Everything you love at this year’s Pyrmont Festival

Undoubtedly one of Sydney’s most popular and anticipated cultural festivals, the annual Pyrmont Festival of Wine, Beer, Food, and Art will enliven the Pyrmont peninsula again this May. The festival is a month-long program of special culinary and arts events, with a weekend carnival in Pirrama Park as its centrepiece. 

In this, its twelfth iteration, Pyrmont Festival promises many of its signature features, plus a few new surprises. The whole enterprise began as a collaboration between wine regions in NSW and artisan food and goods producers in Sydney in a celebration of country meets city. 

“This year we have welcomed winemakers, brewers and distillers from across NSW. This includes producers from Orange, Mudgee, Murrumbateman and the Hunter Valley,” says Alex Gibbs, Pyrmont Festival Director. “Local businesses will also be featured across the festival including an Aburi and Oyster Bar in Pirrama Park.” 

There will be over 20 wineries, breweries and distilleries, including, for the first time, a Canberra District winery — McKellar Ridge Wines.

The two-day headline event takes place in beautiful Pirrama Park, at the point of the peninsula, on May 18 and 19. This flat, open park is the perfect setting for an outdoor festival, with the picturesque Sydney Harbour as a backdrop. The park boasts natural and man-made sculptural features, shady trees, walking paths, and lots of nearby amenities. 

Pyrmont Festival takes up the full length of the park, with the large Harbour Stage at one end and the slightly smaller Sunset Stage at the other, each showcasing a fantastic line-up of local entertainers. This year sees the return of crowd favourites, Crown Jewel Band, as well as As Seen On TV, and Jo Fabro. 

On the gastronomical side, the now legendary pop-up Cheeky Naked Oyster Bar set up tables and chairs alongside the shoreline and serve delicious freshly shucked oysters and juicy prawns straight from Sydney Seafood Markets. Enjoy blow-torched cheesy scallops, baby octopus skewers and other ocean delicacies from the famous Aburi Bar. 

Beyond the mouth-watering oysters and seafood delights, you can treat your taste-buds to exciting new gourmet cheeses from The Really Stuffed Olive Company; delectable and dynamic Asian street food inspired by Asia’s vibrant street food scene at The Star’s Fat Noodle stand; German food truck, Knuckles 2 You; the unique taste of African fast food at its finest with the Pharaoh BBQ food truck; Chef Luca Ciano selling his delicious sauces; plus literally dozens more gourmet products and international cuisines. 

Non-food items to look out for include Love Shak’s artisan beer, wine and champagne soaps and skin care; a beautiful range of gifts from Winestoppers; lots of clothing, homewares and more. 

Stalwart of the festival is artistic ambassador for Pyrmont, Jane Bennett with a collection of her glorious, vivid artworks depicting landmarks around the Pyrmont, Ultimo and inner west precincts. 

Also on the artistic front, TAP Gallery, who has been part of the festival virtually from the beginning, will present a pop-up gallery featuring entries to this year’s annual Pyrmont Prize. 

Face painting, art classes, rides, and much more at the two-day festival in Pirrama Park. 

The extended program, running throughout May includes Walking Food Tours, a Day at Sea on the Tall Ship James Craig, and the Tasty Trivia x Petersons Wine Challenge at the Terminus Hotel — just a small selection of the busy program of events. 

For more details, visit www.pyrmontfestival.com.au