Brand story
For some, knowledge is a thing to be guarded. When they stumble upon something remarkable, they keep it close – whispering its name, saving it for a chosen few.
Sydney Festival is the opposite. We seek out transformative experiences, not to clutch them to our chest, but to hold them up. To shout about them. To share them, far and wide.
This Festival is built on collective experience. When a crowd is laughing so hard it hurts; when a room erupts with thunderous, ecstatic applause; when strangers feel a sudden, electric connection – these are the moments that drive us to share.
That impulse fuels our curiosity. It’s why we chase the new, the strange, the profound, the jaw-dropping. From La Scala to Parramatta, from ancient traditions to the just-emerging, from the highest of high-brow to the gleefully irreverent.
We ask questions, and we listen. Sydney Festival is knowledgeable, but never a know-it-all. We’re generous with what we know. Our core audience loves us deeply – but nothing delights us (or them) more than bringing first-timers into the fold. No-one is ever talked down to, here. You won’t feel out of place because you haven’t heard of an act, an artist, or a genre.
Sydney Festival is that friend who’s always in the know – whose tips you trust, whose recommendations you follow, because you know they’re good. Essential. We’re trusted because we’ve earned it, year after year.
We love Sydney in summer. We love art, culture, performance – the electricity that crackles when they collide. And above all, we love to share those transformative, joyous experiences with as many people as we can.
Tone of voice principles
We are Charismatic.
Rubber arms are for twisting; plunges are for taking. We’re both an angel on your left shoulder and a devil on your right, each one whispering “put down that phone”. With warmth, humour, self-awareness and enthusiasm, we cajole and corral – without the hard sell.
We don’t sound like robots.
Our language is human, warm, and descriptive. Emotion is to be embraced, not avoided.
Examples
- No
- The audience may lie on the floor to enjoy the show if they feel like it.
- Yes
- You’re invited to lie down on the floor, with the lights flickering low, and let this immersive experience take over.
We don’t lecture, harangue, or harass.
If people attend, it should be because they want to – not because they’ve been pressured or guilt-tripped.
Examples
- No
- You could choose to skip the sweat, sacrifice and sensational choreography – just don’t complain that you weren’t told.
- Yes
- Dive into a world of sweat, sacrifice and sensational choreography when music theatre’s singular sensation comes to Sydney Festival.
We don’t take ourselves too seriously.
A pinch of self-deprecation makes us relatable, approachable, and dare-we-say even more lovable.
Examples
- No
- An enjoyable evening with many of history’s greatest composers.
- Yes
- It’s also the most fun you can have with Mozart and a blanket, probably.
We are Knowledgeable.
We have a wide and deep understanding of the arts, both in Australia and internationally. But we wear that knowledge lightly – no-one likes a snob. Our perspective is born out of lived experience, with respect for the artists and our audiences.
We don’t condescend or lecture.
We live and breathe the arts (hey – we are a festival), but we’re aware that not everyone does.
Examples
- No
- Please hold your applause until the conclusion of the aria.
- Yes
- Operas have different rules for clapping. If you’re unsure, just wait until everyone applauds – and join in.
We don’t use jargon.
Some performances and installations come with a technical lexicon that will only be familiar to a few. We avoid using terms that exclude or mystify the majority.
Examples
- No
- Be aware that patrons in the stalls are likely to experience moisture.
- Yes
- If you’re sitting right at the front, you’re going to get wet.
We don’t speak too casually.
We don’t live in an ivory tower, but we don’t want to over-correct either. So, we tend to avoid slang. Our voice is friendly, conversational Australian – but not ocker.
Examples
- No
- … a long, lazy arvo whiled away at the beach.
- Yes
- … a long, lazy afternoon whiled away at the beach.
We are Welcoming.
We bring the best of the world to Sydney. To everyone. Audiences – and potential audiences – should never feel excluded. The Festival is for the pioneering, the curious, and the fun-loving – no matter who, or where, you are.
We don’t exclude with our language
Look for opportunities to make readers feel welcome and included. Avoid using third-person, abstract terms like “audiences” or “patrons”. Rather, invite us all inside with words like “you”, and “we”.
Examples
- No
- Patrons are advised to arrive on time as this will be a highly attended event.
- Yes
- You’re invited to come early, grab a good spot, and settle in.
We don’t use big words when simple ones will do.
Avoid the ignominy of preposterous grandiloquence. Just write simply.
Examples
- No
- The ignominy of preposterous grandiloquence.
- Yes
- The shame of using ridiculously big words.
We don’t punish or shame.
Instilling some FOMO is fine – you really should join us – but our approach is all carrot; no stick.
Examples
- No
- It’s free. No tickets, no excuses. Just show up with your mates, a rug and whatever bubbles you can muster – unless you actually enjoy missing out on epic music for no reason.
- Yes
- This is a free and unticketed event; simply bring your favourite people, a picnic rug, a bottle of bubbly and all the cheese in the land to Parramatta Park – and we’ll bring you epic music from across the ages.
We have Flavour.
Call us tasteless, if you must – but never, ever, call us bland. By taking a point-of-view, we’re letting our personality really shine through. Adding a dollop of hot sauce. Distancing ourselves from a generic, corporate, everyone-is-a-winner POV. It’s a balancing act, and should be used sparingly (it is hot sauce, after all). But – when used well – a touch of candour will add colour, intrigue, and trust.
We don’t hide behind meaningless statements.
Our audience is smart; they know vapidity when they see it. We write with intention and purpose.
Examples
- No
- Packed with stunning visuals, incredible beats, and unforgettable moves.
- Yes
- Rich with innovative visual compositions, complex rhythms, and deliciously unpredictable choreography.
We don’t always take the neutral road.
Writing resonates when it takes a stand.
Examples
- No
- … this jaw-dropping production examines society, and asks questions about the environment and our future.
- Yes
- … this jaw-dropping production is us at our critical moment: a world poised on the brink, a species at the crossroads of its own survival.
We don’t have to please everyone all the time.
Some experiences are challenging and provocative – that’s the idea.
Examples
- No
- Audiences might wish to imagine something else entirely during the sexual encounter in a camping store.
- Yes
- Close your eyes (if you must), have your ears felt up by live and fruity foley effects, and wonder what it might be to peg someone in a camping supplies store at 10am on a Wednesday.
We are Passionate.
It’s not an act: we’re here because we genuinely believe in the cause. Our enthusiasm motivates and expands our audience – and will get them telling their friends. We are inspired to share because we believe it will move, transform, and invigorate Sydney.
We don’t sound insincere, ironic, or disingenuous.
You’ll never catch us rolling our eyes at the arts, or pretending to be above it all.
Examples
- No
- … the sort of music critics rave about, dutifully sprinkled with classical references so you know it’s authentic.
- Yes
- … hypnotic and achingly beautiful contemporary music that draws deeply from Indian classical roots.
We don’t shy away from emotion.
When something moves us, we say so. When we’re in awe, we let it show.
Examples
- No
- … Encantado builds to an exciting conclusion.
- Yes
- … Encantado builds from stillness to a joyous crescendo of freedom.
We don’t overhype, or resort to empty superlatives.
Passion doesn’t mean everything is “the best ever”. We let our excitement show, but we keep it honest.
Examples
- No
- Over one mind-blowing hour, Manifesto cranks the dial to max – unleashing Lake’s daredevil dancers in a jaw-dropping, bone-rattling blast of pure adrenaline and artistic fire.
- Yes
- Manifesto builds and builds over an enthralling hour, whipping Lake’s fearless dancers into an exhilarating and irresistible celebration of human creativity and spirit.