Festival Director: Stephen Hall

The 1985 Festival of Sydney was the year for endurance performances. Roger Woodward concluded his marathon series of the complete works of Frederic Chopin after five years of Festival appearances. At the Sydney Entertainment Centre, 14 bands took the stage in a Twelve Hour Rockathon, from 8pm to 8am the following day.

To mark International Youth Year, world famous Hungarian youth Gypsy music and dance company Rajko were part of the Festival lineup. The free outdoor Domain series expanded with the inclusion of Jazz In The Domain, and the Variety Australia Day Family Concert.

THEATRE

The George Khan Show
The People Show

Wet Dreams
By Kathy Lette

An Evening With Queen Victoria
Performed by Prunella Scales

Life On Mars

Wolf Boy
Arena Theatre Company

Spears And Shakespeare
Felix B. Tonto, Lyn Shakespeare, Steve J. Spears

The Night We Blitzed The Bridge
By David Allen
Directed by Simon Hopkinson
The Australian Theatre For Young People

In The Belly Of The Beast
By Jack Henry Abbott
Directed by Robert Woodruff
Starring Andrew Robinson, Carl Franklin, Andrew Wood
The Centre Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum Production

Outer Sink
Directed and designed by Nigel Triffitt
Los Trios Ringbarkus

Conversations With A Faint-Hearted Feminist
By Jill Tweedie
A stage dramatisation by Heather Lindsay
Directed by Susan Wilson
Designed by Grant Tilly

Australia's Women Comics Stand Up For The Count
Sue Ingleton, Angela Webber, Wendy Harmer, Tracey Harvey, Mandy and Melanie Salomon, Grotesqui's Monkey Choir Women's Contingent, Gretel Killeen, Julie McGrossin, Victoria Roberts

MUSIC

A Toast To Vienna
The Festival of Sydney Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: William Reid
Singers: Eilene Hannan (soprano), Richard Greager

Jewels From The Crown
Baritone: John Pringle
Tenor: Richard Greager
Pianist: Sharolyn Kimmorley

Mostly Mozart: Australian Chamber Orchestra
Director: Carl Pini
Soprano: Marilyn Richardson
Violin: Emil Kiss
Viola: Irene Morozov
Double bass: David McBride

Mostly Mozart: Australian Chamber Orchestra
Director: Carl Pini
Trumpet: Daniel Mendelow
Piano: John Winther

Mostly Mozart: Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra
Conductor: William Reid

Mostly Mozart: Sydney String Quartet
Piano: John Winther

Sydney Wind Quintet

Symphony In The Park
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: David Measham

The Australian Wind Virtuosi

Woodward Plays Chopin
Roger Woodward
Conductor: Maestro Carlo Felice Cillario
Soprano: Marilyn Richardson
Cello: David Pereira
Violin: William Hennessy
Flautist: Geoffrey Collins
Piano: Robert Curry
Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Australia Ensemble

Brian Reader

Eureka - The Songs That Made Australia
Warren Fahey, the Larrikins and friends

James Hardie/Operation Young Composers and 2MBS-FM Young Performers

Midsummer Jazz
Don Burrows, John Sangster, George Golla, Marie Wilson, Craig Scott, The Bob Barnard Jazz Band, Galapagos Duck, The Morrison Brothers Big Bad Band, comperes Ricky May and Su Cruickshank.

Mini Jazz Festival - State Of The Art: Program I
Judy Bailey Quintet, Jo Truman/Sandy Evans Duo, Women & Children First (Augmented) Music

Mini Jazz Festival - State Of The Art: Program II
Mark Simmonds/Mike Bukovsky, Ensemble, Saxophone Sextet directed by Roger Frampton, The Benders

Mini Jazz Festival - State Of The Art: Program III
Charlie Munro Quartet, Mosaics in Words and Music presented by John Clare and Roger Frampton, The Last Straw

Mini Jazz Festival - State Of The Art: Program IV
Andrew Oh Quartet, Graham Jesse/Mike Bartolomei Duo, Killer Joe featuring Joe Lane

Music On The Move

Rajkó

Salute To The Songwriters
John Williamson, Judy Small, Allan Caswell, Stan Coster.

The Budapest Trio

The Sofia Madrigal Choir

Twelve Hour Rockathon

Variety: Australia Day Family Concert

OPERA

Eilene Hanna In Recital
Soprano: Eilene Hannan
Piano: Phillip Thomas

Opera In The Park - Tales Of Hoffman
Dame Joan Sutherland and The Australian Opera
Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra
Conductor: Richard Bonynge

CELEBRATIONS

Australia Day: The City's Official Ceremony

Martin Place Lunchtime and Evening Concerts

New Year's Eve

The Parade

The Wine and Diners Club Picnic

TALKS

Dance On Film
Professor John Mueller

SPORT

2DayFM Sydney Triathlon

Sydney Harbour Ferrython

The Benson & Hedges Festival Showjumping Championships

The Schooner Race

The Stubbies/Daily Mirror Sailboard Marathon

The Waiters' Race

ART

Art Express

Artzoo

Mel Gibson's Choice At The Art Gallery Of NSW