Sydney’s iconic White Bay Power Station, the city’s newest cultural space, is opening its doors this spring for the free Power Up Festival; three days and two nights of the best of local creativity and talent across art, music, food and drinks.
From Friday 20 – Sunday 22 September, immerse yourself in over 100 artists and 200 musicians and performers including Josh Pyke, Azadoota, Legs On The Wall and AfroMbollo, and enjoy mouth-watering eats and drinks from Inner West favourites Mary’s, Mapo Gelato, White Bay Brewery and more.
Sydney’s oldest surviving power station, White Bay Power Station has recently been restored and evolved into an exciting cultural space. It’s the only power station in Sydney that holds equipment and machinery from before the 1950s.
After opening its doors and welcoming 180,000 visitors for the 24th Biennale of Sydney, Power Up Festival is the second chance Sydneysiders will have to explore the incredible historic building for free, bringing the community together for a spectacular showcase of creativity and talent within the neighbourhood.
Journeying through the massive Turbine Hall, Sydneysiders will find amazing artworks from 100+ local artists displayed throughout, leading into the historic Pump House and Boiler House, where guests will find a collective of local brewers and distillers as well as delicious food and drink.
There will also be a selection of local makers and community stands. The Power Up Stage, also located in the Boiler House, will ignite with live music, captivating performances, and a line-up of exciting and unmissable fun for everyone.
A SONIC JOURNEY
From cabaret and magic shows to DJs, bands and orchestras, each day of the festival will have different programming, offering the very best of our local community. See highlights below:
Friday 20 September:
For those that love a bit of variety, Friday will be for you – featuring a diverse array of local performers and musicians, Friday’s stellar line-up will include circus acts, magic, cabaret and cultural performances.
- Azadoota – A favourite on the festival scene for almost three decades, these Assyrian musicians from across the globe, including 14-year-old Josh on piano, perform in costumes inspired by their ancient royal ancestors.
- Batterie – The brainchild of Jared Underwood, award winning musician, composer, percussionist and experimentalist, combines improvised live drums, synthesisers, sampling, looping, and electronics in a unique live solo show that pushes the boundaries of what a solo performer can do.
- Electrify Cabaret – Be transported back in time with an electrifying mix of vaudeville, circus acts, magic, comedy and swing music, all inspired by White Bay Power Station’s ambience and history. This enchanting evening will feature ‘Mr Magic’ Adam Mada, Daniel Gorski, Queenie & The Cavaliers and more.
Saturday 21 September:
From morning to evening, Saturday will be jam-packed with electrifying indie and rock style performances from local musicians and theatrical performers. Full program below:
- Josh Pyke – Josh Pyke is a four time ARIA award-winning singer/songwriter and APRA Ambassador with a successful and critically acclaimed career both domestically and overseas, and numerous gold and platinum accreditations in Australia. Having grown up just a stone’s throw from White Bay Power Station, Josh will share personal stories and his signature lyrical brilliance in this unforgettable performance.
- Legs On The Wall – Large scale spectacle, electrifying choreography, and an iconic location; Hive Of Industry is an embodiment of Leg On The Wall’s prowess with performers soaring through the halls, their bodies contrasted by the sheer scale of the turn of the century architecture.
- AfroMbollo – Senegalese master percussionist Yacou Mbaye leads an all-star band of local musicians playing a fusion of traditional Senegalese music with funk, hip hop and afrobeats getting people of all ages up on their feet and moving!
- Tangents – Four leading figures across many musical genres create a distinct blend of electronic, jazz, rock and new music-inspired styles.
- Leichhardt Espresso Chorus – Performing in the inner west for the past 25 years, this choir stretches the boundaries of excellence in community music and fosters new Australian choral music.
- Jade Yee-Smith – Rising singer-songwriter Jade Yee-Smith is a 20 year old indie pop/rock artist. Jade’s musical and aesthetic palate draws from the timeless allure of 90s and 2000s rock, infused with infectious modern pop melodies.
- House of Monkeys – A collective of young, local emerging artists & musicians will perform an inspiring set which speaks to White Bay Power Station and Wangal Country.
Sunday 22 September:
Sunday will be full of family-friendly vibes, perfect for all who want to unwind and relax for the week – bring along your bub to learn all about music and instruments, enjoy an enchanting set of classical music or come for a relaxed wander through the historic halls. Program breakdown below:
- Sydney Youth Orchestras – The 50 piece Peter Seymour Orchestra will present two one-hour long, family-friendly Meet The Orchestra sessions which will delight young kids and their parents. The Philharmonic Orchestra will also perform a 2-hour long concert, featuring a compelling series of Inner West singer/songwriters, composers and performers.
- In between, the Inner West Community Band will fill the Boiler House with the rousing sounds of 40 local musicians.
UNIQUE LOCAL ART & TOURS
From browsing locally made artisan goods, to admiring colourful and unique, locally made art, Sydneysiders will leave Power Up Festival feeling inspired to tap into their own creativity and more connected to their local community than ever before.
Whilst White Bay Power Station is a piece of art in itself, the festival will be filled with displays of the best of local art across all three days. The Greenway Art Prize which is now in its 14th year will celebrate the vibrancy, creativity and community spirit of the Inner West, featuring over 200 artworks in a variety of mediums around the theme sustainable transport, environment, urban ecology and waterways.
Other local collectives showcasing their work include Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-Operative, One+2 Studios and many other independent artists who have been selected through an expression of interest process.
Due to popular demand, there will also be FREE Behind the Scenes Heritage Tours run by Museums of History NSW as part of its Sydney Open Series, and special Community Engagement Tours.
In these small group tours, you will learn about the fascinating history of the building and explore restricted areas, including the super instagrammable control room. Registrations for these free tours are available to book soon on the website here – these will fill up, so be sure to get in quick!
For young and budding artists, White Bay Power Station is running its Creative Communities Competition where students living or attending school in the Inner West can submit their artworks inspired by the Power Station for a chance to have it displayed at the newly reopened historic building and to win a range of exciting prizes. The competition closes midnight Sunday 25 August 2024 and submissions can be made on the website here.
TASTY LOCAL TREATS
There will be plenty of delicious locally made food and beverages to celebrate the local food scene and enjoy during the Power Up Festival. Much-loved gastronomic vendors from the Inner West include Little Marionette (Rozelle), Mapo Gelato (Newtown), Casa Esquina (Balmain) and Mary’s (Newtown) and they’ll be joined by Sydney-based vendors Mikki Paella, Souvlaki Grill and Agape Organic.
Heading up the drinks will be a roundup of the Inner West’s best distilleries White Bay Brewery, Red Mill Rum, Inner West Ale Trail, Blackwattle Distilling and Otter Co Distilling who will also host tastings for thirsty revellers.
The Power Up Festival takes place at the White Bay Power Station from Friday 20 – Sunday 22 September 2024. For more information, visit: www.whitebaypowerstation.com for details.
Images: White Bay Power Station – photo by Toby Peet | Queenie & The Cavaliers (supplied) | Greenway Art Prize – photo by Daniel Kucek