Sydney’s harbour-front soundtrack is about to get a lot more melodic, and we’re not talking about the Opera House’s alfresco summer series. As part of its ongoing mission to bring more life to the Harbour City, the NSW Government has announced a major expansion of busking spots across The Rocks, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo.
The precincts already host 22 performance points, but a freshly amped-up vibrancy agenda means an extra 16 locations are now in play – including four brand-new pitches in Barangaroo, where buskers will take to the waterfront for the very first time. The Rocks will score seven more, and Darling Harbour will score an extra five – bringing extra summer joy to some of the city’s most well-trodden foreshore strips.
The new sites were selected with input from the buskers themselves – the musicians, magicians, and miscellaneous talent responsible for transforming everyday footpaths into mini stages. For artists like Roshani Sriyani Everett, who’s spent years serenading Sydneysiders between The Rocks and Circular Quay, the move is more than logistical. “Busking gave me a stage when I had no stage,” she says. “Live music brings a place to life… it creates real connection.”
The NSW Government is calling the expansion another step toward reviving Sydney’s reputation as a lively, culture-forward city – with fewer caps, fewer forms, and more moments that make you stop mid-stroll because someone with a guitar just nailed a harmony.
The new busking spots are in operation now, so next time you’re wandering along the waterfront, gelato in hand – keep your ears open.
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