Okay ladies (and friends), let’s get in formation! The full line-up for All About Women (AAW) is here, and the Sydney Opera House has not come to play in 2025. This annual festival of feminist ideas always marks the weekend of International Women’s Day in March, bringing together more than 50 artists, speakers and storytellers for a binary-smashing bonanza of panels, talks, workshops, stand-up comedy and immersive experiences exploring inclusive ideas on gender, justice and equality.
Pick-and-choose your adventure with this spicy program – you can drop in for one or two sessions before debriefing over a vino at Opera Bar, load up your schedule for a full day of educational fun (and peruse the art installations in between), or even stream talks from your couch at home.
The House has added a bunch of big names including Silicon Valley's “most feared” and “well-liked” journalist, Kara Swisher (who in a change of routine, will actually be on stage over at the City Recital Hall on Wednesday, March 5); actress and director Rachel House, discussing what it means to be a Māori woman in the spotlight; Jaguar Jonze on the issues that still plague the modern music industry; Grace Tame getting in on the big Feminist roast, and loads more fodder for thought.
This lot joins the names that were already announced in November, such as Emmy-nominated comedian, actress and writer Kate Berlant (she/her) and the much-loved winner of Australia’s first season of Alone, Gina Chick (she/her). Known for her surrealist and absurdist style, Berlant (Don’t Worry Darling, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) will premiere a new stand-up show as part of her debut Australian tour. (Hot tip: her intimate comedy special Cinnamon in the Wind is currently streaming on Disney+.) Meanwhile, you can catch Gina Chick in a raw and inspiring conversation on grief, triumph over adversity hooked to her new book We Are The Stars.
A flock of Australia’s funniest women will also come together for the return of one of the festival’s most popular events, Feminist Roast – featuring cultural commentator and comedian Lucinda ‘Froomes’ Price (she/her) hot off the release her debut book All I Ever Wanted Was To Be Hot; multi-award winning singer-songwriter, actor and comedian Michelle Brasier (she/her) (if you haven’t seen her on stage, you’ve absolutely seen her collaborations with Aunty Donna); writer, actor, director and All About Women co-curator alum, Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander woman Nakkiah Lui (she/her); and award-winning comedy star, Ydinji woman Steph Tisdell (she/her).
This year’s festival is co-curated by journalist and presenter Narelda Jacobs OAM (she/her) and award-winning actor and writer Michelle Law (she/her) (Miss Peony) alongside the Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas team, which is led by Chip Rolley (he/him).
There’s also happy news for the queer feminists out there (um, like the person writing this) who in previous years have rocked up for a full day of talks as they’re shaking off glitter and sleep deprivation. This year, AAW will not fall on the same weekend as the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. (And thank goodness for that, because there’s a big gay program ready to compete with those Kylie Minogue concerts!)
All About Women 2025 will kick off with an opening night on Saturday, March 8, alongside a bumper full-day program on Sunday, March 9. Tickets start at $35 for in-person events or $15 for digital livestreams, and are on sale to the public from 9am on Thursday, January 16. Find tickets and further event info at sydneyoperahouse.com/all-about-women.
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