Vivid Sydney is set to take over the city once again and we’re delighted to offer Gig Buddies’ participants discounted tickets to a number of top events.
The 23 day and night festival will “fuse art, innovation and technology in collaboration with some of the most boundary-pushing artists, musicians, thinkers and culinary experts of our time.”
Just like the past seven years, event organisers have generously provided Gig Buddies with a number of discounted tickets to SIX events taking place at the world famous Sydney Opera House.
This May you’ll find us at the Sydney Opera House for the following:
- Tia Gostelow
Venue: Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House
Date/Time: Friday 24 May, 7:00pm
Information: A shapeshifting singer-songwriter with a knack for folk, pop and synth grooves alike, rising Queensland star Tia Gostelow is among Australia’s hottest young musical talents. This is her Vivid LIVE debut.
For more information about the event, click here.
Tickets: Gig Buddies’ participants can purchase tickets for $20 each (plus $8.50 booking fee per transaction).
- dstreet Studio Party (18+)
Venue: Studio, Sydney Opera House
Date/Time: Saturday 25 May, 9:00pm
Information: Lighting up the Sydney Opera House Studio with guest DJs Mad Miran, Piezo, Kate Miller and Emelyne, Sydney underground dance music collective dstreet. make their Vivid LIVE debut.
For more information about the event, click here.
Tickets: Gig Buddies’ participants can purchase tickets for $20 each (plus $8.50 booking fee per transaction).
- AIR play Moon Safari
Venue: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Date/Time: Sunday 26 May, 4:00pm
Information: Marking their era-defining debut album Moon Safari, French pop duo Air return to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall to play the classic album for the first time live in its entirety.
For more information about the event, click here.
Tickets: Gig Buddies’ participants can purchase tickets for $20 each (plus $8.50 booking fee per transaction).
- Astral People present Spice Trail
Venue: Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
Date/Time: Tuesday 28 May, 7:00pm
Information: A celebration of the South Asian diaspora as South Indian Carnatic, playback superstar Sid Sriram, Tamil R&B soulstress Priya Ragu and bhangra beat kahuna Raf-Saperra headline an unmissable party from cutting-edge Australian tastemakers Astral People.
For more information about the event, click here.
Tickets: Gig Buddies’ participants can purchase tickets for $20 each (plus $8.50 booking fee per transaction).
- Thelma Plum
Venue: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Date/Time: Wednesday 29 May, 8:00pm
Information: Fresh off a Hottest 100 smash with “We Don’t Talk About It”, award-winning, multi-platinum-selling indigenous star Thelma Plum returns for her first Vivid LIVE show – and solo headline debut – since performing with Paul Kelly.
For more information about the event, click here.
Tickets: Gig Buddies’ participants can purchase tickets for $20 each (plus $8.50 booking fee per transaction).
- BARKAA
Venue: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Date/Time: Friday 31 May, 7:30pm
Information: One of Australia’s most thrilling live performers, Malyangapa and Barkindji musician and hip-hop queen BARKAA returns to the Sydney Opera House with her solo debut at Vivid LIVE.
For more information about the event, click here.
Tickets: Gig Buddies’ participants can purchase tickets for $20 each (plus $8.50 booking fee per transaction).
How can I buy tickets?
To take advantage of the discounted prices, email the team with the name of the event you’d like to attend along with the number of tickets required. We can be reached at: info@gigbuddiessydney.org.
Once we receive your email, we’ll then forward a unique ticket link.
Please note, the reduced rate only applies for Gig Buddies’ participants. Whether you’re based in Sydney or on the Central Coast, all fully signed up buddies and volunteers are welcome to purchase discounted tickets.
If your buddy is unavailable but you’d like to attend any of the six events, you’re more than welcome to purchase extra ticket(s) for friends, family members or support worker(s).
Once again, we are indebted to the generosity of Vivid Sydney organisers and the Sydney Opera House. Thank you for your ongoing support and for providing participants with the opportunity to sample some of the best live music at this year’s event.
Are you looking to volunteer?
We need volunteers! Click on the image above for current Sydney roles and the graphic below for opportunities on the Central Coast.
If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us via Facebook or email: info@gigbuddiessydney.org
Go West!
We’ve a number of Gig Buddies’s socials taking place this week.
First up, taking place this Thursday (11/4) we’ve a Penrith double-header to tell you all about.
We invite buddies to join us out west for free aqua golf, held in conjunction with Penrith Youth Week*.
And later that day we retreat to Penrith Panthers Leagues Club for our grand Greater Western Sydney launch.
To join us for either, jump on the links below:
Both events are free to attend. For more information about each (and to register your attendance), jump on the links above.
* Free golf is for buddies aged 25 and under.
Game, set, match
On the same day you’ll also find us in Hornsby where we’ll be partaking in a Gig Buddies first: pickleball.
For those new to the game, pickleball is a paddle sport you can learn in minutes and play for a lifetime. It brings together elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis to create a sport that’s fun for all ages and skill levels.
Tickets cover court and equipment hire. We’ve also secured a qualified to put us through our paces!
To join us on Thursday 11 April, jump on the link below:
Each and every month we invite buddies to connect with us for our online chats.
Our chats take place via Zoom. To attend get in touch via text: 0422 061 990 or Facebook Messenger.
April and May
And looking to the weekend ahead, tickets are still available for the following offerings:
To join us at either, hit up the links listed above.
