Festival Director: Anthony Steel

In his third and final year as Festival Director, Anthony Steel pulled out all the stops with Kelly’s Republic, staged on the Sydney Opera House forecourt. It was the largest work ever commissioned by the Festival, and one of six world premieres of Australian theatre productions.

The Festival also featured seven solo female performers from Brazil, France, Spain, the UK and USA, the latter being Laurie Anderson and her work The Speed Of Darkness.

Sydney Festival went underwater in a new way with Sonic Waters and Virtual Lagoon by Michel Redolfi. The sensory art experiences took place at North Sydney Olympic Pool and Shark Bay harbour pool at Nielsen Park. The first time art took to the water at Sydney Festival!

THEATRE

The Beatification Of Area Boy
by Wole Soyinka
Director: Jude Kelly
West Yorkshire Playhouse

Kelly's Republic
Written and directed by Nigel Jamieson

Le Péplum
Artistic Director and co-writer: Jean Luc Courcoult
Co-writer: Pierre Orefice
Royal de Luxe

Water Stories
Canberra Youth Theatre
Featuring Song Ngoc Vietnamese Water Puppetry Troupe
With live music by the Canberra Youth Wind Ensemble

Temptation
Legs On The Wall

Sparring Partner andAnnette & Annette
Written and directed by Bogdan Koca
Poetically Correct Productions

The Speed Of Darkness
Laurie Anderson

Casa and Mary Stuart
Denise Stoklos

Lulu
Devised and directed by Neill Gladwin
Company B Belvoir

Clock 'n' Spiel

Julia Hette

Ladders In The Landscape

The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

OPERA

The Sinking Of The Rainbow Warrior
The Song Company and AustraLYSIS
Conductor: Roland Peelman
Director: Nigel Kellaway

Carmen Linares in Concert
A tribute to Manuel de Falla

La Vida Breve
Carmen Linares, Maria José Montiel
The Sydney Opera House Orchestra
Contemporary singers: Diana Reyes, Albert Guinovart

Esso Opera In The Park
The Australian Opera, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Conductors: Richard Hickox, Christopher Hogwood, Carlo Felice Cillario, David Stanhope, Brian Castles-Onion

DANCE

Balé Folclórico da Bahia
General Director and choreographer: Walson Botelho
Artistic Director: José Carlos Arandiba
Dance Brazil

Emzanzi - Down South Africa
Rishile Gumboot Dancers

Bonehead
Directed and choreographed by Gideon Obarzanek
Chunky Move Dance Company

Keith Haring: Molissa Fenley
Molissa Fenley

The Tiwi Dancers
Tiwi Dancers of Melville Island

MUSIC

Symphony Under The Stars
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Sir William Southgate
Violin: Susie Park

Antal Szalai - Hungarian Gypsy Orchestra

Bacardi Festival Club
Margie Evans, Coco Robicheaux, DIG, Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Marcia Hines, Pardon Me Boys, Mental As Anything, Tommy Emmanuel, Cactus Child, Anna Rojas, Mark O'Shea, Nikka Costa, Leonardo's Bride, Bad Boy Batucada, Vika & Linda, My Friend The Chocolate Cake

Bobby Previte's Latin For Travellers

Coco Robicheaux with Jackie Orzaczky and The Grand Masters

Composing Venice
The Song Company, Laura Chislett, The Seymour Group

Concert of Glass
Carl Vine, Carolyn Connors, Warren Burt, Andree Greenwell, Helgut Mahler

Environments
Mike Nock Quartet and The Harbour String Quartet

Gondwana Voices
Artistic director: Lyn Williams

Gregorian Chant Choir of Spain
Director: Ismael Fernandez de la Cuesta

Industrial Accident

Island Of Stone And Wood
Arsenale

John Mark Ainsley

John Schofield Quintet

La Regatta
Byzantine Chanters

La Romanesca in the Treasury

Lesley Garrett
Sydney Opera House Orchestra
Conductor: Peter Robinson

Los Mariachis Ilegales

Margie Evans with the Mighty Reapers

Sonic Waters
Michel Redolfi

Spirit and Place: Riley Lee

Survival Concert 1997

Tekamei - Music of the Gitans

The Gypsies: A Feast Of World Music
Divana, Tekameli, Antal Szalai, El Niño Josele, Taraf de Caransebes, The Musicians Of The Nile

The Narasirato Are'Are Pan Pipers

The Roy Haynes Quartet

Virtual Lagoon
Michel Redolfi

ART

InFlux
Xavier Juillot

It Takes Two
David Mach

MINE
Richard Goodwin

Urban Details
Judy Watson, Brook Andrews, Elizabeth Pulie, Frances Joseph, Geoff Kleen, Hanna Kay, Ian Bettison, Maria Cruz, Mattys Gerber, Paul Saint

Laguna Reale

CELEBRATIONS

Australia Day at The Rocks

Australia Day Ceremony

Australia Day Eve Concert

Australia Day Spectacular

BBC Hardware Flags Afloat Parade

Darling Harbour Celebrates Australia Day

St George Bank's Hyde Park North and Sydney Eastside Celebrations

Sydney Writers' Festival

SPORT

161st Australia Day Regatta

2KY Racing Radio Australia Day Cup Race Meeting

Coca Cola Amatil Ferrython

NRMA Motorfest

Registered Clubs Oz Day 10K International Wheelchair Road Race

Tall Ships Race