Start marking your calendar for the year’s best events
Don’t miss out on these must-see performances, music festivals and sports, chosen by our experts.
Dare we say it, but the new year is brimming with promise. The country’s biggest live shows, music festivals, sporting events and theatre productions are gearing up for a season that organisers pray will be undisturbed by disruptions and cancellations (let’s leave those in 2021, shall we?).
Australia has struggled to stay connected to its cultural heartbeat throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but the return of popular music festivals such as Splendour in the Grass and Bluesfest at Byron Bay in northern NSW or theatrical moments such as the highly anticipated return season of The Picture of Dorian Gray at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide should remedy all that with the sound of rapt audiences applauding their hearts out.
There’s a full calendar of sport, too – and not just watching the Beijing Winter Olympics on television at home.
All told, our cities will play host to art, music and on-the-field rivalries as live thrills provide an antidote to those many months of isolation.
Here, The Australian’s sports editor Wally Mason, arts correspondent Matthew Westwood and national music writer Andrew McMillen bring you the best of what the new year has to offer.
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Arts
THE GOLDEN COCKEREL
Festival Theatre, Adelaide
March 4-9
Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote his magical fairytale opera The Golden Cockerel in 1907 and while its glittering orchestral score is admired by opera aficionados around the world, it has never been performed in Australia. The Adelaide Festival is presenting Barrie Kosky’s production of the opera that was staged at the Aix-en-Provence festival in France.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide
March 13-19
Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney
March 28-May 7
The return season of The Picture of Dorian Gray is keenly awaited by those who missed it in Sydney the first time, and by those yet to experience Eryn Jean Norvill’s tour-de-force performance. In this astonishing production directed by Sydney Theatre Company’s Kip Williams, Norvill plays all 26 characters, including the title role from Oscar Wilde’s story. It is a dazzling enactment of the construction and performance of personality, with fast costume changes and clever use of live video.
CARMEN AT THE WACA
WACA Ground, Perth
February 25-26
Of all the operas that have been staged in the open air, Carmen is the one whose high drama and spectacular setting – the climax happens at a bullring – is best suited to the stadium treatment. As part of the Perth Festival, West Australian Opera is presenting Carmen at the WACA cricket ground. Ashlyn Tymms sings the role of the femme fatale whose affair with a dashing bullfighter ends in tragedy. WA Opera promises 150 musicians on stage and “all the trimmings” for its production of one of the best-loved operas.
Of all the operas that have been staged in the open air, Carmen is the one whose high drama and spectacular setting – the climax happens at a bullring – is best suited to the stadium treatment. As part of the Perth Festival, West Australian Opera is presenting Carmen at the WACA cricket ground. Ashlyn Tymms sings the role of the femme fatale whose affair with a dashing bullfighter ends in tragedy. WA Opera promises 150 musicians on stage and “all the trimmings” for its production of one of the best-loved operas.
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Hamer Hall, Melbourne
February 25-26
Everything about the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s season opener signals new beginnings. After concerts were cancelled last year because of the Melbourne lockdowns, the orchestra can officially welcome its new chief conductor, Spanish-born maestro Jaime Martin. The program features a new commission by First Nations composer Deborah Cheetham, Baparripna (Yorta Yorta for dawn), for orchestra and didgeridoo soloist William Barton. The concert opens with an early symphony by Haydn, Le Matin, and concludes with Mahler’s Symphony No 1.
SYDNEY FESTIVAL
January 6-30
Across 22 nights of live music, all roads lead to Speakers Corner – a bespoke, 1000-seat, pop-up space in the heart of Sydney with artists including Megan Washington, Gordi and King Stingray, while the Cat Empire will farewell its original line-up with a 12,000-capacity concert at Parramatta Park.
TWILIGHT AT TARONGA
Taronga Zoo, Sydney
January 28-February 19
The summer concert series is held on a lawn amphitheatre at Taronga Zoo, with performers including Josh Pyke, Winston Surfshirt, Vika & Linda, Washington & Odette, the Church, San Cisco and Daryl Braithwaite.
