Sydney Shimmer Festival is an epic four-day celebration of the Darlinghurst and Oxford Street precinct. Entering through an extravagant arch near the Oxford Street and Flinders Street intersection, the festival will take over the streets where Forbes, Bourke, and Burton Streets meet.
The free event will feature 15 creative workshops and over 30 live performances where festival goers will be transported on an immersive journey showcasing the best of what Darlinghurst has to offer, from glitter to drag queens, to workshops and more.
The 2022 Sydney Shimmer Festival programme includes:
Shimmer Squad (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 10pm; Saturday 15 October from 1pm – 10pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm
Shimmer Squad glitter glam-up with biodegradable, enviro glitter. Roaming Shimmer Squad members will also mingle with the crowd dusting sparkles wherever they go. Get shimmered by the fantastic Shimmer Squad for the day or before heading out on the town.
Gaia Rhythm Roving Performers (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 10pm; Saturday 15 October from 11am – 12pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm
Enjoy an amazing array of shimmery roving performers as they wander through the Sydney Shimmer Festival and engage with you along the way.
Djembe Workshop (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 6pm
Join Tom from Work-shops to learn simple African drumming techniques, in this engaging group workshop.
Ukulele Workshop (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 7pm – 8pm
Be transported to Hawaii where you’ll learn the basics of the ukulele in a fun and relaxing environment.
More than Reproduction Workshop (FREE) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 7pm
Get hands-on with screen printing and print the Sydney Shimmer Festival graphic on a tote bag or bring your own t-shirt along to print on. This workshop is run by More Than Reproduction, a Sydney-based artist-run initiative for emerging creatives with a passion for printmaking.
Paper Quilling Workshop ($45 pp) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 10pm; Saturday 15 October from 6:30pm – 10pm
Learn how to make a greeting card decorated with paper quilling flowers. Hosted by local creative, Miss Panda Studio, the paper quilling workshop allows you to untap your creative potential, learn new skills and make your own greeting cards for friends and family.
Mennt Ceramics Workshop ($45 pp) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 5pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm
Delve into the basics of handling porcelain, courtesy of Laura Butler from Mennt Ceramics. Perfect for beginners, you will paint or stamp your own unique porcelain cup to be treasured. Laura will then fire and glaze your cup before returning it back to you.
Reverse Garbage Collage, Cards & Loose Parts Workshop (FREE) | Loose Parts Saturday 15 from 10am – 2pm | Collage and cards Friday 14 October from 7:15pm – 9.45pm; Saturday 15 October from 7pm – 9:30pm;
Open your mind and get creative with reusable materials at these interactive workshops run by Reverse Garbage. Children can explore ‘loose parts’ play on the Saturday morning, letting their imaginations run wild with unique recyclable materials or all ages can learn and practice collage and card making using recycled materials on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Class Bunny Family Workshops (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 7pm; Saturday 15 October from 10am – 4pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm
Class Bunny will run three alternating,different workshops throughout the weekend, including ‘Koinobori Shimmer Fish’ workshops, a ‘Monster ate my ice-cream’ watercolour workshops, and creating fun and simple popup cards’ workshops.
The Studio Workshop with Kayleen Flanigan (FREE) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 12pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 12pm
The Studio will create take home personalised pieces with all materials provided. Perfect for individual and collaborative hands on fun and learning for ages 3-11 years.
Sparkly Bedroom Bunting Workshop (FREE) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 12pm
Kids will design flags with glitter, fabric, ribbon and more to shimmer their way through the weekend festivities.
Painted Tote Bag with Bling Workshop (FREE) | Sunday 16 October from 10am – 12pm
Kids can bling and design their very own Sydney Shimmer Festival tote bag creation to keep.
Community Art Wall by Electric Confetti (FREE) | All Day Friday to Sunday
Take part in the Community Art Wall – an immersive, tactile collaborative artwork where you can collect a sequin to add to the shimmer wall. UV paints will be available for a super-scale paint by numbers which will work in conjunction with the shimmer tiles to make a super sized abstract multi-faceted artwork. Participation is open to everyone, with painting and management of the community piece facilitated by Electric Lady and provided by Electric Confetti. Take a selfie in front of your work to share on social media and be sure to check the completed artwork on social media or on Sunday evening. Community participants will also go into a draw to win a prize pack including one night in West Hotel Sydney’s Banksia Plus room, a custom LED neon sign and a 2×2 metre shimmer wall worth $1000, courtesy of Electric Confetti.
Musical Lineup | Friday to Sunday
In addition to the creative workshops, Sydney Shimmer Festival will include live performances by internationally renowned jazz house bassist Horatio Luna, Sydney dream pop duo EGOISM, six-piece Victorian farm rock band Bones and Jones, Sydney-based neo-soul powerhouse Natalie Slade, music and visual artist Great Sage, who will take the stage to bridge the gap between theatre and festival, and non-profit charity organisation Destructive Steps, which is dedicated to promoting and spreading the positive ideals of hip hop through the Sydney Street Dance community. It will kick off with an exhibition battle where you can cheer on your favourite dancer, then each styled dancer will share a move with the audience.
Over three days, DJs Hamo, Dyan Tai, Louis, Victoria Anthony, Simon Rooke, and Stuart Coupe will provide your shimmery Oxford Street soundtrack featuring your favourite R&B, hip hop, dance, rock and pop anthems to keep the vibe high and the party going.
All of this on top of Sydney Shimmer Festival’s first-lineup announcement featuring Melbourne neo-soul boss WILSN; Wadawurrung man and October Records producer Moss; high energy cabaret, comedy and dance show Aerobicide: Feel Better, Lite!; drag superstar of your dreams Jimi The Kween; show diva and ultimate premiere party hostess BeAvantGarde; dynamic local duo hygge; and rising star Clarissa Mei. Vocal looper and beatboxer Tanya George and her band will bring electro soul-pop vibes, and Oxford Street royalty DJ Sveta will bring the party home.
Food and Drinks | Friday to Sunday
A selection of international food trucks will be serving up Sydney’s best eats, including El’s Fried Chicken, Sharon Kwan Kitchen, Pocket Rocketz, The German Grill Haus, Citrus and Sugar and Enokido Miso. Enjoy coffee by Walkabout Coffee Clothing Culture, a selection of beers by Bricklane Brewing, spirits by Tarsier Southeast Asian Spirit, plus wine and more!
Sydney Shimmer Festival is proudly funded by the NSW Government as part of the CBDs Revitalisation Program. To view the evolving programme, and to learn more visit: www.sydneyshimmerfestival.com.au
