From warehouses, clubs, pubs and bars to The Island, Town Hall and the Sydney Opera House, Picnic has made its mark in every corner of Sydney's underground nightlife. The many-pronged events, touring, curation and consulting company is positioned right on the cutting edge of dance music in the Harbour City, establishing itself as a leading force in the music scene for more than 12 years.
From its humble beginnings hopping around inner-city clubs and DIY warehouse locations in the late '00s, Picnic's parties rapidly became known as one of the best places to dance in Sydney. It wasn't long before Picnic's reputation for top quality bookings and an uncompromising attention to detail was being tapped to host large-scale Sydney Festival shows—an annual run of three, each selling out. Skip a few chapters ahead and you'll see Picnic getting cosy at the Sydney Opera House—first for an all-night set from the late legend (and ten year strong Picnic act) Andrew Weatherall, now drenched in sunshine under the iconic sails every Sunday with Picnic Social at Opera Bar. Along the way, Picnic has been a leading light for Sydney's dance music community, serving up the beloved One Night Stand series of all-night showcase sets, the festival-grade Maximum Joy dances, a run of ten rawcus House Parties at Hotel Harry with the likes of Moodymann and Tim Sweeney, and countless other gigs around town. Beyond just club shows, Picnic's also handled holistic music direction for venues like Harpoon Harry, soundtracked restaurants and shops all over the city with individually tailored playlists, curated month-long event programmes for Vivid Sydney, and worked with Australia's biggest and best festivals, venues, agents and promoters, establishing a vast network both at home and abroad. Most importantly, Picnic has always had a vision for what Sydney needs and how to deliver that. Being the first in Australia to host or tour artists like DJ Harvey, Peggy Gou, Jayda G, A Guy Called Gerald, Powder, Moritz Von Oswald and KiNK is no accident. Surviving—and even thriving—through the worst of Sydney's lockouts by finding new and thrilling ways to keep the dance alive is a testament to the party's resilience, inventiveness and quality. Now, as 2021's new normal sets in, Picnic remains committed to presenting creative events and music of the highest calibre, making sure Sydney is still a vibrant place to go out.