Please note, our pub lunch in Clovelly, scheduled for Saturday 27 April, has now sold out.
Foodies unite
We also have two events scheduled to take place in May.
Firstly, on Saturday 18 May you’ll find us in Gregory Hills for burgers, shakes and street art. Then later in the month, on Wednesday 29 May, we head to Long Jetty for a catch up over some Aussie pub grub.
To sign up for either gig, jump on the links below:
Happy birthday to us!
And these April and May outings are all in addition to the big one: Gig Buddies 9th birthday.
On Thursday 2 May we’re heading to North Sydney’s Greenwood Hotel - taking over the Chapel and partying from 7 - 10pm.
Tickets are selling fast! Whether you’re based in Sydney or on the Central Coast, we invite you to dust off those dancing shoes and party with us.
Tickets to our birthday cost $40 per person and include food, live music, lucky door prizes and much more.
To book your ticket to our 9th birthday, click here.
And if you have questions about any of our forthcoming events, get in touch: we can be reached via Facebook Messenger, email: info@gigbuddiessydney.org or via text or phone call on 0411 252 228.
Out and about
Last weekend we caught up with buddies in both Campbelltown and Petersham.
Firstly, on Friday we headed to the movies at Macathur Square for 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’. Two days we spent our Sunday at Petersham Bowling Club for their mini music festival, Sham Fest.
As always, thanks to everyone who joined us. To see more snaps from both catch ups, click here.
Four more
Our socials aside, we’ve been busy on the pairing and training front since our last update.
It’s wonderful to welcome the following FOUR newbies: Rosie and Lucy (top left, L - R), Dan and Nick (top centre, L - R), Tom and Gavin (right, L - R) and Michelle and Dylan (below centre, L - R).
1 up
And since you last heard from us, we also connected with Dean (below) - our latest trained volunteer.
Thanks for joining us on Zoom for training.
Round two
A few weeks ago we published a podcast recording featuring our very own CEO, Carol.
Chatting with The Expanding World Podcast host, Debra Caldow, they’ve continued their discussion, this time talking about supporting adults with disability, Carol’s history with Gig Buddies’ parent organisation, ACL Disability Services, and the issue of ‘taking risks’.
To listen to the second segment of their interview, click here.
30 Australians leaving their mark
And recently, Carol was in attendance at the Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay’s 30th birthday ceremony. They hosted an event, bringing together ’30 Australians who are making the world a better place’.
In the lead up to the gathering, Australians were invited to nominate their heroes – the people in their lives and communities that are having a positive impact, whether through the life-changing products they create, the vital community bonds they build or the creativity they share.
A panel consisting of the 2022 Australian of the Year, Dylan Alcott AO, the chief winemaker of Grant Burge Wines, Craig Stansborough, and the Guardian Labs content and strategy director, Justine O’Donnell, evaluated the nominations.
Excitingly, on the night Carol and Gig Buddies were recognised as one of the ‘culture’ winners.
To read more about the achievement and the event, click here.
Lasting mateship
And lastly, throughout the month of April we’re going to share sentiments from Soul Fly Buddies’ member, Alex.
He’ll be posting his thoughts on maintaining friendships, not giving up, and the benefits of disability.
To start off with, here’s the man with his suggestions on lasting mateship:
“Some friends will go and some friends will stay, but depending on how close the friendship you had with someone who has now moved on, while it might be hard, try not to let it bother you. Think of the positive memories that you have of each other, as well as how great it’d be to reconnect again as friends in the future.
Learn from the mistakes that you have made in the past. If you’re also tech savvy like I am, a key to good friendship is maintaining regular contact, even if it’s only a short call such as a quick ‘hi, how are you going?’.
If it turns into a long phone call, that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all, as it might turn out to be good for your mental health. It’s also knowing that you were both thinking of each other as a friend which can keep the friendship going.
Don’t be shy at upcoming Gig Buddies’ events to print out a little introduction sheet to give to people (even if you don’t know them). It will be a great way of getting yourself more known.
On that sheet include a few things about yourself (nothing too personal), as well as the most important thing which is the best way to keep in touch (email, Facebook, or mobile number). But don’t be offended if you get nothing back, as what matters is that you tried your best - and you shouldn’t stop trying - as it might just pay off with making a new friend, or you might realise that you might know the same friends, or restart an old friendship.
If you want to know more about the skills of being a friend, or if you want to know more about me and you see me at an upcoming Gig Buddies social event, feel free to say hi.
Thanks for reading,”
- Alex
Matthew: Central Coast coordinator (0402 708 814)
Carol: CEO (02 9419 6951)
Chelsea: NDIS coordinator (0412 145 819)
Tony: Funding and sponsorship coordinator (02 9419 6951)
Bec: Sydney coordinator (0411 252 228)
Aylin: Western Sydney coordinator (0466 389 961)
Lara: Greater Western Sydney coordinator (0478 045 121)
Sandon: Southern Sydney coordinator (0478 043 996)
Would you like more information about Gig BuddiesSydney? You’re only a click away. Connect with us via the links below.
Fancy revelling in legendary status? If so, please support us in our cause to get more people out to live events in Sydney.
Donations over $2 are tax deductible and all are gratefully received.
The Gig Buddies Sydney project is an initiative of ACL Disability Services.
