Sydney Festival has announced another wave of music programming for January 2027, featuring Indian sitar sensation Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, an international club music lineup and a major free opening-weekend celebration.
The newly announced events bring together Indian classical music, contemporary global sounds, live performances and dancefloor experiences across some of Sydney’s leading cultural venues.
Sydney Festival 2027 will run from 7 to 25 January, presenting theatre, dance, music, visual arts and outdoor experiences across Greater Sydney.
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma Brings Sitar for Mental Health to Sydney
Indian sitarist Rishab Rikhiram Sharma will bring his acclaimed Sitar for Mental Health experience to the Sydney Opera House on 22 January 2027, marking the Australian premiere of his global tour.
Born into Delhi’s renowned Rikhi Ram family of instrument makers, Sharma began learning the sitar at the age of 10 and became the youngest disciple of legendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar at just 11.
His performance combines Indian classical music with contemporary influences, drawing on the ancient tradition of Raag Chikitsa to bring music and meditation together.
The immersive experience moves between traditional ragas and Sharma’s distinctive interpretations of familiar themes from Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.
Following sold-out performances across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom, the Sydney Opera House concert will introduce Australian audiences to the experience.
Tickets for Sitar for Mental Health go on sale at 10am AEDT on Friday, 6 November 2026.
The Party to Launch Festival’s Opening Weekend
Sydney Festival will stage a major free celebration titled The Party at The Cutaway on Friday, 8 January 2027.
House of Mince and Sultry Group will collaborate for the first time, bringing together two of Sydney’s distinctive music communities for an evening of live improvisation, DJs and performances.
The event will begin with two fully improvised live sets by Sultry Group before moving into DJ sets and performances, with audiences invited to dance and enjoy the celebrations into the early hours.
The collaboration is designed to connect different creative communities and audiences through music, performance and shared experiences.
Club Shetu Announces International Dancefloor Lineup
At City Recital Hall, Club Shetu has revealed its complete lineup, with Panjabi Hit Squad, Dar Disku and 3ARSA joining previously announced artists ZAINAB, Surya Sen and curator Munasib.
Curated by Sydney and Dhaka-based DJ and promoter Munasib, the event connects musical influences from Southwest Asia and North Africa, South Asia and their diasporas.
The lineup brings together artists from different musical backgrounds, exploring connections through traditional rhythms, family music collections, hip hop and contemporary pop.
Panjabi Hit Squad will return to Australia for the first time in 18 years. The British Asian dance music pioneers helped shape the Desi Beats sound following their formation in 2001.
Bahraini-born, British-based duo Dar Disku will make their Australian debut, bringing their Arabic music influences and global club sounds to Sydney. Sydney-based DJ and producer 3ARSA also joins the lineup.
They will perform alongside New York and Lahore-based DJ ZAINAB and British-Bengali producer and rapper Surya Sen, who is also making his Australian debut.
Ali Sethi to Explore Sufism, Music and Culture
Pakistani-American singer, songwriter and composer Ali Sethi will join the festival for An Afternoon with Ali Sethi.
Part conversation and part listening session, the event will explore Sufism as an artistic and spiritual practice through Urdu poetry and devotional music.
Sethi will discuss the connections between fashion, nightlife, ghazal, electropop, faith and queer resilience, examining how artistic expression can connect the sacred and the sensual.
The program also builds on his previously announced Australian live debut at City Recital Hall.
More Music, Dance and Outdoor Experiences Across Sydney
The newly announced music events form part of a wider Sydney Festival program featuring artists and performances from Australia and around the world.
Western Sydney hip hop group ONEFOUR will join the Penrith Chamber Orchestra for a special collaboration at The Joan. British sibling duo Wasia Project will bring their blend of pop, classical influences and jazz to City Recital Hall.
At Metro Theatre, Blak & Blues will connect First Nations voices with influential Black American music. The program features Budjerah performing the music of Donny Hathaway, MO’JU reimagining Bill Withers and SOLCHLD drawing on the music of Etta James.
Other highlights include Hannah Gadsby returning with a new show at Roslyn Packer Theatre and international dance performances through Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels.
The festival’s Blak Out program will feature two world premieres: ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s THE LINE, co-presented with Sydney Opera House, and Marrugeku’s Ngurragabu at Carriageworks.
Outdoor experiences will also feature at Barangaroo Reserve, where waynapuni pools transforms old cars into plunge pools, hot tubs and saunas. The Yard will return as an outdoor festival hub, bringing together pop-up restaurants, art and harbourside gatherings.
Sydney Festival Director Kris Nelson said the newly announced artists brought different musical worlds together and offered audiences opportunities to discover new sounds and connect with diverse communities.
Sydney Festival 2027 Dates and Tickets
Sydney Festival 2027 will take place from 7 to 25 January across venues and public spaces throughout Greater Sydney. Selected exhibitions will extend beyond the festival dates.
Tickets for Rishab Rikhiram Sharma’s Sitar for Mental Health go on sale at 10am AEDT on 6 November 2026, while tickets for other events are already on sale.
For the full program, event details and bookings, visit sydneyfestival.org.au.
