Festival Director: Fergus Linehan

After the incredible success of Festival First Night the year prior, the event returned with an equally impressive line-up headed by Grace Jones. Artists such as Fanfare Ciocarlia, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Santogold, Dan Zanes & Friends, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Chunky Move and A-Trak/Java performed all over the CBD.

Musical firsts were seen with All Tomorrow’s Parties on Cockatoo Island. A mini music festival curated by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, the event featured performances from Grinderman, Spiritualized, The Saints, Fuck Buttons, Harmonia, The Necks, Laughing Clowns, Robert Forster, Michael Gira, Silver Apples, Rowland S. Howard, Dirty Three, Bill Callahan and Dead Meadow amongst others.

Sydney Theatre Company presented The War Of The Roses Part 1 & Part 2, performed by the STC Actors Company and STC Co-Artistic Director Cate Blanchett, on stage in Australia for the first time in almost five years, and Robert Menzies.

A unique addition to the program brought crowds to Darling Harbour with iiNet Films Afloat: Movies And Music at Darling Harbour. The Bays performed alongside a screening Run Lola Run, Enter The Dragon screened with musical backing from Karsh Kale & Midival Punditz, and Ben Walsh & The Orkestra of The Underground performed with Fantastic Planet.

FESTIVAL FIRST NIGHT

Grace Jones, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Santogold, Dan Zanes & Friends, Fuzzy Stages, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Chunky Move, A-Trak, Java

THEATRE

Lipsynch
Ex Machina and Théâtre Sans Frontières
Directed by Robert Lepage

Faith Healer
A Celebration of the Work of Brian Friel
The Gate Theatre Dublin

Afterplay
A Celebration of the Work of Brian Friel
The Gate Theatre Dublin

The Gate Theatre Dublin

The War Of The Roses Part 1 & Part 2
by William Shakespeare
Sydney Theatre Company

The Tell-Tale Heart
Adapted and directed by Barrie Kosky
After Edgar Allan Poe
Malthouse Melbourne

Ivanov
by Anton Chekhov
Katona Jozsef Theatre

The Pianist
Company B

Being Harold Pinter
Belarus Free Theatre

No Dice
Nature Theater Of Oklahoma

The Smile Off Your Face
Ontroerend Goed

DANCE

Morphoses
The Wheeldon Company

CIRCUS

La Clique

MUSIC

All Tomorrow's Parties on Cockatoo Island
Curated by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Performers: Spiritualized, James "Blood" Ulmer, The Saints, Laughing Clowns, The Necks, Fuck Buttons, Michael Gira, Bridezilla, Robert Forster, Silver Apples, Harmonia

Beck's Festival Bar: Disco Nouveau
Holy Ghost!, Idjut Boys, Theatre Of Disco, Nathan McLay, Canyons

Beck's Festival Bar: FBI Night
Buraka Sound System

Beck's Festival Bar: Four Tet

Beck's Festival Bar: Hyper-Dub
The Bug, Warrior Queen, Rhythm & Sound, Paul St Hilaire, Mark Pritchard, Sub Bass Snarl, Victim, Garage Pressure, MC Ozi Batla, MC Steve Spacek

Beck's Festival Bar: Java

Beck's Festival Bar: Mad Racket
Daedelus, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Ken Cloud, Zootie

Beck's Festival Bar: Popfrenzy Party
Metronomy, Pivot, Totally Michael

Beck's Festival Bar: Throwing Muses, Dappled Cities

Beck's Festival Bar: Z Trip, TZU

Bon Iver

Camille

Dawn Chorus
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs

Double Dream
Mikhail Rudy & Misha Alperin

Fanfare Ciocarlia & Special Guests

Festival Jazz: The Gypsy Queens & Kings
Fanfare Ciocarlia and special guests

Festival Symphony: Old World/New World
Sydney Symphony
Conductor: Richard Gill

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova: The Swell Season - Music From The Film 'Once'

Grace Jones

Masters Of Tradition: A Living History of Irish Music
Artistic Director, Fiddle: Martin Hayes
Vocals: Iarla ´O Lionáird
Fiddle: Cathal Hayden
Accordion: Máirtin O'Connor
Guitar: Steve Cooney, Dennis Cahill

Matthew Herbert Big Band

Reggie Watts

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Bill Callahan

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Bon Iver

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Joe Henry

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Juana Molina

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Kristin Hersh - Paradoxical Undressing

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Moscow Art Trio

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: Secret Shows

Samsung Mobile Festival Garden: St Vincent

The Cinematic Orchestra

EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS

Play Me, I'm Yours
Luke Jerram

FILM

Festival Flicks: Dancing At Lughnasa

Festival Flicks: Iag Bari - Brass On Fire

Festival Flicks: Once

Movies In The Overflow

iiNet Films Afloat: Ben Walsh & The Orkestra Of The Underground/Fantastic Planet

iiNet Films Afloat: Karsh Kale & Midival Punditz/Enter The Dragon

iiNet Films Afloat: The Bays/Run Lola Run

AUSTRALIA DAY

AAMI Ferrython

TALK

Eat Drink Talk Art

FAMILY

Kids In The Garden

Dan Zanes & Friends

The Nargun And The Stars
ERTH - Visual & Physical

Music Is Magic
Australian Children's Music Foundation

Fluff
Christine Johnston

The Promise
The Flying Fruit Fly Circus

The Tragical Life Of Cheeseboy
Slingsby