Winter has melted away and Sydney is finally heating up with a stacked calendar of events this spring and summer. Each month brings a different festival to those in Sydney. October tantalizes your taste buds with The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month; November drops the beat with some of the world’s best electro musicians at Stereosonic; and December features Australian and International short films on the silver screen at Tropfest. No matter what you’re looking to do this season, Sydney has you covered with a total sensory experience to enjoy this spring and summer Down Under.
October
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month
Australia’s largest food festival runs for the entire month of October and serves a delicious spread of events. Choosing just one thing to do (or eat) will be difficult as this year’s Good Food Month is fully packed with mouth-watering activities and gatherings, including The Great Australian Dinner with René Redzepi of Copenhagen’s Noma on October 27. From Good Dinners Under $30 to the Night Noodle Markets to Hats Off Dinners where Sydney’s top chefs cook up new, specially created menus, the festival has something for everyone’s palate — and every time of day. Suggestion: Start your day with the Breakfast Club and enjoy an exclusive $20 brekkie menu at some of Sydney’s favorite cafés, then aid your digestion process with a tour around the city led by Sydney food experts. Hit the many markets and alfresco dining spots for lunch, and plan your night around one of the Drink and Dine pairing events. Get ready to dig in.
November
Kicking off in Sydney, Stereosonic welcomes some of the world’s biggest electro acts for a two-day festival where festivalgoers are advised to “expect the unexpected and ensure you leave your inhibitions at the door.” This year, Stereosonic announced its largest lineup ever with some of the biggest names in electronic dance music — David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Armin van Buuren — headlining. The two-day beat-dropping, base-pumping, electro extravaganza is set for November 30 and December 1 at the Sydney Olympic Park, and tickets are still available.
December
Tropfest is the world’s largest short film festival, which was founded in Sydney in 1993 and has now expanded to not only the rest of Australia, but to international cities such as New York and Paris. Each film submitted must be created exclusively for the festival and must include the “Tropfest Signature Item” (TSI). With this year’s TSI as “change,” it only seems fitting that the festival has seen a few adjustments in its summer season with a change in event date from February to December, a change in venue to Centennial Park and a change and extended call for filmmakers (until October 17). “There’s [already] a lot of creative ways people are incorporating the TSI into their films. It’s a broad theme so the competition will be great,” Tropfest film and entries manager Henry Kalaf says. Tropfest also attracts songwriters, DJs, musicians, producers and composers with the APRA Tropscore competition for best accompanying music for a film.
Settle into the perfect Sydney summer night thanks to Tropfest. Grab a blanket and some friends, and head to the park for a free screening of all of this year’s entries. After the screening, films will be awarded and the filmmaker finalists will have the chance to win several amazing prizes ranging from a new car to a film immersion trip to Los Angeles where the winner will meet with industry executives. Check out this year’s finalists and pencil December 8 in for a night at the movies.
Photo Courtesy of Fairfax Media
