Just a few observations by me from a punter’s point of view - with pix (because I do)
Love the concept of blocking off Elizabeth Street…
… and Macquarie St…
… which gave some performers the opportunity to put the hat out as they warmed up.
However the use of Police horses in such a dense crowd seemed a bit of overkill. OK, I know they are well trained but they were being pushed through the crowd. Overall the Police presence reminded me more of APEC than a friendly festival.
This tangled mess in Hyde Park was a huge hit with the kids and, surprisingly, fun to watch…
… and then it was all pushed up to make a canopy for budding pole dancers.
The FOH compound in the Domain has now grown to the size of a house - it was bigger than the stage in Elizabeth St.
The Domain quickly filled to capacity - 45,000 pax according to official Sydney Festival estimate. Not bad for a venue that only holds 28,000 - but that is another story (on its way).
However, pedestrian traffic through the Sydney Hospital grounds was blocked, so punters were diverted to either end of the block. At the Lands Office end they were funneled through a 3m wide gap and at the Stage Library end the gap was only 2m.
If this practice is going to continue then surely the State Government needs to fund an underground access route from The Domain to Martin Place station as part of the Domain overhaul - Future Domain report
