LGBTQIA+ highlights we can’t wait to see this summer
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This year’s program is packed with diverse stories that make our community vibrant and unique. We're committed to building spaces guided by love, respect and authenticity.
These LGBTQIA+ highlights span joyous music theatre to dazzling drag; iconic photography to post-punk rock. They’ll take you from Sin City to the sultry heat of Darwin to an experimental world of hybrid creatures (thanks, ANITO).
Here are 10 of the incredible artists and events we can’t wait to see this summer.
Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera
Hit the Las Vegas strip for a deliciously fun take on a true tale. Las Vegas showmen Siegfried and Roy were inseparable: best friends, partners and muses. But the eccentric magicians were hurtling towards tragedy – their beloved Mantacore was a tiger, after all.
A very modern opera: This world premiere features larger-than-life characters, spellbinding magic and costumes from Oscar-winning designer Tim Chappel (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).
When: 8–25 January
Where: Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre (The Thirsty Mile)
Converted!
This brand-new comedy disco musical celebrates the lives of trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary teenagers who just want to be themselves.
The talented team: Converted! is written by award-winning comedy writer Vic Zerbst with composer Oliver John Cameron, and features a cast of nine brilliant young performers.
When: 3–25 January
Where: ATYP, The Rebel Theatre (The Thirsty Mile)
Tina – A Tropical Love Story
First Nations drag star Miss Ellaneous draws you into the sultry heat of the tropics with stories of growing up in Darwin and the impact of Tina Turner.
Who’s taking the stage? Miss Ellaneous is joined by special guest artists from the drag, First Nations and queer performance scene – including choreography from Sani Townson (fresh from Bangarra Dance Theatre’s critically acclaimed Horizon), singer-songwriters SIVILLION, drag queen and proud sistergirl Crystal Love and more. Simply the best, right?
When: 11–12 January
Where: Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre (The Thirsty Mile)
Chela
Fall hard for Australia’s new synth-pop queen, Chela. The shapeshifting artist brought you 2023’s electrifying queer anthems “Cool 2B Queer” (timed perfectly for Australia’s Pride Season) and “Hard 4 You”.
The vibe: When Chela hits the Sydney Festival stage, you can expect charisma to burn and some seriously enviable dance moves.
When: 4 January
Where: ACO On The Pier (The Thirsty Mile)
William Yang: Milestone
William Yang’s intimate slideshow traverses identity, sexuality, family, culture and survival. The legendary photographer is accompanied on stage by composer/pianist Elena Kats-Chernin and a chamber ensemble.
Spanning history: Milestone is the life of a Chinese-Australian artist chronicling queer stories in Australia, from the early days of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 90s. Above all, it contemplates the importance of family and the ties binding relations all around the world.
When: 10–11 January
Where: Roslyn Packer Theatre (The Thirsty Mile)
ANITO
Immerse yourself in a queered Filipino ghost story co-created by Justin Talplacido Shoulder (The Glitter Militia, Club Ate). Rooted in Sydney’s underground queer and diasporic club scenes, ANITO combines collective craft, puppetry, dance and experimental electronic music.
The hype: ArtsHub dished out five stars, calling it “a work that is as liberating as it is dark and menacing”.
When: 15–18 January
Where: Carriageworks
Cowboy
Saddle up for Cowboy, an interactive solo contemporary dance work that ropes in the Wild West and your imagination. Creator and performer Michael Smith drags you into a world where the cowboy is king — or is he?
The personal connection: “The narrative is somewhat autobiographical in nature, drawing from my experience of growing up queer in regional Queensland with questions of what it means to be ‘a man,’” Smith told The Weekend Edition.
When: 8–11 January
Where: Riverside Theatres
Rufus Wainwright
The treasured pop performer, solo on piano and guitar, takes you on a personal tour of his wide-ranging, technicolour songbook at the Sydney Opera House.
In good company: the New York-born, Montreal-raised showman has collaborated with the likes of Elton John, Joni Mitchell, David Bryne, Miley Cyrus and Carly Rae Jepsen.
When: 8 January
Where: Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall
Jacky
Jacky’s got the hang of the 21st century. Negotiating the gig economy? No worries. Slipping from office internships to cultural performances? No probs. Sex work? Pays the bills. But when his unemployable little brother rolls into town, Jacky’s various lives in the white world threaten to come undone…
What the critics say: Hitting Belvoir St Theatre this summer, Jacky is a “theatrical belly laugh and a gut-punch at the same time” (The Queer Review).
When: 16 January–2 February
Where: Belvoir St Theatre
Cash Savage and The Last Drinks
With a potent combination of bruising post-punk rock, guttural vocals and raw songwriting, Melbourne’s Cash Savage and The Last Drinks has developed a reputation as one of the country’s most ferocious live acts.
The latest listen: 2023’s So This Is Love confirmed the band’s spot as one of our rock powerhouses, fusing tension, tenderness and political fury.
When: 11 January
Where: City Recital Hall
Telly Tuita: The Tā and Vā of Tongpop
Experience Telly Tuita’s vibrant “Tongpop” aesthetic splashed across The Thirsty Mile this summer. You’ll see extravagant totems, dancing Divas and a makeover of the SS John Oxley.
Get to know Tuita: Born in Tonga, raised in Western Sydney and now based in Wellington, the artist’s work reflects his Pacific heritage and the bright lights of our city.
When: 4–26 January
Where: The Thirsty Mile
Explore the full lineup of incredible LGBTQIA+ shows and artists here.