-up of talent spearheaded by veteran songwriter Marianne Faithfull and actor-activist Tim Robbins will re-work traditional pirate ballads, sea-songs and chanteys. David Johansen, Gavin Friday, Baby Gramps, David Thomas, Norma Waterson and Sarah Blasko are also walking the plank.

There will be tingles aplenty at the Enmore Theatre on 26 January when Dirty Three and Laughing Clowns play a – œDon’t Look Back’ show. Dirty Three is playing its opus Ocean Songs in full, while Laughing Clowns do History of Rock – œn’ Roll Vol. 1. This Australia Day double-header is sure to be talked about in reverent tones.

THE FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT
But wait…there’s plenty more. After hosting some up close and personal shows in 2009, the Famous Spiegeltent welcomes Laura Marling, Patrick Watson, The Handsome Family and several others this time. Expect this line-up to keep growing – and probably boast some surprises.

THERE’S SO MUCH MORE AS WELL – STAY TUNED TO FL!