Upcoming French summer festival and our nations’ cultural ties
Image: Supplied
by GRACE JOHNSON
So Frenchy So Chic is returning for its thirteenth year this Saturday at Sydney’s Centennial Park for its annual celebration of French culture.
The day-long summer festival will feature French gastronomy, contemporary music, fashion, and wine and champagne, with conviviality at the heart of the event.
Festival Director Jean François told City Hub, “The idea is to have a picnic garden party where we promote food, wine, culture, music, and conviviality.”
The music line-up includes La Femme, Kill the Pain, Laure Briard and Malo’, all directly from the summer season in France, with Mr François saying, “I organised the programming like a playlist.”
“It starts off very chilled then builds up.”
This year will see extra activities added to the program, with flower crown making, ceramics, and wine masterclasses.
“We’re really trying to immerse people in these interactive activities, and then we’ve got activities for the kids as well.”
History of the French in Australia
There is a long history of the French in Australia.
The First Fleet’s departure in 1787 sparked considerable interest in France, prompting Jean-François de Galaud, comte de Lapérouse, often referred to simply as Lapérouse, to set sail.
His two ships arrived in Botany Bay on January 24, 1788. Seven weeks later, his ships sailed out, but Lapérouse was never heard from again.
The disappearance of the naval officer led to several other French naval expeditions to Australia and the Pacific in the first half of the 19th century. The expeditions sought to find the French explorers but also to undertake important scientific and cultural research on behalf of France.
Ties between the two countries have only grown since then, with over 45,000 Australians dying on French soil during the two world wars.
Mr François, who comes from the northern region of France, said, “There are many Australians coming to France to pay respects to their elders over there.”
On the cultural front, the French Film Festival, launched by Alliance Française in 1989, is the largest festival dedicated to contemporary French films outside of France.
It is also one of the largest public events in Australia with more than 152,000 attendances in 2022.
Speaking on the ties that bind Australia and France, Mr François said, “I think it’s a combination of culture and history.”
So Frenchy So Chic Event Details
Saturday 20 January1:00pm – 9:30pmCentennial Park
Tickets can be bought here.
You May Also Like
