Sydney Solstice: Launch of new arts, food and music festival

The Sydney Solstice is launching next month with a focus on arts, food and music events being held in different parts of the city.

Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres, Kylie Kwong, Matt Moran and Albert Kruger support the Sydney Solstice event. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Destination NSW

A new music, arts and food festival is hoping to give Sydney’s night life a much-needed boost in the gap left by the postponed Vivid Sydney festival.

The Sydney Solstice event next month will see a country music festival in Newtown, performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art and ­the reopening of the landmark Metro Theatre.

Punters will be able to enjoy the lights and sights of Darling Harbour with night-time kayaking before checking out art instillations along the harbour.

Sydney Observatory is also getting in on the festival action, hosting a celebration of Aboriginal song and astrology.

Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge. Picture: Dallas Kilponen/Destination NSW

Food will be a major focus of the festival with some of the city’s best and brightest chefs and restaurateurs hosting Sydney Solstice events.

The South Eveleigh precinct will be celebrated with a two-day festival featuring Eat Fuh, Rara Chan and Steve Costi’s Famous Fish. Chef Kylie Kwong is also supporting the event.

The festival will feature more than 200 events, including a pop-up ice rink in Darling Harbour, NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said.

“More than 150 ­venues and hundreds of artists, chefs, musicians and performers will be involved in Sydney Solstice from June 8 to 20,” he said.

For more details, go to sydneysolstice.com