Past Festival Lineups
2023
26 May - 17 June
José González: Veneer 20th Anniversary (Aus excl) • Yaeji (Aus excl) • Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert (Aus excl) • Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Aus excl) • Max Richter: Ambient Orchestra with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra • Ella Mai • Thundercat • Weyes Blood • Hiatus Kaiyote and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Aus excl) • Kimbra • Budjerah • Ethel Cain • Sleaford Mods • Squarepusher • Jaguar Jonze: The Art of Broken Pieces (Aus excl) • Alfa Mist (UK) with special guests Swooping and Ella Haber • Posh Isolation Presents: Iceage (DK), Low Life, DX • Posh Isolation Presents: HTRK, Lust For Youth (SE/DK), Croatian Amor (DK), YL Hooi • Jen Cloher • The Necks • Martha Marlow: Queen Of The Night • Becca Hatch • Birdz & Fred Leone Present: Girra • Ashli • Maina Doe • Pirra • Pania • Jacoténe • Studio Party: Mad Racket - Plaid (UK) live A/V set plus Mad Racket DJs Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Zootie • Studio Party: Picnic Party • Studio Party: Future Classic feat. Nikki Nair, Martyn Bootyspoon, Shake Daddy • Studio Party: House of Mince 12th Birthday • Lighting of the Sails: Life Enlivened (2023) by John Olsen and Curiious
2022
27 May – 18 Jun
Paul Kelly and his band - Time and Tide: Four Decades of Song with Thelma Plum • Sampa The Great presents An Afro Future with Mwanjé & KYE, sounds by C.FRIM • Nils Frahm: Music for Sydney • Tkay Maidza with Maina Doe • Astral People 10 + 1 Birthday with Yussef Dayes, Hiatus Kaiyote, Jay1, Youngn Lipz, Briggs, Mildlife, Barkaa, Arno Faraji, Jitwam Live, Dameeeela, Bumpy, Hoodzy, Munasib • Masego • Club Kooky by the Harbour • Meg Mac • Hermitude • TEEKS • Boris 30th Anniversary Show performing Heavy Rocks (2002) with TOKIE • BLESSED presents AUSSIE BLACKSTAR with appearances by Maina Doe, Baby Prince + more • RVG • HTRK • Liars with The Double (Jim White & Emmett Kelly) • Low Life • Miiesha • Skeleten - Utopian Sound • Gordi • In the Mood - A Love Letter to Wong Kar-wai & Hong Kong starring Rainbow Chan, Eugene Choi & Marcus Whale • KUČKA • Ed Kuepper with Jim White • Tiny Ruins • Tangents & GODTET • Georgia Maq • 1300 • Liz Martin & Eliza Hull - Into the Space Between the Notes • A.GIRL • The Buoys • Future Classic Studio Party: Touch Sensitive (DJ Set), Tseba, Ayebatonye, Deepa • Picnic Studio Party: Wax’o Paradiso, Kali, Adi Toohey, Evie + Hyfe, Hosted by Millie Sykes • Astral People Studio Party: John Talabot • Mad Racket Studio Party: Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Zootie with Edseven & Tom Studdy (Steppers) and vocalist Natalie Slade • Lauren Brincat - Tutti Presto f f f, 2022 • Lighting of the Sails Yarrkalpa - Hunting Ground, 2021 by the Martu Artists and Curiious, soundtrack by Electric Fields & the Martu Artists
2019
24 May – 15 Jun
The Cure Disintegration 30th Anniversary • Maggie Rogers • Underworld • Sharon Van Etten • Herbie Hancock • Briggs' Bad Apples House Party • Dirty Three 25th Anniversary of Dirty Three • Teyana Taylor • Kelsey Lu • Jónsi & Alex Somers: Riceboy Sleeps • Club Kooky by the Harbour • Mad Racket by the Harbour ft. Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers and Robert Owens • Stella Donnelly • Jóhann Jóhannsson's Last and First Men with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra • Grouper • Spunk Records 20th Anniversary feat. The Middle East and more • Keaton Henson: Six Lethargies with the Opera Australia Orchestra • Lonnie Holley • The Spirit of Churaki • Studio Parties: Laurel Halo + 박혜진 park hye jin • A Guy Called Gerald • John Talabot • The Dirty Three documentary • The Hidden Pulse in collaboration with M+: Arthur Jafa • Wu Tsang • Cheng Ran with Shao Yanpeng aka Dead J • Charles Atlas • Stan Douglas • Lighting of the Sails: Austral Flora Ballet by Andrew Thomas Huang
2018
25 May – 16 Jun
Solange • Mazzy Star • Ice Cube • Cat Power Moon Pix 20th Anniversary • Dreams Daniel Johns & Luke Steele • H.E.R. • Iron & Wine • Neil Finn Out of Silence with Orchestra • Total Control & Friends • Middle Kid • No Mono • Joep Beving • Fugazi's Gui Picciotto Instrument Screening + Q&A • Xylouris White • HTRK • An Evening With Repressed Records ft. Nasho, Mick Turner, Nun, Hurtsville & More • Ambient 1: Music For Airports written by Brian Eno, performed by Alaska Orchestra • Studio Parties • Club Kooky • Kuren + Electric Fields • Burial 12"s all night long with DJ Eli • Astral People ft. Danny Krivit • Mad Racket ft. Lord of the Isles live • Lighting of the Sails: Metamathemagical by Jonathan Zawada
2017
26 May – 17 Jun
Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker presents Missing Link • Fleet Foxes • Laura Marling • AIR • The Avalanches Since I Left You Block Party with special guests DJ Shadow + Briggs + Sampa The Great + Jonti + DJ JNETT • Richie Hawtin CLOSE • Beth Orton • Repressed Records 15th Anniversary feat. Total Control, Severed Heads, Miss Destiny, Lucy Cliche, Kitchen's Floor, Fake (Cassius Select/ BV), Angie, Francis Plagne, Skyline, Horse Macgyver (Live Visuals) + more • Lisa Hannigan • Sampha • Bill Callahan • The Necks • Nai Palm • Camp Cope • Mountain an ACO collaboration • Goodgod Super Club Presents DJ Harvey + Karizma + Ben Fester + Steffi + Magda Bytnerowicz + Kenji Takimi + Noise In My Head + Nite Fliet • Soft Future Piano Bar presented by Goodgod • Lighting the Sails: Audio Creatures by Ash Bolland + Amon Tobin
2016
27 May – 18 Jun
New Order + ACO • Bon Iver presents Cercle • Anohni presents Hopelessness • Esperanza Spalding • Ta-ku feat. Wafia • Hiatus Kaiyote with Sampa The Great • Oneohtrix Point Never • Deafheaven • Poliça • Max Richter's Sleep • Wayne Shorter Quartet • Goodgod Super Club feat. Bradley Zero + Oneman, Asmara + Ben Fester + Kyle Hall + Magda • Tiny Ruins • Dress Up Attack! • Lighting of the Sails Songlines
2015
22 May – 8 Jun
An Evening with Morrissey • Sufjan Stevens • Daniel Johns • FCX 10 Years of Future Classic feat. Flume + Flight Facilities + Seekae + Touch Sensitive + Wave Racer + George Maple + Hayden James + Charles Murdoch • TV on the Radio • Bill Callahan • Squarepusher • The Drones Wait Long by the River... 10th anniversary + exlcusive album preview • The Preatures • Repressed Records presents Royal Headache + more • Melbourne Ska Orchestra with Mojo Juju • Dress Up Attack! For Children & Grown Ups • RBMA Studio Party • Mad Racket • Goodgod Minceteria! • Astral People • Elefant Traks • Lighting of the Sails: Living Mural by Universal Everything
2014
23 May – 1 Jun
Ms. Lauryn Hill • Giorgio Moroder • Pixies • St. Vincent • The Heritage Orchestra: The Music of Moroder An Orchestral Celebration • Timeline: Australian Chamber Orchestra feat. The Presets • Since I Left You A Celebration of The Avalanches with Jonti + The Astral Kids • James Vincent McMorrow • Anna Calvi • Kate Miller-Heidke • Nils Frahm • Penny Penny • Astral People • Siberia Records • R.I.P Society • Future Classic • Midlake • Lighting of the Sails: 59 Productions
2013
24 May – 2 Jun
Empire Of The Sun • Kraftwerk (The Catalogue – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8) • Megafaun & Fight The Big Bull present Sounds Of The South feat. Justin Vernon • Bobby Womack • Vangelis: music from Blade Runner • Bish Bosch Ambisymphonic • The Gurrumul Project • Karl Hyde (Underworld) • Sunnyboys • Cloud Control • Live_Transmission: Joy Division Reworked • C.W. Stoneking • The Sunnyboy (film) • Matthew E. White • Future Classic Party • Goodgod Danceteria! • Club Kooky • Lighting of the Sails: Spinifex
2012
25 May – 3 Jun
Karen O in STOP THE VIRGENS • Florence + the Machine • The Temper Trap • Bryce Dessner + Nico Muhly + Sufjan Stevens Planetarium • Janelle Monae & the Archandroid Orchestra • Amon Tobin Live Beyond 3D ISAM • Efterklang & Sydney Symphony • PVT • Shut up and Play the Hits • My Brightest Diamond • Seekae • Danny Brown • Med • Ellesquire • Halfway Crooks DJs • Zola Jesus • Light Asylum • Forces • Modular • Future Classic • Goodgod Danceteria • Lighting of the Sails: Urbanscreen
2011
27 May – 5 Jun
Curated by Stephen Pavlovic
Spiritualized • Chris Cunningham • Bat for Lashes • Architecture in Helsinki • Cut Copy • Yo Gabba Gabba! • Sonny Rollins • OFWGKTA • Hypnotic Brass Ensemble • Tame Impala • DOM • WU LYF • The Avalanches DJ set • 2manydjs • Azari & III • The Crystal Ark • Bag Raiders • Sneaky Sundays • Daniele Baldelli • Canyons • Horse Meat Disco • Superbein • Mad Racket • The Swiss • Tom Kuntz • Beni • Van She • Flight Facilities • Club Kooky • Softwar • Bamboo Musik • Changes • Lighting of the Sails: La Macular by Superbien
2010
27 May – 11 Jun
Curated by Laurie Anderson + Lou Reed
Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio • Transitory Life A Retrospective, Songs & Stories by Laurie Anderson • Noise Night • Metric's Emily Haines with strings • David Hidalgo + Marc Ribot: Border Music • Songs from Delusion by Laurie Anderson • Slow Music Night • Blind Boys of Alabama + special guests • Melt-Banana • Holly Miranda • Rickie Lee Jones • Young Jean Lee • Bardo Pond • Boris • King Khan & BBQ Show • My Brightest Diamond • Chirgilchin • Doveman • Day for Night Movies • The Shipment • New York Genius curated by Lou Reed • Sydney Shuffle Lou Reed + Hal Willner • Power and Serenity: Tai Chi • Music for Dogs
2009
26 May – 14 Jun
Luminous: a festival curated by Brian Eno
Ladytron • Battles • Lee “Scratch” Perry • Jon Hopkins • Reggie Watts • Jon Hassell • Rachid Taha • Damien Dempsey & the cosmic Laraaji • The Necks & Back to Back Theatre