Here’s what’s happening across Australia in September
Spring has well and truly sprung, which means there’s plenty to do wherever you are in the country.
From festivals celebrating spring blooms to displays of Aussie art and theatre, here’s what’s happening this September.
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition in Adelaide
Enjoy a taste of Sicily's finest art without needing your passport at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition. The exhibit, running until October 9, includes all 34 of the frescoes Michelangelo painted across the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, reproduced in life-size form using special printing techniques.
Image: Supplied
The art is accompanied by an audio guide that will give visitors an insight into the artist's life.
Hosted at Adelaide's Rundle Place, seeing the exhibit will set you back $30.20 for adults, $23.50 for seniors or $21 for kids, with tickets available here.
Sydney Fringe Festival
After a two-year hiatus, Sydney’s celebration of the arts is back for another year, with the 2022 program boasting its longest ever runtime.
From August 16 til September 30, nine festival hubs around Sydney will host more than 500 events, with over 80 percent of the program being world premieres.
Local talent and entertainers across all art forms will be featured in this year’s program. Images: Sydney Fringe Festival (Facebook)
Films, theatre, musical acts, spoken word, comedy shows, and visuat art la will form the bulk of the program, with highlights including Sydney Fringe Sideshow, top-notch local talent at Made in Sydney, and Global Fringe - an online program taken straight from Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
To find out what’s happening near you and lock in tickets, head here.
Darwin International Film Festival
Australia’s Top End will be welcoming a flood of cinema from all over the world for the Darwin International Film Festival.
The annual film festival will be showcasing 50 films from over 20 countries, with a focus on South-East Asian cinema, as well as Northern Australian and Indigenous stories and some of the NT’s top talent.
Image: Darwin International Film Festival (Facebook)
Kicking off from Thursday, September 15, the 11-night festival will be taking place across multiple venues, including a deckchair cinema, sundown screen on the Darwin waterfront and the Darwin Ski Club.
To get tickets and scope out the full program, head here.
Brisbane Festival
For the entire month, Brisbane will be hosting a bounty of installations, theatre, circus acts, and more, with hubs in South Bank, Northshore Brisbane, West Village, and another seven mini-festivals in the surrounding suburbs.
This year’s Brisbane Festival offers more than 580 performances across the city, including 230 free events, as well as the premiere and return of top-notch theatrical events at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
This year’s program is packed with jawdropping installations and top-notch shows. Images: Brisbane Festival (Facebook)
Highlights include:
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BBQ Festival Garden, the all-ages playground offering plenty of food, wine and entertainment
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West Village - the home to larger-than-life installations of the planets, including the Museum of the Moon, Mars, and Gaia.
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Brisbane’s Art Boat, a celestial floating art experience that boasts a unique water bar and performance program of sunset and sunrise cruises inspired by this year’s artwork, called The Spheres.
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Brisbane Serenades - a summery series of festivals heading to the suburbs - including block and warehouse parties, the MOSAIC Multicultural Festival, and music and food enjoyed in nature or by the water.
To find out more about this year’s program and secure tickets, head here.
S&R Blossom Festival
What better way to celebrate spring than with some bright and cheerful blooms, and the S&R Blossom Festival in Walliston, Perth, has you covered.
The three-week celebration of all things flowery - running from September 5-26 - is also packed with plenty of activities, including free tractor rides, bouncy castles and an animal farm, as welt as on-site food trucks, flower crown making on the weekends, and rides for the kids to enjoy.
Images: S&R Orchard Perth (Facebook)
Pets and picnic blankets are welcome, with tickets setting you back $12 for adults and $5 for kids over three.
Wisdom and Light
The rooftop of Melbourne’s Golden Square parking lot will be taken over by a multi-sensory audio and visual experience called Wisdom and Light.
Relying on cutting edge tech and fusing light, art and sound, the exhibit promises to take visitors through the story of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Buddhist organisation Fo Guang Shan, and his artwork.
Image: Wisdom and Light (Facebook)
Once you’ve had your fill of vegetarian delicacies and enjoyed the illuminated Lotus Flower Sanctuary, the celebration continues in the adjacent gallery exhibiting his rare one-stroke calligraphy artwork - and the chance to try your hand at creating your own art.
Running from September 1 until October 2, the exhibit will be open from 10am until 10pm daily, with tickets starting at $22 for concession, $27 for adults and free entry for kids under seven.
Images: Supplied / S&R Orchard Perth (Facebook)