Opera House Forecourt To Host Free Outdoor Concerts With Jack River, Ziggy Ramo & More

The Sydney Opera House has announced that it will present four free outdoor concerts on the Forecourt from 9 – 11 April, with the multi-genre program to feature live performances from Australian classical and contemporary artists.

ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter Jack River will perform Visions Of Us, a one-off show of music and poetry that will include stripped-back moments and full-band accompaniment of tracks from her debut album, Sugar Mountain, on 9 April.

Barrabuwari, meaning tomorrow in the Gadigal language, is an Indigenous-led and culturally diverse artist showcase highlighting Australia’s next generation of trailblazers on 10 April. 

In her final curatorial event as Head of First Nations Programming, Rhoda Roberts AO – together with Senior Producer of Contemporary Music Alister Hill – has programmed a collaborative and eclectic contemporary music line-up of fresh and dynamic change-makers, in a reflection of Australia’s inclusive tomorrow. In the afternoon, Barrabuwari Sunset Gathering will represent the future voices of Australia. The gathering will include performances from Becca Hatch, DJ Plead, JK-47, Kobie Dee, Milan Ring, Spvrrow, Trackwork artists T-Breezy, Walkerboy, Sevy, Bayang and Utility, and a Calling Country Ceremony. The event will be hosted by Broriginals’ Travis De Vries and FBi Radio’s Race Matters presenters Sara Khan and Darren Lesaguis. 

In the evening, Barrabuwari will present hip-hop luminary Ziggy Ramo performing his affecting and monumental 2020 album Black Thoughts. Ramo will be joined by Berlin-based producer DJ Plead, whose soundscapes draw from R&B, dance, and Lebanese pop.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will conclude the weekend’s free concerts on 11 April. A 25-piece string ensemble will perform Heartstrings, a program of classic masterpieces from Greig, Beethoven, Arvo Pärt and Tchaikovsky, in their first Opera House performance of 2021.

Registration for free tickets is essential and will be open from 17 March. For more info about the shows, head to theGuide.