The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney invites one and all to experience Sydney’s most beloved Christmas celebration, Christmas at the Cathedral, as Sydney’s mother church transforms into the dazzling heart of holiday festivities once again.
From Wednesday 17 December right up to Christmas Day, Sydney’s favourite free premiere family event will see the cathedral forecourt come alive with Christmas market stalls, nightly live musical acts and activities open to all.
After sunset, the cathedral stays open until 10 pm, and will unveil stunning traditional displays, including a nativity scene, a towering real fir Christmas tree, and insightful exhibits.
The Catholic Weekly can reveal that this year’s Christmas at the Cathedral’s theme, for its iconic state of the art projection display, will focus on the timeless tale of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ in a message of hope, generosity, and the true spirit of Christmas.
The beloved Christmas carol will be brought to life by The Electric Canvas, the same team responsible behind the award-winning light shows and designs at events such as VIVID Sydney and the Melbourne International Arts Festival.
The Electric Canvas managing director Peter Milne said they are thrilled to deliver Archbishop Fisher’s vision for Sydney, with his creative team working around the clock for 200 days to create the spectacular state-of-the-art animation and imagery that will transform the façade of St Mary’s Cathedral.
“It’s great to be back doing the cathedral Christmas show. We’re in our fourth year of working with the excellent team at the archdiocese,” he said.
“They just make it so easy for us. They’ve got very clear ideas; they are very collaborative. We start quite early, around June, which is a key to making it bigger and better every year.”
Emphasising the importance of offering oneself humbly to Jesus, regardless of material wealth or status, this year’s theme resonates with a timely message this Christmas – that true sacrifice and worship come from the heart, in love and humility.
The ‘drummer boy’s’ simple, humble gift of music reminds us that Jesus values the devotion of the heart more than material offerings.
“When the team at the archdiocese presented us with the theme of the ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ for this year’s projections, we were thrilled,” said Milne.
“It’s a beautiful Christmas story with a strong Christian message. We work very closely with the executive team at the archdiocese, and of course, that is entirely their focus. It’s about the message.
“Our job is to interpret that and display it in a way that is compatible with the challenging architecture of the façade.”
This year, the archdiocese is proud to announce a new sponsor for Christmas at the Cathedral with Destination NSW signing on to support the event.
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said: “Christmas at the Cathedral is a much-loved event that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate the festive season.
“The NSW Government is proud to support this important community celebration as Sydney comes alive with the spirit of Christmas.”
From 17-25 December, the cathedral will come alive with Christmas projections and entertainment running from 5.30pm to 10.30pm each day.
