Check out the outstanding line-up of Sydney Festival's Speakers Corner summer concert series

She’s got one of the most soulful voices in the country, and Jade MacRae is more than ready to unleash it on the Speakers Corner stage come January 7. This quadruple-threat talent (her résumé includes singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist) will perform songs from her three solo albums, as well as tracks from her side project, Dune. Expect an explosive set that will have you grooving in your seat.

At just 22 years of age, Tia Gostelow has already produced two epic records, taken out the 2018 Album of the Year at the Queensland Music Awards and toured the country with festivals like Groovin the Moo and Falls. Now, she’s bringing her dreamy, blissed-out energy and nostalgia-infused synth tunes to Sydney on Friday January 7, in what’s shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated shows on the Speakers Corner bill. 

Mainstays of the local music industry for 15 years now, Busby Marou – that’s Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou – are beloved for their easy rapport, gifted musicianship and distinctly Aussie lyrics and vocals. Snap up tickets for their January 25 show and you’ll be treated to an evening of solid banter and glorious tunes – ‘Over Drinking over You’ and ‘Best Part of Me’ are sure to be highlights.

If you haven’t heard Gordon Koang’s story, buckle up. Blind since birth, he travelled to Australia in 2014 seeking refuge from South Sudan’s civil war. His blend of traditional Neur rhythms and original compositions made him a household name in his home country, and now the multi-talented artist has begun a new phase of his journey as part of Australia’s music community. Accompanied by his cousin and fellow musician Paul Biel, this January 21 show is one you don’t want to miss.

He’s performed everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall in London to Sydney’s very own Opera House, and now oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros AM will be gracing the Speakers Corner stage on Tuesday January 11. The five-time ARIA Award winner will be joined by Matt McMahon on piano, Karl Dunnicliff on double bass and brother James Tawadros on Egyptian percussion for a show that will incorporate elements of jazz, folk, world and even metal and bluegrass.

From wide-eyed winner of Australian Idol to musical theatre powerhouse (her role as Mama Morton in the 2019 revival of Chicago earned rave reviews), Casey Donovan has well and truly transformed into one of the country’s most in-demand performers. Her Speakers Corner set on Saturday January 15 will be an adaptation of her online Bluesday Tuesday sessions, and include original songs, party tunes and plenty of Idol throwbacks.

It’s been less than two years since First Nations rapper Barkaa first caught the attention of Australian hip-hop fans with her fiery tracks ‘Our Lives Matter’ and ‘For My Tittas’, and since then she has gone on to headline shows at the Enmore Theatre and Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Her energetic on-stage presence and talent for passionate, brutally honest lyrics will definitely make her January 18 set one to watch.

Having grown up singing church songs with her grandparents and touring as a member of the family band, it’s no surprise that Emma Donovan has continued to pursue a career in music. After working with Indigenous artists like Archie Roach and Dan Sultan, she joined creative forces with the Putbacks to produce two albums in just ten months (and that was during the pandemic!). Catch them putting on a soul and funk masterclass on Thursday January 27.

Judith Lucy. Tom Ballard. Nazeem Hussain. Nikki Britton. The line-up for Speaker’s Corner Comedy Gala reads like a who’s who of the Australian comedy scene. Over two hilarious nights (January 13 and 21) you’ll be treated to a showcase of gags, jokes and whip-smart quips as some of the funniest people in the biz come together all in the name of a good laugh. 

Go find your most sparkly piece of clothing, slap on some glitter face paint and start practising your best d-floor moves, because Sunshine and Disco Faith Choir will be throwing one hell of a party on January 12. DJ Sunshine (best known for her legendary Saturday morning sessions at Revolver in Melbourne) and her 12-person choir of disco fanatics will be pumping house, techno and dance classics long into the night, so get ready to rave, rejoice and repeat.

Trying to figure out what the name ‘Ausecuma’ means? Let us help you out: it’s a combination of Australia, the Senegambia region, Cuba and Mali – which is where the nine members of this band hail from. They met jamming at Melbourne’s Bar Oussou, before releasing their self-titled debut in 2020. Experience their joyous music – a fusion of afrobeat, jazz and rumba that reflects each band member’s diverse heritage – for yourself on Thursday January 13.

Performing in Sydney for the first time as part of the Speakers Corner program, Karate Boogaloo are a quartet who have quickly developed a cult-like following. Their musical style can only be described as old-school breakbeats meets classic hip-hop samples meets left-field funk, with plenty of cheekiness thrown in for good measure (their 2020 album was called Carn the Boogers). Who knows what kind of trippy tunes audiences will hear on Thursday January 6?