The Best Things In Life (And At The Sydney Festival) Are Free

7 January 2017 | 12:59 pm | Staff Writer

Here is The Music's pick of the top free events from the Sydney Festival's city-wide celebration of all things artsy

It’s official: the 2017 Sydney Festival is underway. Over the next three weeks, Sydneysiders will be treated to a fiesta of world-class theatre, dance, circus, art and cabaret (and everything in between). But for those who are feeling the post-Crimbo/New Year's pinch, there’s still plenty to catch that won’t cost you a cent. Here are some of the best free events from this year’s line-up

Ever gone past a Maccas with a kiddies' ball pit and seriously considered diving in there with the nippers? Well, now you can do it without getting escorted from the premises. This vast sea of pearlesque plastic looks seriously good fun, and it’s art, so you can feel all cultured while doing your best Sheldon “Bazinga”!

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

Where: Barangaroo Reserve

All you need to know is that you get to go in a box containing with a glitter vortex and dance to whatever music is your jam, and what’s more, it’s got one hell of a view. Created by Sydney-based performance art masters Zin, come break some shapes at this mini-dance party while twirling in a flurry of multicoloured confetti.

Where: The Sky Terrace, The Star

Unless you’re Donald Trump or one of his flunkies, you’ll be well aware that the global climate is changing and it’s totally, without a shadow of a doubt our fault. Whether you’re an ardent eco-activist or just curious about where the planet is headed, this 360-degree interactive installation will give you a completely new way to understand what’s happening to the world, using data from UNESCO and other important sources.

Where: UNSW Galleries

It’s almost impossible to image what the world is like for someone who is deafblind — if you want to truly understand you have to experience this sensory-deprived world firsthand. This fascinating interactive work by Jodee Mundy offers a thought-provoking glimpse of what it’s like to live in a world without sight or sound.

Where: Carriageworks

Go big or go home is the order of the day at this pop-up coiffeurs. Catch The Perm Set with a host of live bands over the duration of the Festival, get your doo did bu Spanish hair sculptors (yes, apparently that is genuine profession) Osadia, and catch some super-sass comedy at The Big Hair Show, hosted by cabaret queens Lisa F’alafi and Leah Shelton.

Where: Meriton Festival Village, Hyde Park