SUNSET SOUNDS
Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Victoria
February 26
Daryl Braithwaite, Ian Moss, Kate Ceberano, Russell Morris, the Black Sorrows, Richard Clapton, Ross Wilson, Thirsty Merc, Chocolate Starfish, Jack Jones and the Chantoozies, and the day fittingly will be topped off with a sunset performance by ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again.
MONA FOMA FESTIVAL
Hobart
January 28-30
Legendary Aussie band Midnight Oil will play tracks from its forthcoming album, plus recent music from the Makarrata Project. The line-up includes Gwenno, Mo’Ju, the Chills, Danny Healy Quartet, the Jason Whatley Quartet and more.
ADELAIDE FESTIVAL
March 4-20
The music line-up includes Icehouse, Kate Ceberano, the Whitlams, Montaigne, Spiderbait drummer-singer Kram and Genesis Owusu.
WILDFLOWER
Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley, Victoria
March 12
The nation’s first all-female music festival features the likes of Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke and Sarah Blasko sharing the stage.
WOMADELAIDE
Botanic Park, Adelaide
March 11-14
Armed with $2m of RISE funding, WOMADelaide unveiled its first 30 acts, with Paul Kelly, Courtney Barnett, Baker Boy and L-Fresh the Lion leading the charge.
SOUNDS BY THE RIVER
Mannum, South Australia
April 9
This festival is headlined by Hunters & Collectors, with special guests James Reyne, the Living End, the Angels, Jon Stevens, Baby Animals, Killing Heidi and Boom Crash Opera.
BLUESFEST
Byron Events Farm,
Tyagarah, NSW
April 14-18
A five-day camping event headlined by artists including Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes and Amy Shark.
DARK MOFO
Hobart
June 15-22
Lineup TBC for the return of the southern winter festival, which traditionally attracts a range of international and national acts.
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS
North Byron Parklands, NSW
July 22-24
Three-day winter camping festival is headlined by international artists Gorillaz, the Strokes and Tyler, the Creator, with the rest of the line-up including DMA’s, Ruby Fields, Genesis Owusu, Ruel, the Jungle Giants and Cub Sport.
FALLS FESTIVAL
December-January 2022-23
To be held simultaneously in Murroon (Victoria), Byron Bay (NSW) and Fremantle (WA), with shared line-ups TBC.
DUA LIPA’S FUTURE NOSTALGIA TOUR
The global pop superstar is bringing her tour to Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide in November.
ALANIS MORISSETTE’S JAGGED LITTLE PILL 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Originally set to visit our shores back in 2020, the famed 1990s singer now will bring her world tour to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in November.
SNOOP DOGG’S I WANNA THANK ME TOUR
The hip-hop legend will play stadium shows in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane starting in October.
BILLIE EILISH’S HAPPIER THAN EVER TOUR
The pop sensation is bringing her Happier Than Ever Tour Down Under in September and will be touring all the major cities.
THE KILLERS’ IMPLODING THE MIRAGE TOUR
This will be the Killers’ first visit Australia since their sold-out tour in 2018. Kicking off in November in Brisbane, the Las Vegas-born rock band will bring the tour to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
SPORT
AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS
Melbourne, January
Novak Djokovic, still being coy about his vaccination status, may not be there but who cares – Ash Barty will be, along with the rest of the world’s best tennis stars. After claiming the Wimbledon crown in 2021 and finishing the year as world No.1, Barty will be primed to make a challenge for her first Australian Open title.
WINTER OLYMPICS
Beijing, February 2-20
Australia, the US, Britain and Canada won’t be sending officials to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but we will be sending athletes and medal expectations are high. Australia has at least 10 athletes ranked top three in the world – from snowboarders Belle Brockhoff and Scotty James to mogul skier Jakara Anthony and aerialist Danielle Scott. And for the first time we have a curling duo – Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt. The Winter Paralympics follows from March 4-13.
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Melbourne, April 7-10
After the excitement and controversy of the 2021 Formula One season, the 2022 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne will be unmissable. New champion Max Verstappen will be out to prove his victory wasn’t a fluke, Lewis Hamilton will be seeking revenge and Daniel Ricciardo will be carrying the hopes of Australia.
