Festival Director: Stephen Hall
Following the massive two-month celebrations of the previous year, 1989’s Festival of Sydney continued with a strong and varied program that included exciting new theatre from Spain, Canada and France, along with music from the United Kingdom, Bulgaria and Spain.
The free outdoor activities once located in Hyde Park moved to the new public recreation areas of Darling Harbour. Free events were staged daily in Martin Place and selected spots in the CBD, including music at lunchtimes and street theatre performances. The Festival even hosted a CBD-wide treasure hunt.
The Festival program existed in digital form for the first time with the IBM Festival Information Centre at Darling Harbour, which featured the IBM InfoWindow System, a touch screen computer with daily festival schedules available to the public.
THEATRE
Suz/O/Suz
La Fura Dels Baus
Desirs Parade
Phillipe Genty Company
Victor & Barry
Forbes Masson, Alan Cumming
Knuckledusters: The Jewels Of Edith Sitwell
Devised from the writings of Edith Sitwell by Kerry Walker
Company B Belvoir
David Williamson's Top Silk
Directed by Rodney Fisher
Designed by Shaun Gurton
Starring Tina Bursill and Geoff Morrell
The Wind In The Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
An outdoor adaptation
DANCE
New Demons
La La La Human Steps
Solos
Susanne Linke
MUSIC
Beethoven Symphonies 1 & 9
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choir
Conductor: Stuart Challender
Soloists: Lisa Gasteen (soprano), Lauris Elms (contralto), Christopher Doig (tenor), Noel Mangin (bass)
Symphony Under The Stars
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Stuart Challender
The Wallace Collection
Balkana
Band Spectacular
Carlos Bonell Ensemble
Joshua Rifkin Plays Scott Joplin
Latin Dance Spectacular at Coca Cola Bottlers Dance Hall
Pardon Me Boys Big Band
Midsummer Jazz
The James Morrison Quintet, Billy Field and his Bad Habits Band, Tommy Emmanuel, Sweet Atmosphere, Georgie Fame and the Aussie Blue Flames
Rock Back The Clock
Entr'acte
OPERA
ESSO Opera In The Park - Puccini's Tosca
The Australian Opera, The Elizabethan Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Stuart Challender
FILM
BHP Steel Outdoor Movie Season
Maria: Film
ART
Bone Stone Shell: New Jewellery New Zealand
Gold Of The Pharaoahs
Maria Callas Memorial Exhibition
Taxis Combined Sculpture and Painting Workshop
CELEBRATIONS
Australia Day
Bacardi Festival Club
Macquarie St Entertainment
Merlin's Festival Treasure Hunt
Perrier Writers' And Readers' Festival
Street Distractions
The Festival at Darling Harbour
LECTURES
Maria Callas Sings Again
MAGIC
Magnificent Magic
Genii Magical Society
SPORT
NRMA Motorfest
Schooner Race
The Amatil Ferrython