Unmissable Acts: The Musicians You Have To See At VIVID Sydney 2021
If you’re heading off to VIVID Sydney this year, you’re going to be spoiled for choice. There’s so many amazing events happening throughout the festival that knowing where to begin can even be a struggle. Here, we show you just a handful of the music events that we think you may have to mark as “unmissable” in your calendar.
The Oxford Art Factory 14th Birthday
The massive birthday celebration for one of Sydney’s most loved venues, Oxford Art Factory is hitting the big one four with a massive show full of incredible performers. Adelaide alt rockers Bad//Dreems will be headlining the night, with a slew of support acts including Babitha, Bananagun, Baby Beef and plenty of other acts that don’t begin with B. This is going to be a party you’ll want to RSVP to.
Singular Voices: Kee’ahn With Babitha
If one Babitha gig wasn’t enough for you, fret not! The alt country extraordinaire is hitting the stage again for show with the incredible Kee’ahn. The pair are some of Australia’s most exciting songwriters working right now, exploring the notions of identity and representation in wildly different, yet equally compelling ways.
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Heaps Gay Qweens' Ball At Luna Park
The annual Heaps Gay Qweens’ Ball is getting a massive upgrade this year, as the event migrates to Sydney’s Luna Park for the first time ever in 2021. The legendary LGBTQIA+ spectacular is always one to try and catch, and this year's incarnation promises to be no different. Celebrate pride in style with the likes of Mia Rodriguez, Vetta Borne, Jess B and Okenyo.
El Gran Mono Meets The Inner West Reggae Disco Machine - A Mighty Soundsystem Experience
Celebrating the upbeat, dance-heavy Soundsystem Culture, this incredible event will highlight some of the best in reggae, latin American, and Caribbean music from the local scene. Get down on the dancefloor with the likes of Raíces Latinas, El Gran Mono, Mixagi DJs and heaps more.
Mildlife
Dark-jazz sensations Mildlife are hitting up VIVID Sydney to bring their symphonic electro-odysseys to the stage. The Melbourne five-piece are set to blow crowds away with their uniquely eclectic blend of psychedelia, jazz, techno and more. Get down to see one of the most genre-diverse groups around.
Amyl & The Sniffers
Fact: Melbourne's Amyl & The Sniffers always put on a hell of a show. Their anarchic energy is unparalleled when it comes to thrashing out and working up a sweat, and there is no doubt that Amy Taylor and co will bring the high octane vibes when they hit up Carriageworks during the fest.
Jesswar
Fresh off of her incredible collab with The Amity Affliction and Peking Duk on The Set, Brisbane rapper Jesswar has shown that she can lend her hip hop style to damn near any genre thrown at her. The performer has been blowing up this year, so this is the opportune time to catch her.
The More Please Orchestra Featuring Costa
The funky, disco, synth throwback sounds of The More Please Orchestra make for one of the most ridiculously fun live events imaginable. Headed up by the bearded sensation that is Gardening Australia’s Costa Georgiadis, the group will kick out the jams and get your nostalgia blood pumping. This one gets a massive green-thumbs up.
Bad Vibrations
A VIVID Sydney staple at this point, Bad Vibrations is a constant crowd pleaser and draws some of the best in established and up-and-coming music. This year will see the likes of Body Type, Megafauna, Velvet Trip, Third Eye Stimuli and Dead Witch all hit up the event.
Akosia
Akosia is one of those performers that simply needs to be on your radar. The neo-soul songstress is a genre-defying powerhouse when it comes to making music, and has floored audiences all over the place with her incredible vocals and beautiful tunes. This will definitely be a show to see.
3HARPS
With his curated music and lights show, composer and performer Jake Meadows will astound VIVID audiences with his atmospheric and ethereal creations. Set within Darlinghurst’s National Art School, Meadows will use his specially made classical and electric harps to create unique soundscapes and vivid audio journeys for the 3HARPS show.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
One of the most prolific bands in the country, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard seem to never stop making music and playing all over the world. There’ll more than ample opportunity to catch the Melbourne psych-rockers this year, as they hit up VIVID Sydney for a five night residency this August.
Princes Highway: A Celebration Of Wollongong & Sydney Music
Taking place across four weeks at the much-loved Crowbar in Leichhardt, Princes Highway: A Celebration Of Wollongong & Sydney Music will shine a spotlight on musicians who, in one way or another, have an intrinsic tie to the local area. Catch Totally Unicorn, Scabz, Straight Arrows and Flight To Dubai as they pay homage to the local scene.
Barkaa
A member of Briggs’ Bad Apples label, Barkaa is a powerful voice and a no-holds-barred performer, whose raps are raw and uncensored in their content - an absolute must-see. See her headlining in her hometown as she brings her unique style to Carriageworks.
Teenage Wasteland
Jagwar Ma artist Jono Ma and producer Jonti combine their shared love of music and cinema to create an audio-visual experience like no other. Paying homage to the sights and sounds of the ‘80s entertainment renaissance, the pair will be accompanied by visual art collective Babekuhl, who will create stunning live visuals alongside the musicians.
An Intimate Performance By Ngaiire
With the Arts-Matter panel being presented at VIVID Sydney for the first time this year, Ngaiire will join the conversation of socio-political issues in music before delivering a one-of-a-kind solo performance for those in attendance. She’ll also be joined for the discussion by L-Fresh The Lion and Barry Conrad.
Vivid Sydney takes place all across Sydney from 17 September to 9 October. For a rundown of all the events, jump on over to theGuide.
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