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Birmingham, July 28-August 8
After the feel-good experience of the Tokyo Olympics, expect another dose when many of the same athletes line up again for the Commonwealth Games in the British city of Birmingham. Australia topped the medal count when the Games were last held – on the Gold Coast in 2018 – and will be favourites to do so again. Expect big hauls from the pool, the track and the velodrome.
NRL STATE OF ORIGIN SERIES
June-July
NSW wrested back bragging rights in the 2021 interstate series, but the Maroons avoided an embarrassing “blue wash” and they return in 2022 with Origin legend Billy Slater as coach. Game one is in Sydney on June 8, with the second game in Perth on June 26 and then Origin III – possibly the decider – in Brisbane on July 13.
UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Wollongong, September 18-25
The world’s best road cyclists will be in Wollongong for an eight-day festival of cycling on the roads of the Illawarra in NSW. Eleven races in all, but the highlights will be the men’s and women’s time trials, the women’s road race and the men’s road race, featuring a tough climb up the dramatic escarpment, peaking at 473m elevation.
FIBA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WORLD CUP
Sydney, September 23-October 3
Outside the Olympics, this is as big as it gets for women’s basketball. The world’s top 12 women’s national teams will play 38 games across 10 days in just two venues in Sydney. The Opals will be without their best player, Liz Cambage, who has fallen out of love with Australian basketball. However coach Sandy Brondello is confident she has the squad to win it.
AFL GRAND FINAL
Melbourne, September 24
It has been played in exile for the past two years thanks to Covid – in Brisbane in 2020 and in Perth last year – but this year the AFL grand final will be back at its traditional home, the MCG. Well, fingers crossed. The Melbourne Demons, 2021 premiers, are favourites to make it to the decider again, but the Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide are all tipped to make strong challenges.
NRL GRAND FINAL
Sydney, October 2
After being driven north to Brisbane in 2020 by Covid, the NRL grand final is expected to return to Sydney this year. Perennial contenders Melbourne Storm and 2021 premiers the Penrith Panthers are equal favourites to be there at the business end, but don’t write off the Roosters or the Manly Sea Eagles.
RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP
England, October 15-November 19
Australia and New Zealand declined to play in last year’s Rugby League World Cup because of Covid, so organisers decided there wasn’t much point going ahead without the two powerhouses. The event was postponed and the Kangaroos and Kiwis have committed to play in England in October, along with 19 other nations. The World Cup has been played 15 times since 1954 and Australia has won 11 times.
ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP
Australia, October-November
Fresh from their victory in the Covid-delayed T20 World Cup played in the United Arab Emirates and Oman last year, Australia will get to defend their title just 12 months later on home soil. Sixteen teams will play 45 matches all around the country in what will be the biggest global sporting event in Australia this year. India are the favourites for this one, but Aaron Finch’s men will be in the mix. Final at the MCG on November 13.
WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP
New Zealand, October 8-November 12
They’re still calling this New Zealand 2021 because that’s when it was supposed to be played. But the pandemic spoiled that. The tournament will go ahead this year with 12 teams playing games in Auckland and Whangarei. All games will be played at weekends, with no overlaps, so fans won’t miss a moment. World Rugby, determined to supercharge the women’s game, is providing $3.7m to finance teams’ preparations.
MELBOURNE CUP
Melbourne, November 1
The race that stops a nation has been a slightly restrained affair for the past couple of years, with limited crowds and fewer international runners thanks to Covid. Bumper crowds and foreign stars are expected back again this year. Star stayer Incentivise, which finished second in 2021, is already the $11 favourite, with 2021 winner Verry Elleegant at $13.
FIFA WORLD CUP
The Socceroos face a crucial qualifying match against Vietnam in Melbourne this month to determine if they will be among the 32 teams contesting the world’s second-biggest sporting event in Qatar. Moved from its usual mid-year timeslot to avoid the intense heat in Qatar, this will be the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East. Games will be played in a series of spectacular purpose-built, airconditioned stadiums.
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