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Fans of live music will definitely be in their element when going on holiday to Sydney. With fantastic venues situated all over the city and dozens of top international and Australian acts performing every week, you’re guaranteed to have a great night out.
Before you get too carried away browsing concert listings, you’ll need to take care of essentials such as booking a flight from the UK to Australia, sorting out accommodation and arranging a visa. Once you’ve done that, you can start looking into what bands and singers will be performing during your break. With that in mind, here a few of the best venues that Sydney has to offer.
Oxford Art Factory
Taking its inspiration from Andy Warhol’s legendary Factory studio in New York, the Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst is definitely a good place for culture vultures to visit.
Situated on Oxford Street, the establishment consists of two separate stages – the Live Art Space and the Gallery Bar. The former has a 500 person capacity and regularly hosts international and local bands, as well as vaudeville and burlesque performances, while the latter holds 120 people and is often used as an exhibition space for art shows.
This is a great place for fans of indie and rock music to convene, with Swedish singer Jens Lekman, The Wedding Present and Foals among the acts set to play here in the first few months of 2013. With more than 5,000 people thought to come through the venue’s doors each week, however, you’re likely to be in good company no matter which act you see.
The Basement
Head to the Circular Quay region of Sydney and you’ll find The Basement. Dating back to 1972, the establishment originally specialised in hosting jazz music (Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock are just two musicians to have played here) but you can now take in a vast range of genres.
Indeed, as you can expect to find everything from folk bands to indie acts taking to the stage here, there’s bound to be something for you. Among those due to play at Basement over the next few months are Stan Ridgway, Tony Joe White and English blues singer Joanne Shaw Taylor, so if you’re looking to take a holiday to Sydney in the coming weeks you should act quickly and book a ticket so you don’t miss out.
The Basement is situated in the block between Bridge Street and Reiby Place and can be easily spotted by the large white umbrellas that are situated at its main entrance.
Sydney Entertainment Centre
If you’re hoping to see some truly big name acts perform during your holiday, it’s worth seeing who’s playing at the Sydney Entertainment Centre (SEC). Situated just a short distance from the city’s Darling Harbour, this 13,250-people capacity arena is one of the biggest indoor venues in the country.
Elton John, Simple Minds and Radiohead have performed here in recent months, while Neil Young, The Script and Ed Sheeran are all set to take to the stage in 2013. However, if you don’t fancy going to a concert every night of your holiday, you may be interested to know that SEC also puts on stand-up comedy shows and hosts the home games for the city’s professional basketball team the Sydney Kings.
These are just some of the best live music venues that Sydney has to offer, but if you know any more please leave a comment and tell us!
