Blog

Yabun Festival 2015

We at Pitt St Mall recognise the traditional owners of our land and give our upmost support to events such as the Yabun Festival which promote the beautiful artistic and cultural offerings of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples in our wonderful harbour city of Sydney.

The Yabun Festival is Australia’s largest one day showcase of Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultural arts with performances from blues, country, folk, hip hop, pop and traditional artists. Another common favourite for patrons is the spoken word section of the event – where varies indigenous and non-indigenous members of the community share poems and prose highlighting the various dimensions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander experience from the time of the Dreaming until the present.

Several prominent headline acts will appear including Jimblah, Benny Walker and Stephen Pigram. The Yabun Festival will also feature more than music with a rich dance program, traditional smoking ceremonies, a Speakout tent, art and craft stalls as well as other activities for the kids.

The event is officially sponsored by the City of Sydney and the price of entry is a gold coin donation. The event will be help on Australia Day Monday from 10am to 7pm at Victoria Park on the Cnr of City Road and Parramatta Road, Camperdown. Camperdown is accessible from a number of bus services running via Pitt and George St so if you would like to spend your Australia Day browsing our wonderful range of shops and retail outlets please feel free to do so – as you will be able to make your way up to the Yabun Festival with ease. Also remember that if you are considering making your way into the city after visiting the festival in the morning, be aware of significant traffic delays as patrons begin to file into the city in order to seek the best vantage point for the Australia Day Fireworks. Therefore we would advise a train from Central Station to Martin Place to minimise delays as bus routes may be crowded.

Sydney Festival 2015

January is Sydney’s Month – with the entire city changing shape in a modern cultural expression of new ideas and breathtaking art. We here at Pitt St Mall fully endorse and support all the events in this year’s Sydney Festival and would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about why this event is so special.

The program consists of 370 performances and around 100 events, involving 30 venues and over 700 artists. The ethos behind the Sydney Festival is that everyone should be included – from small kids right up to our pensioners and senior citizens. Equitable programming and a free range of events also means that the Sydney Festival doesn’t exclude anyone on the basis of price – with ample opportunity for everyone to experience a little bit of this great city without having to spend a dollar.

Even with some performances being ticketed – entry is available at the door for as low as $25 which ensures that attending some of the more higher level events is accessible to people from all walks of life. Concerts occur throughout the festival in both The Domain and Parramatta featuring a combination of more modern music in the ‘Summer Sounds’ program. ‘Summer Sounds’ features all the way from New Orleans in the United States to Mali in Africa. Towards the later stages of the festival, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will also be featuring to provide visitors with a more classical contrast.

The festival also provides a beautiful ambience well into the night with The Spiegeltent in the main Festival Village in Hyde Park featuring a number of shows which combine the art of burlesque and contemporary music to create a spectacle which is not easily forgettable for viewers. The Festival Bar also runs well into the night providing an ongoing source of enjoyment for younger patrons – with DJs and bands playing well past the kid’s bedtime.

The festival is also known for its ability to draw talent with Sir Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Ralph Fiennes, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello, David Byrne and a number of other celebrities expected to make an appearance.

The festival runs from the 8^th to the 26^th of January and we encourage you to stop by Pitt St Mall for a bit of shopping before walking two blocks to Hyde Park to enjoy the festivities. Also we can expect some heat in the lead up to Australia Day, so if you are looking for a break from the burning sun – come inside for a quick shop and enjoy our wonderful air-conditioned retail space