Vivid LIVE Unveils Huge 2022 Line-up To Play Sydney Opera House

Sydney will light up this May and June as annual creative festival Vivid LIVE delivers another huge music line-up that boasts both some of the best local and international talent around.

Sydney Opera House has today unveiled its full contemporary music program, running from May 27 – June 18 and featuring more than 70 artists across six Opera House venues.

Northern Broadwalk boasts an epic offering, headlined by none other than Aussie legend Paul Kelly, who, joined by Thelma Plum and band members Vika & Linda Bull, Ash Naylor, Dan Kelly and more, will deliver Time And Tide: Four Decades Of Song, an Australian exclusive that will see audiences treated to “songs in praise of, in spite of and in the shadow of time”, performed under the stars across four nights.

The venue will also host the likes of Hermitude, Club Kooky and a huge party from Astral People featuring Hiatus Kaiyote, Youngn Lipz, Briggs, Mildlife, Barkaa, Arno Faraji and stacks more.

Over at Joan Sutherland Theatre, fans can catch Nils Frahm, Sampa The Great, Meg Mac, Tkay Maidza, Moses Sumney, TEEKS and Masego, while Aus icon Ed Kuepper and legendary drummer Jim White feature at the Drama Theatre, a venue also boasting HTRK, Gordi, Kučka and In The Mood – A Love Letter To Wong Kar-Wai & Hong Kong, a live retelling of Wong Kar-wai’s multi-award-winning Cantonese film with original music by Rainbow Chan.

Also confirmed for this year’s huge line-up and performing across the Utzon Room, Studio and various parties delivering exciting performances, Australian exclusives and more are Miiesha, Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq, RVG, Touch Sensitive, Wax’o Paradiso, 1300, Tangents & GODTET, A.GIRL, The Buoys, Liz Martin & Eliza Hull, Tiny Ruins and stacks more.

The iconic Lighting Of The Sails will this year feature a soundtrack courtesy of Electric Fields featuring the vocals of the Pilbara’s Martu Artists, whose epic new digital artwork in collaboration with Sydney-based creative technologists Curiious will bring the vibrant painting of the far western deserts Parnngurr community and its surrounding landscape to life on the Opera House sails as part of Yarrkalpa – Hunting Ground, which has been two years in the making.

“It has been a genuine privilege to put together this year’s Vivid LIVE program for the city I love, and in doing so it’s clear that Sydney isn’t the same city it was in 2019, or 2020, or even last year. In 2022, we are all feeling the deep communal need to experience art and live concerts together,” Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music and Vivid LIVE Curator, Ben Marshall, said.

“This year’s Vivid LIVE artists reflect the international scale and ambition of Sydney’s soul. From Paul Kelly’s exclusive residency with Thelma Plum, and the incredible impact of Sampa The Great, to the remarkable event put together by BLESSED. It’s an honour to be staging the world premiere of Nils Frahm’s new performance, and Hermitude will finally let rip outside on the harbour.

“Vivid LIVE will herald the Opera House debuts of sublime new artists like Masego, RVG and Miiesha, while we welcome back the mighty Moses Sumney and hand the Opera House over to Sydney’s multifaceted music communities, Astral People, Club Kooky, Mad Racket and many more.

"Two years in the making, the Lighting of the Sails is an especially significant event this year – the new digital artwork, Yarrkalpa - Hunting Ground, 2021, is an intricate First Nations collaboration between the Pilbara’s eight Martu Artists & Sydney’s Curiious, soundtracked by Electric Fields. The heart of our city needs the electricity of Vivid Sydney running through it now more than ever, and I sincerely hope Vivid LIVE plays its part in bringing audiences together as we step forward into what comes next.”

NSW Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Tourism, Stuart Ayres, added: “Vivid Sydney fuses light, music, and ideas, and Vivid LIVE synthesises these in, around and onto one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks.

“From dance to jazz-funk, hip-hop to post-punk, the 2022 Vivid LIVE line-up delivers a musical feast of exhilarating and extraordinary local, national, and international talent.

“Whether it’s Australian rock royalty, international headliners or rising stars, attendees will be spoilt for choice, and performances will enthral. Nothing beats live entertainment, and after a two-year hiatus, attending in person is an exciting prospect for all attendees at this year’s Vivid LIVE program.”

Sydney Opera House pre-sale commences Thursday 17 March, 12pm AEDT, before tickets go on sale to the general public Monday 21 March, 10am AEDT.

For the full program, ticketing and other info CLICK HERE.