Limited numbers to attend Australia Day events in Sydney as legendary artist line up announced

Australia Day Council of NSW Chair, Andrew Parker said that while Australia Day 2021 will be different this year, the community will still have an opportunity to celebrate our national day in a COVID-Safe way.

“This Australia Day we will have fewer events, with smaller crowds and everyone will be able to watch the celebrations at home on ABC TV,” Mr Parker said.

“We have been guided by health advice and are pleased to confirm today that 500 frontline workers have been offered tickets to attend the Australia Day Live concert at the Sydney Opera House.”

Mr Parker said a further 500 tickets will be available to the public to view Australia Day Live fireworks from the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) lawn with stage performances watched via a screen, and up to 1,200 free tickets for the WugulOra Morning Ceremony at Sydney’s Barangaroo Reserve.

Circular Quay will be closed to the public after 5pm so only those with a ticket or confirmed venue booking will be allowed in the precinct and on-site QR check-ins will be required.

“From sunrise to sunset, a diverse line-up of artists will perform and entertain the nation with everyone able to watch on from home,” Mr Parker said.

Australia Day begins with the WugulOra Morning Ceremony at Sydney’s Barangaroo Reserve. This significant and symbolic event reminds us that Australia’s First Nations people are the foundation of our nation’s story and continue to maintain the world's oldest living culture. The event celebrates Aboriginal culture through music, dance, language and ceremony. The Governor of NSW and NSW Premier will speak at the ceremony.

Renowned soul singer and songwriter, Emma Donovan will perform the beautiful ballad Yil Lull written by Joe Geia in the 70s, accompanied by William Barton on digeridoo.

Into the night, Australia Day Live at Sydney Opera House Forecourt and Circular Quay will once again entertain and inspire with a star-studded line-up of Aussie artists including Delta Goodrem, Dami Im and Casey Donovan.

Joining these female powerhouses is First Nations pop sensation Mitch Tambo; music legend Iva Davies, who with world-renowned didgeridoo player William Barton, will perform a ground-breaking opening segment that looks at Circular Quay when it was known as Warrane; one of Australia's most versatile performing artists Todd McKenney with the cast of Shrek The Musical; and tenor Lorenzo Rositano will entertain the nation with much loved classics.

Australia Day Live is a fitting finale to our national day with the unique concert taking place both on land and water, featuring live musical performances choreographed to a flotilla of yachts, jet-skis, fly boarders and alighting and fireworks display on Sydney Harbour. There will be tributes to NSW frontline workers, including projections on the Sydney Opera House sails.

Beloved superstar Delta Goodrem is ready to shine and share her magical voice at Australia Day Live. "As a proud Australian, I am honoured to perform at this year’s Australia Day Live at the Sydney Opera House forecourt to thank all our frontline workers,” Delta said.

And Dami Im, who first captured our hearts when she won The X Factor Australia in 2013 and represented Australia at Eurovision in 2016, also can’t wait to perform for the second time at Australia Day Live, following on from her 2018 Australia Day performance.

“It's been a tough year for all Australians - with national disasters and the pandemic, yet we've all been able to come together as we always do. This Australia Day, let’s celebrate our resilience and ability to work through tough times,” Ms Im said.

Another Australia Day Live favourite – Casey Donovan, said Australia Day is a time to stop and reflect on the previous year and how far we have come as a country and a community.

“Being an Indigenous Australian means that I am proud to call Australia home. And Australia Day Live is a great way to celebrate,” she said.

Australia Day in Sydney creative director, John Foreman OAM said “our vision for this event is to create hope, optimism and to pay tribute to our nation by showcasing diverse talent performing iconic Aussie hits and it’s great that we can now offer some tickets to a live audience on the forecourt and one location in Circular Quay.

“This Australia Day is a time to reflect, respect and celebrate our diversity, recognising that our country is made up of so many different people. It’s about respecting our differences and looking to the future. That is why we are bringing together some of our best and most successful artists, each with their own unique story and experiences to share with the nation,” Mr Foreman said.

HOW TO GET FREE GENERAL PUBLIC TICKETS:

Free tickets to The WugulOra Morning Ceremony and Australia Day Live (Circular Quay location) will be available on Wednesday, 20 January 2021 at 10am through www.australiaday.com.au until booked out.

• 7.30am-8.30am: WugulOra Morning Ceremony – Barangaroo Reserve (1,200 tickets)
• 7:30pm-9:30pm: Australia Day Live – MCA Lawn – Circular Quay (500 tickets)

Tickets to Australia Day Live at the Sydney Opera House have been offered to frontline workers in public agencies via key NSW Government agencies and departments.

Everyone everywhere is encouraged to watch both events live on ABC TV and iview.

Crowd numbers and arrangements are in line with COVID-19 Safe measures and continue to be subject to health advice. Arrangements for ticketed events are subject to change.

To ensure public safety for Australia Day Live, restrictions will be in place around the Circular Quay foreshore precinct. Only those with a confirmed restaurant booking or ticket will be allowed entry into the area after 5.00pm.

For more information on Australia Day in NSW, please visit www.australiaday.com.au

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