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Guide: Summer In The City

Summer is upon us, end-of-year deadlines are approaching, and Christmas parties are in full swing. We know that you can’t wait to get out of the office, but before you head to the beach indefinitely, check out our top choices for places to go and things to see this summer.

The Sydney Opera House If you aren’t in the Christmas spirit yet, a 3-hour Handel Messiah performance is sure to take you there.  From Dec 14-16 you can join the festive experience in the Opera House’s largest concert hall with performances from the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra. Famous for the Hallelujah refrain but lavish with melodies of sorrow, hope, and the joy of Christ’s birth, Messiah is a timeless expression of the season of good tidings. Your kiddies are not likely to sit still for any amount of Handel, but they’ll definitely love Jay Laga’aia’s Classic Christmas. Catering from the youngest members of the household to grandparents, Jay introduces kids to classical music with beloved Christmas carols and familiar jingles. Enjoy a relaxed environment where kids (and parents) are free to sing and dance along. You can even download the song lyrics before you go! Then, ring in the new year with All You Need is Love, a reinvented live Beatles concert, where four superb voices combine with the full Strawberry Fields orchestra to produce a spectacular rendition of the epic 1960’s group who transformed Rock’n’Roll. The performance will be held in the Concert Hall just three times, so get your tickets soon!   Circus Oz With a commitment to social justice and Australian values of tolerance, diversity, and a fair go for all, the Circus Oz is a family-friendly, animal-free circus that’s a must see this summer. For three decades the Melbourne-born circus has been travelling the globe as Australia’s national circus, performing daring feats of bravery, strength and energy laced with witty humour. The Circus is noted for their exceptional acrobatics, but perform traditional circus acts while engaging a contemporary audience with satire and originally scored rock-n-roll music. In their upcoming tour, Model Citizens, performers and acrobats challenge the audience’s perception of reality while scrambling across over-sized everyday items in a giant playground. Having performed in over 27 countries for over 4 million people, they are truly an internationally acclaimed circus. Best of All, Paramount client Tony Grierson has secured 20 free tickets (first in, best dressed!) to see the show, with a VIP pre-drinks with Creative Director Rob Tannion.  Contact events@theofficespace.com.au if you would like a double or family pass.   Sydney Festival Every January Sydney teems with quirky, flirty, and fabulous artists and performers, all gathering to showcase their celebrations of culture. We’ve highlighted here two bold performances you won’t want to miss, but there will be an array of talent emanating from Sydney theaters, parks, and penthouses this Jan 6-28, 2018. Give them a go, and you will undoubtedly be inspired by their genius, disquieted with their avante-garde, and captivated by their virtuosity. Aquasonic is the world’s first underwater band, and this year you’ll have the chance to see them perform at the Carriagehouse. You read that right – an underwater concert. Musicians will be submerged in aquariums while playing instruments engineered by musicians, scientists, and deep-diving experts and master craftsmen. Hold onto your seats. The ethereal music might draw you in like the Sirens. Tree of Codes is a stunning contemporary ballet reinterpretation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2010 novel. On stage, ten dancers are accompanied by a stunning light show while colourful visuals and pulsing electronic music dazzle and delight the audience. The creative work of choreographer Wayne McGregor,  visual artist Olafur Eliasson, and music sensation Jamie xx, has received rave reviews worldwide, so get your ticket before it sells out.

MCA Australia’s Museum of Contemporary Art will be showcasing the mesmerizing Sip My Ocean exhibition by Swiss artist Pipolotti Rist this summer. Rist combines sculptures and videography to create unique renditions of nature, the body and technology that will stretch and dazzle your imagination. The Jon Campbell Collection showcases word and text through printmaking, sculpture, painting, and video, and employs Australian slang, slogans, and aphorims, as well as references to the artist’s younger years. The Word Collection is a display of political posters and prints from artists around Australia addressing topics of the 1970’s and 80’s that are still prevalent today: gender and equality, Indigenous rights, mining, and more.  The overlay of urban graffiti on a 19th century European scene creates a stark visual image of colonization, and viewers are challenged by the ordinary voices on political themes.   Jibbon Beach Loop Track Walk While the Bondi to Bronte Coastal walk is certainly a popular option for Sydney summer strolls, instead of joining the weekend throngs, why not take an excursion to the lesser-known Jibbon Beach Loop Track where you can view Aboriginal engravings along the way. Accessible from a drive through Royal National Park or by catching a ferry from Cronulla, the easy 5-7km walking trail (depending on how many diversions you take) follows the water from the Bundeena ferry wharf around to Jibbon Head, Port Hacking Point, and Shelley Beach. The walk starts at Jibbon Beach and winds along the coast, with a unique sidetrack to see preserved engravings by the Dharawal people, who are thought to have lived here for 7000 years until European settlement. From here the boardwalk continues, and if you’re not careful you’ll miss the track to Little Jibbon Beach, which is just fine if you’re not looking to suntan at a nude beach. Carrying on, the track continues after the boardwalk to Port Hacking Point with amazing panoramic views of the Cronulla coastline. From there, you’re not far from Shelley Beach, which is the perfect place to relax and picnic away from the crowds (of Manly’s famous Shelly Beach). Make a day of it in the park, and you’ll come back to the city more refreshed than when you left!   Whatever you do, make sure you take time out for yourself and those closest to you, so you can return rejuvenated and ready for a big 2018.

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