The Sydney Opera House has revealed the full lineup for its contemporary music takeover, Vivid LIVE 2022.
Taking place from May 27th until June 18th, the music event is part of Vivid Sydney, the annual creative festival showcasing the finest boundary-pushing artists, thinkers, and musicians of today.
Vivid LIVE 2022 will utterly transform the Opera House, with more than 70 artists, both Australian and international, presented across six of Opera House venues, including on the iconic sails.
This year’s Vivid LIVE is filled with notable events, including world premiere performances. Paul Kelly and his band – alongside Thelma Plum – will be hosting an exclusive residency celebrating four decades of song. Sampa the Great will be presenting An Afro Future, both an Australian exclusive and world premiere.
Experimental German composer Nils Frahm will be staging the world premiere of his new performance, Music for Sydney. Japan’s visionary noise rock band Boris will play a special 30th anniversary show in their first visit to the Sydney Opera House in more than a decade.
Other artists will make their eagerly-anticipated Opera House debuts, including Masego, RVG, and Miiesha. The lineup for Sydney Opera House’s annual contemporary music event, Vivid LIVE 2022, reflect the international scale and ambition of Sydney’s soul.
The rest of the extensive lineup includes acclaimed singer-songwriter Gordi, one of this year’s Sailor Jerry Rolling Stone Australia Awards nominees, and rising star producer BLESSED, presenting Aussie Blackstar alongside Maina Doe, Baby Prince and more.
Two years in the making, the Lighting of the Sails is a particularly significant event: the exciting digital artwork is an intricate First Nations collaboration between the Pilbara’s eight Martu Artists and Sydney’s Curiious, all soundtracked by Electric Fields.
“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,” Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music and Vivid LIVE curator, Ben Marshall, said. “In 2022, we are all feeling the deep communal need to experience art and live concerts together.”
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.”
Tickets are now on general sale for Vivid LIVE 2022, with prices ranging from $29 to $129, and can be found via sydneyoperahouse.com.
Vivid LIVE 2022 Lineup
Lighting of the Sails
YARRKALPA – HUNTING GROUND, 2021 BY THE MARTU ARTISTS AND CURIIOUS WITH SOUNDTRACK BY ELECTRIC FIELDS AND MARTU ARTISTS (INSPIRED BY YARRKALPA – ALWAYS WALKING COUNTRY 2014)
PAUL KELLY AND HIS BAND – TIME AND TIDE: FOUR DECADES OF SONG with THELMA PLUM – Australian exclusive
SAMPA THE GREAT presents AN AFRO FUTURE with MWANJЀ & KYE, SOUNDS BY C.FRIM – Australian exclusive, world premiere
NILS FRAHM: MUSIC FOR SYDNEY – World premiere
TKAY MAIDZA with MAINA DOE
MOSES SUMNEY
ASTRAL PEOPLE 10 + 1 BIRTHDAY – YUSSEF DAYES (UK), HIATUS KAIYOTE, JAY1 (UK), YOUNGN LIPZ, BRIGGS, MILDLIFE, BARKAA, ARNO FARAJI, JITWAM LIVE, DAMEEEELA, BUMPY, HOODZY, MUNASIB – Australian exclusive
MASEGO
CLUB KOOKY BY THE HARBOUR – Australian exclusive
MEG MAC
HERMITUDE – Album Launch
TEEKS
BORIS 30th Anniversary Show Performing Heavy Rocks (2002) with TOKIE
BLESSED presents AUSSIE BLACKSTAR with MAINA DOE, BABY PRINCE and CHIRINE – Australian premiere
RVG
HTRK
LIARS with THE DOUBLE (JIM WHITE & EMMETT KELLY)
LOW LIFE
MIIESHA
SKELETEN – UTOPIAN SOUND
GORDI
IN THE MOOD – A LOVE LETTER TO WONG KAR-WAI & HONG KONG starring RAINBOW CHAN, EUGENE CHOI & MARCUS WHALE – World premiere live debut, Australian exclusive
KUČKA
ED KUEPPER with JIM WHITE
TINY RUINS
TANGENTS & GODTET
GEORGIA MAQ (CAMP COPE)
1300
LIZ MARTIN & ELIZA HULL – INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE NOTES
A.GIRL
THE BUOYS
STUDIO PARTIES: FUTURE CLASSIC: TOUCH SENSITIVE (DJ SET), TSEBA, AYEBATONYE, DEEPA
PICNIC: WAX’O PARADISO, KALI, ADI TOOHEY, EVIE + HYFE, HOSTED BY MILLIE SYKES
ASTRAL PEOPLE presents JOHN TALABOT ALL NIGHT LONG
MAD RACKET: KEN CLOUD, SIMON CALDWELL, JIMMI JAMES, ZOOTIE WITH EDSEVEN & TOM STUDDY (STEPPERS) AND VOCALIST NATALIE SLADE
Contemporary art on the Forecourt and Monumental Steps
LAUREN BRINCAT – TUTTI PRESTO fff, 2022
