Sydney Shimmer Festival unveils stacked programme

Sydney Shimmer Festival have unveiled a world class program for this years event, set to take over Darlinghurst and Oxford Street precinct this week from Thursday – Sunday.

The free festival will feature 15 creative workshops and over 30 live performances where festival goers will be transported on an “immersive” journey, showcasing the best of what Sydney’s cultural precinct has to offer, “from glitter to drag queens, to workshops and more”, according to the official press release.

“Visitors are encouraged to come sparkled and shimmered-up and celebrate the rich culture of the Darlinghurst precinct,” it reads.

“Vibrant streetscapes, a collaboration of creatives, and local businesses … will bring the precinct to life over an epic four days for all generations to enjoy.”

Jazz-house bassist Horatio Luna leads a varied musical lineup, which features performances from the likes of Sydney dream pop duo EGOISM, Victorian farm rock outfit Bones and Jones, and neo-soul crooner Natalie Slade, among others.

In addition to live music, festival goers will be able to enjoy comedy shows, dance performances, and a selection of international food and drink stalls. Check out the full lineup of events below.

Sydney Shimmer Festival – Programme

Shimmer Squad (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 10pm; Saturday 15 October from 1pm – 10pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm

Shimmer Squad glitter glam-up with biodegradable, enviro glitter. Roaming Shimmer Squad members will also mingle with the crowd dusting sparkles wherever they go. Get shimmered by the fantastic Shimmer Squad for the day or before heading out on the town.

Gaia Rhythm Roving Performers (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 10pm; Saturday 15 October from 11am – 12pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm

Enjoy an amazing array of shimmery roving performers as they wander through the Sydney Shimmer Festival and engage with you along the way.

Djembe Workshop (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 6pm

Join Tom from Work-shops to learn simple African drumming techniques, in this engaging group workshop.

Ukulele Workshop (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 7pm – 8pm

Be transported to Hawaii where you’ll learn the basics of the ukulele in a fun and relaxing environment.

More than Reproduction Workshop (FREE) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 7pm

Get hands-on with screen printing and print the Sydney Shimmer Festival graphic on a tote bag or bring your own t-shirt along to print on. This workshop is run by More Than Reproduction, a Sydney-based artist-run initiative for emerging creatives with a passion for printmaking.

Paper Quilling Workshop ($45 pp) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 10pm; Saturday 15 October from 6:30pm – 10pm

Learn how to make a greeting card decorated with paper quilling flowers. Hosted by local creative, Miss Panda Studio, the paper quilling workshop allows you to untap your creative potential, learn new skills and make your own greeting cards for friends and family.

Mennt Ceramics Workshop ($45 pp) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 5pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm

Delve into the basics of handling porcelain, courtesy of Laura Butler from Mennt Ceramics. Perfect for beginners, you will paint or stamp your own unique porcelain cup to be treasured. Laura will then fire and glaze your cup before returning it back to you.

Reverse Garbage Collage, Cards & Loose Parts Workshop (FREE) | Loose Parts Saturday 15 from 10am – 2pm | Collage and cards Friday 14 October from 7:15pm – 9.45pm; Saturday 15 October from 7pm – 9:30pm;

Open your mind and get creative with reusable materials at these interactive workshops run by Reverse Garbage. Children can explore ‘loose parts’ play on the Saturday morning, letting their imaginations run wild with unique recyclable materials or all ages can learn and practice collage and card making using recycled materials on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Class Bunny Family Workshops (FREE) | Friday 14 October from 5pm – 7pm; Saturday 15 October from 10am – 4pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 5pm

Class Bunny will run three alternating,different workshops throughout the weekend, including ‘Koinobori Shimmer Fish’ workshops, a ‘Monster ate my ice-cream’ watercolour workshops, and creating fun and simple popup cards’ workshops.

The Studio Workshop with Kayleen Flanigan (FREE) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 12pm; Sunday 16 October from 10am – 12pm

The Studio will create take home personalised pieces with all materials provided. Perfect for individual and collaborative hands on fun and learning for ages 3-11 years.

Sparkly Bedroom Bunting Workshop (FREE) | Saturday 15 October from 10am – 12pm

Kids will design flags with glitter, fabric, ribbon and more to shimmer their way through the weekend festivities.

Painted Tote Bag with Bling Workshop (FREE) | Sunday 16 October from 10am – 12pm

Kids can bling and design their very own Sydney Shimmer Festival tote bag creation to keep.

Community Art Wall by Electric Confetti (FREE) | All Day Friday to Sunday

Take part in the Community Art Wall – an immersive, tactile collaborative artwork where you can collect a sequin to add to the shimmer wall.

UV paints will be available for a super-scale paint by numbers which will work in conjunction with the shimmer tiles to make a super sized abstract multi-faceted artwork.