Christmas Festival
4pm - 9pm
Sat 11 & Sun 12
Sat 18 & Sun 19
FREE
Darling Harbour is hosting a Christmas Festival supported by 2DayFM. Expect variety style entertainment, live music, kids activities and much more
Tumbalong Park is about to be the epicentre of Sydney’s most exciting Christmas festival over two weekends in December. This live Christmas concert will be hosted by Emma Palmer from Play School, featuring headline performances from Mahalia Barnes, Monica Trapaga & the Guardians of Groove, Prinnie Stevens and Jade MacRae. There'll be DJs, a special super group of Sydney musicians, performers from the Australian Institute of Music and dance performances by Destructive Dance Steps. Plus the 2DayFM Black Thunder crew will be on the ground with fantastic prizes and freebies.
Expect loads of FREE entertainment of all shapes and sizes, from roving performers, face painting, chalk art activities, a bungee trampoline, carols, dance performances to the odd sing-along plus the arrival of a very special guest... Santa!
Alongside the big stage there will be a curated market featuring the best local stalls selling delicious Christmas treats and gourmet street food (think Toastiesmith, Mr Bao, KOI Dessert Bar and so much more).
Darling Harbour Christmas Festival is proudly supported by
.
Grab a festive bite to eat and let the fun begin with your host for the day, Emma Palmer - one of the most loved presenters on ABC’s Play School.
Santa Arrives!
Christmas Supergroup
Headline Performer
Sat 11 Dec MAHALIA BARNES
Sun 12 Dec MONICA TRAPAGA
Sat 18 Dec PRINNIE STEVENS
Sun 19 Dec JADE MCRAE
MEET THE PERFORMERS
Be entertained by world-class female songstresses and familiar faces and Hip Hop dancers as you sit back, enjoy a drink or two and be blown away by their powerful high energy performances. Read on to discover more about them, listen to their tracks or watch them in action...
Mahalia Barnes has been in and around music her entire life. Throughout her childhood years she was exposed to everything from Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett to Ike + Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, all of which helped shape her into the powerhouse soul and blues vocalist that has jaws dropping every time she picks up a mic.
Monica Trapaga and the Guardians of Groove bring you Swing, Swamp, and all that Jazz. These caretakers of funk are comprised of Australia's finest funksters with Evan Mannell (Drums), Zoe Hauptmann (Bass), Dave Macrae (Piano) and James Greening (Horns) gathered together by the Queen of Vibe Monica Trapaga. From New Orleans to Brazil, Harlem to Cuba this band is about dancing on your seats, or jumping on top of them.
RnB Soul Artist - Dancer - Actress Prinnie rose to stardom on Season1 of The Voice and has since has wowed audiences with more of her high energy performances in Thriller LIVE, The Bodyguard, HAIR and has had sell-out crowds at her Cabaret show "Lady Sings The Blues."
Listen to her tracks
Multiple ARIA award nominee and APRA award winner, Jade McRae has a rich musical history steeped in R&B and Jazz and has shared the stage with world-class legends such as Jimmy Barnes, Neil Finn, Ray Charles and John Legend.
Emma is well known to Australian children as one of the most loved presenters on ABC’s Play School, having appeared as a regular presenter for over 10 years. Emma is also a regular improviser on the popular kids podcast Story Salad and she voices two of the lead characters in the animated series Gasp!
Destructive Steps Dance Association (DSDA for short) is a non-profit charity organisation dedicated to promoting and spreading the positive ideals of Hip Hop through the Sydney Street Dance Community. DSDA works closely within the community to connect dancers to opportunities they might not have otherwise.
FESTIVE BITES
The Darling Harbour Christmas Festival will have a feast of local bites, festive goodies and a bar so bring an empty stomach and your jolly spirit to enjoy a wide range of cuisines prepared by local chefs, from baos and BBQ skewers to waffles and gelato.