We’ve established that capital city festivals are for other people. Their principal purpose is to bring people into the city, not only tourists but people from the regions and the suburbs. Next month’s Sydney Festival will do that; there’s something for every taste unless your taste is for high culture. You won’t find much in January’s program but you can still find high culture in the Opera season (from 31 Dec) or at the Sydney Theatre Company.

Meanwhile, back at the Festival, there’s fun, colour and movement aplenty. One of the brightest spots is the Festival Village to be found at the northern end of Hyde Park. The Village consists of tents and marquees selling refreshments together with two large performance tents: the Famous Spiegeltent dating from 1920’s Vienna and the new Aurora spiegeltent, all mirrored glamour and intrigue. From 7 Jan there are an amazing number of musical and circus acts.

One of the most remarkable of these will be close-up in The Aurora from Jan 13 to 25; it is A Simple Space: Gravity and Other Myths. Seven Australian acrobats who are very strong, very brave and very witty, this act was a standout hit of the 2014 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

There are masses of shows all over the place including Riverside Theatre, Carriageworks, Seymour Centre, National Art School, Sydney Theatre, Opera House, Recital Hall; go online for details. You should go, after all it costs the government a fortune.