American artist Lonnie Holley has spent a lifetime transforming hardship into beauty and catharsis.
At Sydney Festival 2026, the 75-year-old creative chameleon brings his boundless imagination to ACO on the Pier for a three-show residency – a series of performances that promise to be spontaneous, raw and profoundly human. To set the stage, let’s dive into the man, the music and his mythic power.
A life shaped by struggle
Born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1950, Holley came of age under the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South. His early years were marked by struggle and injustice – a stolen childhood that would later become the wellspring of his art.
This dark period is explored in the 2023 podcast Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children, which profiles Holley’s early life and the abuse he and so many others endured at the hands of the state of Alabama.
"Holley came of age under the harsh realities of the Jim Crow South."
Finding art in improvisation
Since 1979, Holley has devoted himself to the practice of improvisational creativity – an approach that spans sculpture, painting, performance, photography and sound. His sculptures, often made from found and reclaimed materials, are steeped in the traditions of African American folk art and now feature in major museum collections around the world.
In music, Holley’s creativity feels most immediate. His performances are entirely improvised, shaped by the energy of the room and the moment itself. As The New York Times put it in a 2025 headline, “Lonnie Holley never plays a song twice. (Even his own.)”
His discography mirrors this restless spirit. The lushly produced Tonky (2025) and its predecessor Oh Me Oh My (2023), featuring collaborators including Michael Stipe, Bon Iver and Sharon Van Etten, have introduced Holley to new audiences and generations. Critics have praised his ability to bridge the cosmic and the personal. As SF Weekly observed, “He makes the kind of sculpture – and produces the kind of music – that changes people.”
"Lonnie Holley never plays a song twice. Even his own."
Three nights, no rule book
Over three performances at ACO On The Pier, Holley will channel his creative energies into performances that exist only in the moment.
9 January: Lonnie Holley flies solo
The residency begins with an intimate solo performance that will see Holley weaving raw storytelling with improvisation that traces both his own story and the wider African American experience. As X-Press Magazine wrote of Holley’s 2024 Perth show, “Within all the frantic musical experimentation, Holley stands tall as an arthouse bluesman.”
"An intimate solo performance weaving raw storytelling with improvisation."
10 January (3pm): Lonnie Holley with Walmatjarri Elder Kankawa Nagarra
This afternoon show promises a remarkable collaboration with Kankawa Nagarra, a Walmatjarri Elder from the Wangkatjungka community in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Nagarra made history in 2024 when she won the Australian Music Prize at the age of 80 for her debut album Wirlmarni, which draws deeply on the traditions of Aboriginal Australian blues, country and gospel. Her meeting with Holley – two visionary artists from opposite sides of the world, united by a fierce creative spirit – promises to be unforgettable.
"Nagarra made history when she won the Australian Music Prize at the age of 80."
10 January (7pm): Lonnie Holley with Sydney soul singer Yasmina Sadiki
For the final performance, Holley is joined by Sydney-based singer-songwriter Yasmina Sadiki, whose soulful, cinematic sound wowed audiences at her 2025 Vivid LIVE debut. After an early feature on HAAN and The Kid Laroi’s "What U Need", Sadiki has bloomed into an artist in her own mould, crafting enveloping 2024 slow-burners like "Pressure Becomes Me" and "Missme". Holley and Sadiki’s collaboration suggests an improvised dialogue between generations, genres and traditions – though how it unfolds on the night is tantalisingly unknown.
Unlike a traditional concert series, Holley’s Sydney Festival residency is best understood as a living act of creation. Whatever night you choose, expect something immersive, emotionally unvarnished and, by definition, unrepeatable.
"An improvised dialogue between generations, genres and traditions."
11 January: An Afternoon with Lonnie Holley and Kelly Lovemonster
Following the three-show run, Lonnie joins Sydney-based curator, creative producer and writer Kelly Lovemonster for an intimate, unscripted conversation at Chau Chak Wing Museum. Together, they’ll trace how lives, like materials, are continuously reworked, and how art can hold both grief and grace at once. The event concludes with the Australian launch of Holley’s new monograph, Lonnie Holley (Rizzoli, 2024) - a fitting finale to a beautifully expressive Sydney takeover.
