Live music at the Seymour

In the 47 years since we opened to the public, our Seymour Centre stages have showcased a myriad of performing arts works.

Audiences have flocked to the Seymour to enjoy compelling independent theatre, side-splitting comedy, cutting-edge festival pieces, thrilling dance and film, and of course, captivating live music.

In fact, live music has been a core part of our history since day one, and to celebrate a few key musical events coming up soon—like Seymour Nights and Boom! International Festival of Percussion—we thought we’d take a closer look at our musical past, present, and future.

Classic scores to open our doors

Seymour Centre officially opened in September 1975, and it’s only fitting that this exciting occasion was marked by a joyous concert from our long-time friends at Musica Viva.

In the brand-new Everest Theatre—a space designed specifically with live music in mind—our very first patrons enjoyed classic pieces from Beethoven and Schubert, plus new works commissioned by noted Australian composer, Richard Meale.

Our opening festivities continued the next month with a second concert from Musica Viva, this time presented in the York Theatre and featuring the Austral String Quartet, a Sydney group that performed original Australian works throughout the 1960s and ‘70s.

Local artists, new sounds

In the intervening years, our support for live music has only grown, and we’re particular champions of new work from emerging and established Australian artists.

In late 2012, we launched Courtyard Sessions, an annual series of free gigs from local musicians, held in our courtyard in the heart of summer and featuring talented instrumentalists and vocalists like Little Quirks, Kyva, Imogen Clark, St Joan, Tanzer, and more.

And in 2021, we debuted an evolution of this initiative with Seymour Nights, a new winter concert series hosted in the intimate surrounds of the Sound Lounge and featuring some of the most vibrant voices and ensembles in Australian music, like Ensemble Offspring and Musica Viva.

We also enjoy supporting brand-new music festivals, like 2019’s Sydney International Cabaret Festival or the inaugural Boom! International Festival of Percussion, happening this October.

Musical hall of fame

Here at the Seymour, we have our very own musical hall of fame, with many renowned local and international artists taking the Seymour stage over the years.

ARIA Award-winner Missy Higgins has performed here multiple times, and a range of popular UK and US artists, including Seal, Florence + The Machine, Crowded House’s Neil Finn, and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, have also played to packed houses and adoring fans at the Seymour.

We even played host to The Wiggles back in 1996, in a performance recorded for their first live concert video—and for a fun piece of musical trivia, guess who can be seen dancing in the audience? Yes, it’s none other than six-year-old Emma Watkins, who would go on to become the beloved Yellow Wiggle for almost a decade.

Memorable musical outings

We hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through our musical past, present, and future—and if you’re feeling inspired, why not gather a group of friends for a memorable musical outing at the Seymour? Boom! International Festival of Percussion and our final Seymour Nights concert are both on sale now, and we have plenty more events coming up. Because really, what’s better than live music?

4 August 2022