Time to head back to the dancefloor! The Sydney Symphony Orchestra kicks off the new year in shimmering style with Disco Never Dies on 22 January, supported by Sydney Festival.
After last year’s full-house disco spectacular and the wave of rave reviews that followed, the Hordern Pavilion is once again set to transform into a full-scale boogie wonderland, complete with mirrorballs, sequins and high-voltage energy.
Two new stars join the celebration. Drag royalty Kween Kong and singer and actor Jesse Dutlow step into the spotlight with the Sydney Symphony for the first time. Kween Kong is a beloved icon of the drag community whose presence on screen has been nothing short of magnetic on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Season 2 in 2021 and the inaugural Drag Race Global All Stars in 2024. In 2023, she became the first drag artist ever nominated for a Logie. Originally dabbling in drag while working as a professional touring dancer, Kween Kong is based in Adelaide, where she has become a fixture of the local scene both on stage and as a community leader. She is celebrated for her showstopping performances and for breaking new ground as one of the first people of colour in many of the spaces she inhabits. Inspired by the legacy of ballroom houses, she is also the mother of the Haus of Kong, a collective supporting LGBTQI+ people seeking community, work and housing. Her presence as host promises an evening filled with charisma and unapologetic fun.
Joining her is Jesse Dutlow, a non-binary artist born in Melbourne with South African heritage whose voice and stage presence have earned widespread critical acclaim. They most recently enchanted audiences as Angel in RENT with Opera Australia and previously toured Australia and Asia as May in & Juliet with Michael Cassel Group. Jesse is known for remarkable vocal agility and bold storytelling.
They will be joined by a stellar lineup of Australian vocal talent under the baton of dynamic young conductor Carlo Antonioli. Chart-topping pop sensation Paulini, whose powerful voice first won hearts on Australian Idol, shares the stage with acclaimed Indigenous singer-songwriter Emma Donovan, celebrated for her soulful tone and multiple ARIA and Deadly Award nominations. Also featured is genre-defying Indigenous artist Jess Hitchcock, known for blending jazz, soul and contemporary sounds into electrifying performances. Together, they will bring disco’s greatest anthems to life, from megahits like I Love The Night Life and That's the Way (I Like It) to Don't Leave Me This Way and It's Raining Men, alongside iconic classics by Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bee Gees and Donna Summer, capturing the unshakable joy of disco’s golden age.
With sumptuous strings, funky beats and triumphant brass, the Sydney Symphony gives disco a symphonic edge that proves an orchestra can throw a party like no other. With a playlist stacked with bangers and a dancefloor open to all, the spirit of disco burns brighter than ever.